Health
Proposal for protecting KY kids from nicotine products draws cheers as children’s advocates rally
FRANKFORT — Hundreds rallied in the Capitol rotunda Wednesday for Children’s Advocacy Day, calling on lawmakers to pass youth vaping protections and other policies to improve the quality of life for Kentucky’s kids.? Terry Brooks, the executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, which organized the rally, said about 80% of KYA’s legislative priorities are on […]
Birth center legislation advances again in Kentucky General Assembly
FRANKFORT — Another bill aimed at opening the way for freestanding birth centers in Kentucky unanimously passed a House committee Wednesday morning.? House Bill 90 is the sister bill to Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer’s Senate Bill 17, which already passed the Senate — the first time a freestanding birth center bill passed that chamber in […]
KY version of Trump’s health commission gets Senate OK as Democrat denounces ‘abject misinformation’
FRANKFORT — A Democratic physician pointed to a Kentucky measles case and condemned “abject misinformation” as the Republican-controlled state Senate unanimously voted Thursday to adopt Trump administration health goals and launch a Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force. Sen. Karen Berg, a physician in Louisville, voted for the resolution but said, “We are going […]
GOP bill shielding conversion therapy clears committee on party line vote
This story mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.? FRANKFORT — Kentucky lawmakers would endanger vulnerable minors by approving a bill to protect conversion therapy, warned a coalition representing psychologists, social workers and the LGBTQ community during a committee hearing […]
Kentuckian has confirmed case of measles
An adult Kentuckian has measles after traveling internationally “to an area with ongoing measles transmission,” the Kentucky Department for Public Health announced Wednesday night.? People who were at the Planet Fitness at 101 Allen Way in Frankfort, on Feb. 17 between 9 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. may have been exposed, the department said. The patient […]
Kentucky House moves to make fluoridated water program optional?
FRANKFORT — A bill to make water fluoridation optional in Kentucky passed the House on Wednesday with bipartisan opposition.? House Bill 16, should it become law, means Kentucky will let local water systems’ governing bodies decide whether to add fluoride to water. The 68-29 vote came after 30 minutes of debate that focused on benefits […]
Kentucky Senate moves to regulate vape retailers, punish ‘bad actors’
FRANKFORT — Kentucky’s Senate is moving to add harsher penalties for retailers who sell vaping products to minors.? Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon’s Senate Bill 100 passed 33-3 on Wednesday. The three who voted against it — Sens. Robby Mills, Aaron Reed and Lindsey Tichenor — are all Republican.? The legislation would license all retailers who […]
Coercive control ‘operates in the shadows.’ Kentucky lawmaker moves to address it.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.? You can also contact any of Kentucky’s 15 domestic violence programs.? FRANKFORT — A Kentucky victim of “coercive control” can’t use that alone to get a protective order […]
Kentuckians will pay with their health if lawmakers force cigar bars on smoke-free communities
House Bill 211 would threaten Kentuckians health by requiring local smoke-free ordinances to allow smoking in cigar bars. HB 211 could undo the dramatic public health protections afforded by the 44 strong smoke-free ordinances in Kentucky. Smoke-free hospitality venues are popular. Tourists like to breathe smoke-free air.? Kentucky has a long history of yielding authority […]
House bill would hurt efforts to remediate lead hazards in Louisville
In Metro Louisville, after extensive input from the public, including landlords and health officials, Metro Council adopted an ordinance in 2022 that took effect in December 2024, requiring residential rental properties be screened for lead hazard and that identified hazards be corrected. The ordinance creates a registry of residential rental properties and their compliance status. […]
Kentucky legislature moves to implement Make America Healthy Again
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky legislature is moving to incorporate the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” principles in the commonwealth.? On Tuesday, members of the Senate Families and Children Committee unanimously — and with bipartisan support — passed a resolution to establish the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Task Force.? The task force would […]
As diabetes drives up Kentuckians’ use of weight-loss drugs, worries arise about unintended effects
This story discusses weight and eating disorders. If you or someone you know has an eating disorder, you can get help through the National Eating Disorder Association by calling 800-931-2237 or chatting online at nationaleatingdisorder.org. When Ruth Taylor got accepted into a trial to study semaglutide — which most people know as the brand name […]