The use of smartphones and other cell phone technology, in most instances, would be banned from public school classrooms under a bill the House Education Committee approved Tuesday. Only cell phone use during emergencies or “if directed … by a teacher for an instructional purpose” would be allowed under the legislation proposed in House Bill […]
Author Archives: Rebecca Hanchett
Posted inPolitics
Kentucky House moves to outlaw AI-generated child porn, child sex dolls
A Northern Kentucky lawmaker’s bill to outlaw computer-generated child pornography and child sex dolls in the commonwealth passed the Kentucky House on a bipartisan vote Monday. Rep. Stephanie Dietz (R-Edgewood) is the lead sponsor of House Bill 207, passed on a 93-0 vote Monday. The bill would add creating or promoting a “digitization,” or computer-generated […]
Posted inFrankfort
Meet Sen. John Schickel
Each week, LINK nky is publishing a profile of one of our local legislators so that Northern Kentuckians can get to know the people representing them at the state level. Before bills related to horse racing, bourbon, business licensing and more have a chance to become Kentucky law, most have to make it past Senator […]
Posted inPolitics
NKY Rep. Rachel Roberts seeks to legalize weed, eyes $100M tax revenue
Rep. Rachel Roberts thinks Kentucky can do a better job than Ohio at legalizing recreational marijuana. Ohio voters legalized recreational cannabis at the polls last November. But as of right now, no one can legally buy or sell recreational marijuana in the state. That may not change until September – the deadline for Ohio lawmakers […]
Posted inPolitics
Kentucky House budget omits former IRS site development funds
Funding requested by Covington city officials for the Covington Central Riverfront project located at the site of the former IRS building is not included in a proposed two-year state budget passed by the Kentucky House on Thursday. No funds for the 23-acre development are found in the proposed budget in House Bill 6, approved by […]
Posted inPolitics
Kentucky House approves bill to mandate ‘moment of silence’ in public schools
A bill mandating Kentucky public schools set aside time each day for students to “pray,” meditate, or otherwise silently exercise “individual choice” passed the state House Wednesday. House Bill 96 is sponsored by Rep. Daniel Fister (R-Versailles). It passed the House on a 79-17, mostly party-line, vote. Rep. Kim Banta (R-Fort Mitchell) was the only […]
Posted inPolitics
Kentucky county clerks struggle with ‘bad data’ in new vehicle system
Kentucky county clerks are starting to see fewer backlogs from their changeover to a new motor vehicle registration system earlier this month. But customers are still hitting roadblocks, state transportation officials told lawmakers Wednesday. The biggest glitch statewide is “bad data,” mostly property tax records, carried over from the old data system to a new […]
Posted inNews
NKY legislator aims to broaden Medicaid for midwife births
Medicaid covers the cost of nearly half of all Kentucky births. But it pays nothing for certified professional midwives who help moms give birth at home instead of in a hospital. Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer wants to change that. On Tuesday, the Senate Families and Children committee unanimously approved Funke Frommeyer’s Senate Bill 89, which […]
Posted inFrankfort
Meet Rep. Mark Hart
Each week, LINK nky is publishing a profile of one of our local legislators so that Northern Kentuckians can get to know the people representing them at the state level. Rep. Mark Hart was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2016. Since then he has been reelected three times and racked up […]
Posted inPolitics
Safer KY Act: NKY law enforcement, prosecutor see promise in bill
Less than 30 minutes after classes ended at Latonia Elementary on Tuesday, shots rang out near the school. Students and staff still inside the building were told to shelter in place. Outside, near 39th and Decoursey streets, police found two 14-year-olds shot in the street. One of the two, Amani Smith, later died at the […]