Fewer Kentuckians have health insurance through kynect after subsidies that helped millions of Americans afford health insurance expired late last year but the decline is not as drastic as advocates had feared. Overall, about 89,000 Kentuckians enrolled in an Affordable Care Act health plan for 2026, down from about 97,000 last year, according to Priscilla Easterling, the […]
Author Archives: Kentucky Lantern
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Ky. fixes still don’t ‘prioritize patient protection,’ says national optometry board
A national group that tests optometrists for licensure in all 50 states is blasting Kentucky’s licensing board, saying it is failing to protect the public or ensure that eye care providers are competent, as it seeks to address cases of optometrists who were improperly licensed. The state board’s efforts allow “invalidly licensed optometrists to continue […]
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Free tuition for older Kentuckians is in peril
For 50 years, the legislature has waived tuition and fees at public universities and colleges for Kentuckians who have passed their 65th birthdays. That would end if the chair of the House Standing Committee on Postsecondary Education has his way. Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, is sponsoring House Bill 497 which would repeal the 1976 law that created the waiver […]
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Fish and wildlife chair can stay, no license needed to hunt on your own farmland, says AG
In an about-face, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office says Kentuckians can legally hunt and fish on their own farmland without a license even if their residence is elsewhere in the state. The opinion, published Wednesday, ends the AG’s efforts to unseat the chair of the state’s wildlife management board. In December, the AG’s office […]
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Kentucky ‘will not tolerate’ child grooming, House says with unanimous vote
To applause, Kentucky’s House of Representatives unanimously passed a priority bill that would codify criminal charges for adults who groom children for sex. House Bill 4, which has 33 sponsors, most of whom are Republican, proposes a range of charges for adults, 18 and older, who groom children with an “intent to entice, coerce, solicit, […]
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‘Freedom’ versus public health: Kentucky House passes cigar bar bill
A bill exempting cigar bars from local smoking bans in Kentucky passed the House Tuesday 69-24 with bipartisan support and opposition. House Bill 194 would carve out an exemption in local smoke-free laws for businesses to operate as cigar bars if they meet certain requirements: Businesses would have to hold a valid alcoholic beverage license and make at […]
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Beshear’s ‘Pre-K for All’ meets concerns from some key GOP budget-writers
Some key Republican House lawmakers voiced concerns about Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s proposed “Pre-K for All,” citing potential costs to taxpayers and the effects of the competition on private child care providers. Sam Flynn, executive director of the Team Kentucky Pre-K for All Program, told state lawmakers Tuesday that expanding preschool access would provide parents […]
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Beshear super PAC gets $450K from Pennsylvania donor
The super PAC serving as a forerunner to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s anticipated presidential campaign stepped up its fundraising in the second half of 2025, thanks in large part to a Pennsylvania donor who gave a whopping $450,000. The super PAC is called In This Together, and the top donor over the six-month period is […]
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Kentucky Black lawmakers’ program reflects on Black history and the need to still teach it
Speakers reflected on the past, looked to the future and urged courage in the present during the annual Black History Celebration presented by the Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus. Keynote speaker, educator and researcher Roger Cleveland encouraged the crowd at the Kentucky History Center Tuesday to commit to building a future that is inclusive to all […]
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Two GOP priorities for public education advance from Kentucky Senate
The Republican-controlled state Senate passed bills Monday aimed at shining more light on school districts’ spending and shifting the balance of power in Kentucky’s largest school district. The bills, considered top priorities by Senate Republicans, now head to the House, which also has a GOP supermajority, for further consideration. Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senate […]
