After decades in office, Senator Mitch McConnell announced he will not be running for re-election next year. The announcement has Kentuckians asking who will fill the seat McConnell has held since 1984. “No matter who wins the seat, they’re probably not gonna have the same impact or voice, at least not initially in the Senate,” […]
Category: Frankfort
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Bill cracking down on nicotine sales to underage Kentuckians clears committee
A legislative committee unanimously advanced a bill Tuesday that the sponsor has promised will add “teeth” to Kentucky laws aimed at keeping nicotine products out of the hands of youth. Senate Bill 100, from Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, can now go to the Senate floor for a vote. Delanie Crump, a first year student at Boyd County […]
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Sen. Funke Frommeyer files resolution for state health task force
Kentucky Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, a Republican whose district includes parts of Kenton, Campbell and Bracken counties, has filed a resolution in Frankfort to establish a task force that will incorporate aspects of President Donald Trump’s Make American Healthy Again program at the state level. “Our health is our greatest asset, and it’s time we […]
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Judge delays $228M Kentucky pension settlement
A Friday afternoon court order will delay and possibly jeopardize final approval of the recently announced settlement of a long-running lawsuit over controversial investments by Kentucky Retirement Systems in hedge funds more than a decade ago. That high profile case alleged that some former officials of the retirement systems (since restructured as the Kentucky Public […]
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Gender transition in prisons, cigar bars, insurance fraud and more: Last week at the Capitol
The Old State Capitol was full of spirit last week as lawmakers gaveled in to session under the painted gaze of Isaac Shelby and George Washington and advanced a pair of bills that would designate every June as Kentucky History Month. House Bill 313 and Senate Bill 313 are companion measures that each received a […]
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Ky. bill seeks to protect hospital funding through drug pricing program
A Northern Kentucky lawmaker has proposed a new version of a bill meant to protect a program that generates income for charity health care that some Kentucky hospitals say is essential for their survival. “This is a very critical program for our hospitals and access to care in rural communities,” Nancy Galvagni, president of the […]
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Bill barring use of public funds on transgender treatments for Kentucky inmates advances
Under a Republican bill advancing in the Kentucky legislature, a reported 67 incarcerated people would have to stop taking “cross sex hormones” if the treatments are paid for with public funds. Advocates who asked — in vain — members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote against Senate Bill 2 said it’s unfair to target such a […]
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Steve Doan files bill mandating pricing disclosures from hospitals
Kentucky Rep. Steve Doan, a Republican from Erlanger and former Erlanger council member, has filed a bill in the General Assembly that, if passed, would mandate disclosure of pricing and other information from hospitals in the commonwealth. “Too many Kentuckians are blindsided by exorbitant medical bills, with no way to compare prices before receiving care,” […]
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Kentucky bill seeks to eliminate DEI programs in public universities
A Republican lawmaker filed a sweeping bill Wednesday aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Kentucky’s public universities and colleges. Rep. Jennifer Decker’s House Bill 4 comes as DEI programs in higher education, the private sector and federal government are under siege by Republicans, including President Donald Trump. Decker’s bill would prevent colleges from […]
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Kentucky bill weakens water pollution protections, alarming experts
A bill that would limit regulation of water pollution in Kentucky to a weakened federal standard advanced Wednesday from a state legislative committee, lawmakers touting it as relief from bureaucracy for industry. Environmental advocates and a former state environmental attorney lambasted the measure, Senate Bill 89, saying it could degrade water quality across the state, particularly […]