Written by the Kentucky Lantern’s McKenna Horsley Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher on Tuesday urged school superintendents to contact their lawmakers in Congress about a sudden halt in payments from federal pandemic relief funds. His call to action comes after U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon notified state education departments on March 28 that they no longer […]
Category: Frankfort
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Kentucky AG spearheads effort to close fentanyl ‘loophole’
By WCPO’s Marlena Lang Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is spearheading an effort to stop fentanyl from getting into the U.S. A letter from Coleman’s office addressed to the Trump administration, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hopes to stop fentanyl from getting into the country. The letter is […]
Posted inPolitics
Kentucky lawmakers overturn executive order banning conversion therapy
According to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, the state legislature has overridden his veto of House Bill 495, a bill that includes a measure that would overturn a previous executive order banning conversion therapy. Beshear previously called conversion therapy “torture.” “The Republican-led legislature just overrode my veto on House Bill 495, which will allow conversion therapy […]
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Beshear vetoes bill Ky professors say erodes academic tenure at public universities
Saying it “threatens academic freedom,” Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has issued a veto to a Republican-backed bill that some Kentucky professors warned would erode academic tenure at the state’s public universities and colleges. Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, argued House Bill 424, was not about tenure in higher education but instead “employment contracts” between universities and academic employees. If […]
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Beshear vetoes bills he says would make KY workplaces less safe, violate state Constitution
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday vetoed Republican legislation that he said would make workplaces in Kentucky more dangerous and several bills that he said were unconstitutional. The General Assembly’s Republican supermajority is expected to easily override the vetoes when lawmakers return Thursday and Friday to wrap up the 2025 regular session. Beshear in his veto […]
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Beshear signs licensing of nicotine retailers, other bills that ‘put our Kentucky families first’
Kentucky will begin licensing retailers who sell nicotine, which advocates have said will help regulate an industry and protect minors from addictive chemicals. Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 100 into law on Monday, which is aimed at curbing minors’ access to tobacco and e-cigarettes. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death. Beshear also signed into law SB 120, which would […]
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‘Sextortion’ becomes a felony with Beshear’s signature as some hot-button bills await his action
Bills aimed at protecting Kentuckians from discrimination and sexual extortion have been signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear. Beshear had signed the pair of bills as of Tuesday evening, but is taking his time on some high-profile legislation having to do with health and social services. Lawmakers broke on March 14 for a 10-day […]
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Kentucky lawmakers’ education changes are now on Beshear’s desk
From banning cell phones to banning DEI, the Kentucky General Assembly voted to make changes in public education before breaking last week for a 10-day veto period. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear can now weigh in on bills from the Republican-controlled legislature. However, when lawmakers return to Frankfort on March 27, they can override any vetoes […]
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Short-term rental legislative maneuvering frustrates local leaders
Frustration over legislative maneuvering in Frankfort on the regulation of short-term rentals, often referred to as Airbnbs after one of the websites where such properties are advertised, came out at a meeting of the Kenton County Mayors Group this week. “It just exemplifies everything that’s broken,” Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman told LINK nky after the […]
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The most likely Medicaid cuts would hit rural areas the hardest
Working-age adults who live in small towns and rural areas are more likely to be covered by Medicaid than their counterparts in cities, creating a dilemma for Republicans looking to make deep cuts to the health care program. About 72 million people — nearly 1 in 5 people in the United States — are enrolled in Medicaid, […]
