Five Things to Know Today
Forward Kentucky Inauguration Coverage
Kentucky has a new governor, and Forward Kentucky was there to bring you the news AND the pictures. Check out all our inauguration stories and photo galleries!
Beshear, Coleman sworn in, promise openness and bipartisanship
On a frigid December day, Andy Beshear and Jacqueline Coleman were sworn in as governor and lieutenant governor of Kentucky, promising to bring a new tone of openness and bipartisanship to Frankfort. (read)
The Inaugural Worship Service – story, photos, and a video
One of the first activities of Inauguration Day was a worship service in downtown Frankfort. Here is a brief description of the service, along with photos. (read and view)
The Inaugural Parade – a photo gallery
The weather was cold, but the bands and the officials played, smiled, and waved all along the parade route. Here are some pix from the Inaugural Parade. (view)
The Swearing-In Ceremony – a photo gallery
If you couldn’t be at the Inauguration yesterday, we’ve got you covered. Here is a gallery of photos from the swearing-in ceremony. (view)
An inauguration potpourri
Berry Craig marched in the inaugural parade, but also found time to interview people throughout Inauguration Day. Here are those interviews. (read)
A teacher, an organizer, and an advocate walk into an inauguration …
What did some people at the inauguration think about their new governor? We caught up with teachers, union organizers, and a policy advocate to find out. (read)
Judge says ed board can meet; Lewis on the agenda
Based on a fast-moving series of events, Wayne Lewis’s time as Kentucky commissioner of education may be coming to an end. The newly-appointed state Board of Education meets today in Frankfort. (Forward Kentucky)
In a final show of pettiness, Bevin keeps Beshear out of mansion until last minute
In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, former Gov. Matthew Griswold Bevin, who never even lived in the Governor’s Mansion, waited until the last minute to turn the stately old building over to his successor. (Forward Kentucky)
Jefferson schools to sue Juul, joining Bullitt and Fayette County schools
Kentucky’s largest school district is suing Juul over its role in a vaping epidemic impacting students, school board members decided Tuesday. (Forward Kentucky)
Bevin pardons hundreds, including convicted killer whose brother hosted campaign fundraiser for him
The family of a man pardoned by Gov. Matt Bevin for a homicide and other crimes in a fatal 2014 Knox County home invasion raised $21,500 at a political fundraiser last year to retire debt from Bevin’s 2015 gubernatorial campaign. (Courier-Journal)
In final hours, Bevin administration upholds Passport snub on Medicaid contracts
In the final hours of Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration, one of his top officials overrode a legislative committee’s rejection of five Medicaid contracts worth about $8 billion a year. William Landrum III, Bevin’s finance secretary, notified the committee Monday that “all five contracts shall remain in effect as originally approved,” according to a copy of his Dec. 9 letter.
That throws the controversy over the contracts to the administration of Gov. Andy Beshear, who took office Tuesday and who has pledged to review the contract decisions that excluded Louisville’s Passport Health Plan and Anthem. (Courier-Journal)
Did you miss any of these?
Featured Content on Forward Kentucky
([new] indicates new since last Forward Five; 🔥 indicates lots of reads)
News
[new] 🔥Beshear appoints all new Kentucky Board of Education; old board promises lawsuit – Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday in his first day in office to create a new state school board. He said in the order that the current board has conflicting relationships, a lack of experience in education and did not conduct a nationwide search in 2018 when it hired current commissioner Wayne Lewis. Ten members of the current board said they would sue. (read)
[new] Beshear says he will sign order Thursday restoring voting rights of 100,000+ felons – In his inaugural address, Gov. Beshear said he will file an executive order restoring the voting rights of many convicted felons currently disenfranchised. (read)
[new] Lawmakers rip last-minute, $8 billion Medicaid contract awarded by Bevin administration – A recent award of $8 billion in state Medicaid contracts by the administration of Gov. Matt Bevin came under fire on two fronts by lawmakers on Monday. (read)
Dorsey Ridley accuses Bevin of lying about him on way out – Dorsey Ridley says outgoing governor Bevin has been “throwing bombs” and telling at least one blatant lie about him on the way out of office. (read)
Commentary
🔥Impeachment, racism, and the Trump-Republican cult – Three historians look at how Trump uses racism as part of his appeal, and the loss of historic Republican values to the Trumpism cult. (read)
The (Millennial) kids are all right – I’m an old lady, a Boomer born in 1958. But it drives me crazy when I see my generation run down millennials. Here’s what they are getting right. (read)
🔥Bevin employs scorched-earth policy in classless exit from role as governor – If there’s anything to make out of Gov. Bevin’s round of interviews on conservative radio stations, it’s that 12:01 a.m. Tuesday can’t come fast enough. (read)
Media
[podcast] Interview with Rep. Josie Raymond – This week, Jazmin and Robert spoke with J-town and Hikes Point Representative Josie Raymond specifically about her efforts around early childhood education in the legislature. She told us about her partnership with Bowling Green Republican Steve Sheldon, and how they were approaching making big changes to the way that Kentucky handles pre-K education, and what she envisions as the future of how we handle this important topic in our state.
In this episode, Jazmin and Robert also discussed the potential priorities of Attorney General-elect Daniel Cameron and several high profile appointments in Governor-elect Andy Beshear’s cabinet. (listen)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
( 🔥indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- Bevin, still claiming election fraud, says liberals are ‘good at harvesting’ urban votes (875 shares)
- Matt Bevin accuses Andy Beshear of ‘selling’ appointment to campaign contributor (574 shares)
- 🔥 Beshear says he will sign order Thursday restoring voting rights of 100,000+ felons (508 shares)
- Bevin employs scorched-earth policy in classless exit from role as governor (419 shares)
- What did Kentucky get for Bevin’s $600,000+ contract to investigate Steve Beshear? (376 shares)
- Experts: Matt Bevin’s ‘harvesting votes’ remarks were veiled reference to minorities (314 shares)
The Forward 5 is published Monday to Friday by Forward Kentucky, an independent media organization focused on progressive news and issues in Kentucky, and is re-posted with permission. You can sign up for the email version of the newsletter on their website.
