Politics
Kentucky education commissioner says legislature put youth at risk with anti-LGBTQ bill
The day after Kentucky lawmakers rapidly changed and passed a bill to include measures banning gender-affirming care for minors, the state’s top education official decried the “sweeping and harmful” legislation. Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason Glass said the latest version of Senate Bill 150 “contains provisions that will put our young people at risk, have the […]
Kentucky legislature passes anti-trans bill?
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.? The Trevor Project, which aims to end suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, also has trained counselors available around the clock. Reach them at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/, or by texting START to 678678.? FRANKFORT — […]
Kentucky House tries to revive anti-trans legislation stalled in Senate
FRANKFORT — With time running out in this session, House Republicans tried on Thursday to revive anti-trans legislation that has stalled in the Senate. In a hastily called committee meeting, provisions restricting health care for trans youth were grafted onto Senate Bill 150, described by sponsor Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, as a “parents rights” measure, […]
Kentucky House approves book challenge bill after multiple attempts to alter it fail
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House rejected pleas of some Republicans to add a ban on? public drag shows and some parental rights provisions to a bill mandating a complaint process for parents to challenge school materials they consider “harmful to minors.” Senate Bill 5, primarily sponsored by Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, came onto the House […]
Anti-trans bill paused in Senate as Republicans split
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Senate narrowly voted to postpone consideration of House Bill 470 — after ?adopting a floor amendment that loosened the controversial bill’s health-care restrictions on trans youth. The 19-17 vote came at 9:34 p.m. Wednesday after two breaks for closed-door Republican caucuses.?? Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Benton, proposed cutting about 30 pages of […]
Kentucky Education Association cries foul as legislature blocks payroll deductions for its dues
FRANKFORT – A bill that would stop automatic payroll deductions for dues of certain public employees who are part of a union or association has been passed by both the House and Senate Representatives voted 66-33 on Senate Bill 7 Wednesday evening. The bill seeks to stop government resources going to political funds. The Kentucky […]
Bill subjecting Kentucky education commissioner to Senate confirmation has cleared both chambers
FRANKFORT — A bill that the head of the Kentucky Board of Education said would reverse decades of progress on education passed the House Tuesday.? Representatives voted 80-20 in favor of? Senate Bill 107, a measure that would make the Kentucky education commissioner subject to confirmation by the Senate. Earlier this session, the Senate approved […]
Republican senator proposes rewrite of anti-trans legislation, other floor amendments filed
FRANKFORT — A Republican senator proposed striking much of anti-trans House Bill 470 after Senate Republicans caucused behind closed doors for three hours Tuesday. A floor amendment filed around 8 p.m. Tuesday narrows the prohibitions in HB 470 and would give parents more leeway than the original bill to make health care decisions for their […]
House committee OKs 2024 vote on school choice constitutional amendment
FRANKFORT — A House committee voted 8-5 Tuesday to forward a bill that would let Kentucky voters decide in 2024 on a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to provide funding for non-public schools.? Rep. Josh Calloway, R-Irvington, the sponsor of House Bill 174, told the House Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs […]
What’s ‘woke?’ Here’s what some Kentucky politicians say
LOUISVILLE — At the end of Kentucky’s first gubernatorial debate on March 7, four Republican candidates were asked a lightning round question — define “woke.” A lot of Americans have wondered about that definition. “Woke” was a contender for Merriam-Webster’s most looked-up word of 2021 when “vaccine” generated the most dictionary searches.? In 2023, Kentucky […]
Bill subjecting state education commissioner to Senate confirmation advances from House committee
FRANKFORT — The chair of the Kentucky Board of Education is criticizing a bill that would subject the state education commissioner to Senate confirmation, saying it would turn back 30 years of progress in education.? Senate Bill 107 would also limit the state’s top school officer to a four-year contract that could be renewed. The […]
Bill mandating process for parents to challenge books, programs in Kentucky public schools advances
A controversial bill that would mandate a process in all of Kentucky’s 171 public school districts for parents to challenge materials, programs or events they consider “harmful to minors” received a House committee’s approval Monday in a party-line vote.? Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 5, said before the House Education […]