Voters might have thought they settled the question of charter schools in Kentucky last year when a “school choice” amendment failed in all 120 counties. But the state Supreme Court was told Thursday that no change in the state’s 1891 Constitution is necessary to allow charter schools under a law the Republican-controlled legislature approved in […]
Author Archives: Kentucky Lantern
Posted inPolitics
Kentucky Republicans at the center of duel over releasing Epstein files
Two Kentucky Republicans are playing conflicting roles in a drama that threatens to divide President Donald Trump’s political base. U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie and James Comer are central players in the controversy over releasing investigative files in the case of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Massie, who had already gained Trump’s ire, is leading a […]
Posted inNews
Domestic violence is linked to other violent crime, recidivism in Kentucky, study finds
Reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Domestic violence drives other violent crime in Kentucky and contributes to criminal recidivism all while draining law enforcement and court resources across the commonwealth, reports the Council of State Governments. Over the past two years, the council’s Justice Center dug into Kentucky’s […]
Posted inNews
Early learning sets kids on life trajectory, Kentuckians hear, as Beshear keeps pushing for pre-K
A Republican legislator from Alabama made the case for state-supported early childhood education Wednesday during a meeting of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s Pre-K for All Advisory Committee in Kentucky. Rep. Jeana Ross, a former educator and former secretary of her state’s Department of Early Childhood Education, said Alabama’s pre-K program “has survived Democratic and Republican governors” […]
Posted inPolitics
Alleged fraud in issuing driver’s licenses under investigation in Kentucky, officials say
Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman say investigators have been looking into a whistleblower’s allegations that immigrants paid temporary contract workers to illegally obtain state driver’s licenses. Louisville TV station WDRB reported last week that a former clerk at a Kentucky driver’s licensing office said co-workers sold, for $200 each, state driver’s […]
Posted inNews
Kentucky community colleges working to meet students’ ‘severe’ need for mental health support
About two-thirds of Kentucky community college students surveyed last year say they have experienced depression or anxiety while 1 in 5 reported engaging in “self-injurious behavior.” In response, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System is launching a Mental Health Strategy for its roughly 100,000 students. KCTCS President Ryan Quarles told LINK’s media partner, the […]
Posted inPolitics
U.S. Senate candidates set the tone for Kentucky Republicans during statewide dinner
Republican candidates for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat set the tone for their campaigns ahead of next year’s primary during the state party’s Lincoln Day Dinner Saturday night. While the thorny primary was at the center of the evening, the influence of outgoing U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell on the party was clear. Speakers throughout the […]
Posted inPolitics
Beshear joins lawsuit to unfreeze federal funds for electric vehicle chargers
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has joined other Democratic governors and attorneys general in an ongoing lawsuit seeking to unfreeze billions in federal funds allocated to building a nationwide network of chargers for electric vehicles. The Trump administration targeted $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program on Inauguration Day this year and froze […]
Posted inNews
Coleman vs. Comer? 2 politicos fuel speculation for 2027 governor’s race in West Kentucky
Most spectators had their eyes on candidates in Kentucky’s upcoming GOP U.S. Senate primary during events surrounding the Fancy Farm Picnic this weekend. However, a Republican and Democrat encouraged speculation about themselves as candidates in the state’s 2027 governor’s race. While addressing party faithful — Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman at a Democratic dinner and U.S. Rep. […]
Posted inElections
Candidates vie for spotlight with well-placed zingers at Fancy Farm
The top three Republican candidates hoping to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate — former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and Lexington businessman Nate Morris — have been taking snipes at each other on the campaign trail this summer as they barrel toward the May 2026 primary, but they pulled out the […]
