To the Editor,
editor's pick
I have talked about interim joint committees for some time now, but I rarely mention statutory committees. In addition to interim joint committees, statutory committees are authorized by Kentucky Revised Statutes and function as subcommittees of the Legislative Research Commission. They meet…
Semple Elementary first-grade teacher Christina Carter read a story to her class about a child who faced stressful events every day, making it hard to focus at school. After the story, she gave her students a prompt - if Ms. Carter only knew. Some of the responses were eye-opening.
by sen. mitch mcconnell
Farming is a family business in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky has one of the highest numbers of farms in the U.S. -- almost 76,000 farms covering almost 13 million acres in 2017, according to the most recent data from the USDA Census of Agriculture.
President Trump, along with leaders from Mexico and Canada, signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on Nov. 30, 2018. Since then, Canada began the process to vote on implementing the legislation in May of this year and Mexico's Senate overwhelmingly ratified the agreement sh…
editor's pick
At our house, like yours, we have a tradition of taking a photo of our kids on the first day of school. We've done it for years as a keepsake to see how they have changed from kindergarten over the years.
"Do something!" emotional protestors shouted at politicians in the wake of the recent mass shootings which killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens of others in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.
editor's pick
The Kentucky Legislature met in a special session this summer to give a little relief to government agencies such as public health departments, faced with skyrocketing pension costs that could force a substantial number of them to dramatically scale back services or even close.
editor's pick
The usual adjectives media members use with delight leading up to the annual St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic are "hot" and "spicy." Those words generally touch on three points: the weather, the barbecue and the political rhetoric.
editor's pick
As your attorney general, I have made it a top priority to protect Kentuckians from scammers and stop annoying and illegal scam phone calls.
editor's pick
For much of our state's early history, Kentucky was a dominant force in our nation's economy. The ingredients for our early economic success were simple: thousands of acres of undeveloped land, an easily accessible location and a hardworking, skilled population. However, decades of poor lead…
Decked out in new outfits and loaded down with school supplies, many students across Kentucky will be heading back to the classroom over the next two weeks to a critical teacher shortage, state education officials warn.
Never before have presidential candidates offered voters so much "free" stuff.
editor's pick
Don't let the political speaking fool you. We get along pretty well with each other around here.
Five years ago, as U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes were preparing for their showdown at Fancy Farm, former Secretary of State Trey Grayson had some words of advice:
It is time to remind ourselves of the Four Stages of Political Defeat and whether the losing side -- in this case, the Democrats who suffered an unexpected and stinging rebuke in 2016 -- will be able to recover and compete.
The passage of a bill to reauthorize the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund was a no-brainer.
To the editor,
As many of you know, the Kentucky General Assembly was called into special session by the Governor last Friday, July 19. We met for five days, approving legislation aimed at providing relief to quasi-governmental agencies and regional universities - agencies that faced crippling increases in…
The recent special legislative session resulting in temporary relief from soaring pension payments faced by regional universities, local health departments, rape crisis centers and other groups known as quasi-government agencies gave Republican Gov. Matt Bevin a political victory in this yea…
Kentucky smokers, regardless of whether they are puffing a traditional cigarette or the latest electronic version, would and should have to pay the same tax rate under legislation filed for the 2020 General Assembly by two state lawmakers on Tuesday. So would users of smokeless tobacco.
editor's pick
With summer travel season in full swing and more motorists taking to the highways, Kentucky State Police and troopers in five nearby states are collaborating on education and enforcement of the Move Over Law.
editor's pick
Our vote for president is the most "personal" vote we Americans get to cast. We're far more likely to base our choice for the U.S. House or the Senate on issues -- such as health care costs, immigration or the environment -- than we are our presidential choice.
It's just as legitimate for congressmen in the Capitol to consider the precedent proposed policies would establish in regard to future lawmaking as it for justices at the Supreme Court to contemplate how their decisions in current legal challenges will affect the way future cases get argued …
In the past week, you've probably heard some local news on the radio. You've probably seen some breaking news on TV. You've probably read some news from a national news source online. What you may not realize is there's a good chance that much of the information you got from those news sourc…
Recording events from public land shouldn't be a crime. Yet when a woman in Utah, standing by a public road, filmed farmworkers pushing a cow with a bulldozer, the farmer drove up to her and said, "You cannot videotape my property."
editor's pick
Publicity efforts are currently being formulated to raise awareness and participation in the 2020 United States Census. It's a shame we have to encourage people to take part in the census because it is a key component to making sure each of us is represented fairly, not just in political ter…
As someone who was lucky enough to cover the 1992 presidential campaign - involving Republican incumbent President George W. Bush, Democratic challenger Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and the independent maverick, Texas billionaire businessman Ross Perot - from start to finish, allow me to make …
It has been a big week for news out of Frankfort as the state announced a budget surplus and new record for corporate investment in our Commonwealth. Also, while we still have no set date for the anticipated special session, I was in the capital city for several days to participate in the in…
It was a tad warm in the Graves Circuit Courtroom Monday night, I believe due to an A/C matter, but for the people gathered to watch the graduation of the three participants from the Drug Court program, a little humidity wasn't going to stop them.
While a central promise of President Trump's campaign is coming to fruition in the construction of a barrier addressing illegal immigration along America's porous border with Mexico, it was inspiring to join the commander-in-chief on Monday as he promoted tearing down imaginary walls between…
The federal government's plans to pay back farmers for the losses they're suffering due to our ongoing trade wars keep getting more convoluted, less efficient and worse for the economy.
On Tuesday, Kentuckians woke to the news that Democrat Amy McGrath will challenge 34-year U.S. senator and current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his seat in next year's election.
I know that everyone has heard significant discussion about the pensions systems of our state employees, teachers, state workers, and other public servants. These systems affect taxpayers and public employees alike. Thousands of Kentuckians receive or will receive retirement through the fund…
Gov. Matt Bevin recently signed legislation into law expanding veterans' preference for state jobs to include military spouses. The opportunities that this preference presents, which will aide in the interview process, cannot be understated. Currently, there are more than 17,000 active-duty …
"Well I was born in a small town,
Those who like their politics as hot as their barbecue won't be disappointed at this year's Fancy Farm Picnic at St. Jerome Catholic Church in far southwestern Kentucky.
Since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the Fourth of July has been observed as a day for patriotism and unity. It is on this day that exemplary visionaries dared to create a new form of government for a new people -- a country in which freedom reigned. It is with celebration,…
Birthdays shouldn't just be celebrated or enjoyed on just one day. Sure, they mark a particular day of the start of a person's life, but that life should be celebrated the remaining 364 days, too, throughout that person's time here on earth.
With Kentucky ranked second in the nation in regards to e-cigarette usage, according to a study released by QuoteWizard, and the Graves County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy/Prevention noting a drastic up-tick in high schoolers "vaping," we applaud the awareness work of local groups to ad…
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent r…
This time of year, our thoughts always turn to the Fourth of July and all the pomp and circumstance that comes with Independence Day. Though my heart belongs here in Kentucky and my focus is on our state, I am also thinking of the extraordinary gift that is the American Experience.
Sixty-six percent of Americans believe that the Fourth of July is one of our nation's most important holidays. To celebrate, 62% of Americans will watch fireworks, 54% will enjoy a cookout with family and friends, 19% will attend a parade, 13% will go to the beach and 11% will sing patriotic songs.
To the Editor,
Much as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts insists there's no such thing as "Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges," his court overtly displayed its partisan favor on Thursday with two key rulings that could have enormous impact on the future of American democracy…
Kentucky has long ranked among the worst in the nation in many areas of health, but the state has seen improvements in recent years.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has introduced legislation seeking to get Facebook, Google and other major social media networks to agree to federal audits -- not of their finances or data-protection practices but of their alleged political leanings. Under the measure, the companies would submit to…
Childhood should be carefree. Every child deserves to feel safe, cared for and nurtured. This includes the nearly 10,000 Kentucky children in foster care and almost 100,000 in kinship care, a rate which is more than double the national average.
Gov. Matt Bevin's newfound confidence that he has enough votes to pass a pension-relief proposal eerily reminds us of the '80s Great White classic "Once Bitten Twice Shy." In other words, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
While the 2019 General Assembly adjourned more than two months ago, I appreciate the opportunity to continue sharing details about the laws we passed. This series of columns, which began in early April, is still relevant as legislation passed this year goes into effect on Thursday, June 27, …
During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump at one point called for hiking the federal minimum wage. Now, his administration is actively standing in the way of any hike at all. House Democrats who continue to push for an increase should be loudly reminding Trump's base -- which is largely made up…
Ask anyone today where they get their news, and there's a very good chance they'll say either "Facebook" or "Google." Yet, neither of those global corporations are in the reporting business. They are both publishers of other people's news, not generators of original news content.
Mr. Stewart went to Washington. Once as an actor 70 years ago, and Tuesday as a real-life citizen fighting for fellow Americans. Both Mr. Stewarts made history by advocating justice.
As a member of the Kentucky House, I am often asked what I do when the legislature is not in session. While we are considered a "part-time" legislature, we are constantly engaged in legislative work, both here at home and in Frankfort. The time between sessions, called the Legislative Interi…
What's happened to the decisive, conservative and determined leadership we saw that resulted in Republicans taking majority control of the state House in the November 2016 election and then passing monumental legislation during the first week of the 2017 session that brought more positive ch…
Seven out of 10 voters rate their health insurance coverage and the medical care they receive as good or excellent. Despite that, only 34% give our nation's health care system positive reviews. Not surprisingly, therefore, health care reform has consistently been a top voter concern election…
I have been a U.S. Army officer responsible for the welfare of other soldiers, a business owner responsible for the livelihoods of my employees, and now a governor responsible to more than 4 million Kentuckians and 30,000 state employees. Yet, by far, the greatest and most sacred responsibil…
