Five Things to Know Today
Beshear pulls Medicaid waiver, protects expansion
The Beshear administration notified CMS that Kentucky is dropping its request to add work requirements to the Medicaid program. Gov. Beshear also signed an executive order protecting the Medicaid expansion. (Forward Kentucky)
KY Republican legislative leaders criticize Beshear’s Board of Education reorganization
Senate prez Stivers and House ed chair Regina Huff criticized Gov. Beshear’s decision to reorganize the Kentucky Board of Education through executive order. (Forward Kentucky)
Still more on the Bevin pardons
The Bevin pardons continue to be in the news. Here are some of the stories we’ve come across since yesterday:
- Bevin’s Justice Cabinet objected to several controversial pardons. Bevin signed them anyway (Courier-Journal)
- Beshear criticizes Bevin’s pardons but stops short of calling for an investigation (Herald-Leader)
- Attorney associations condemn Bevin’s pardons (West Kentucky Star)
- Matt Bevin’s family has ties to pardoned woman who paid a hitman with drugs to kill her ex (Courier-Journal)
Senators McConnell, Kaine secure legislation to increase age to purchase tobacco products to 21
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has announced that he successfully secured the Tobacco-Free Youth Act in the Fiscal Year 2020 government agreement. The legislation, which he introduced earlier this year with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), would raise the nationwide minimum age to buy all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices, from 18 to 21 and help protect young people from the dangers of nicotine. (Northern Kentucky Tribune)
Former education commissioner Wayne Lewis has a new job, and it’s not in Kentucky
Wayne Lewis, who just resigned under pressure from Gov. Andy Beshear’s newly appointed Kentucky Board of Education, was on Monday named the inaugural Dean of the College of Education at Belmont University in Nashville. (Herald-Leader)
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 restores voting rights to more than 140,000 Kentuckians with felony records – Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Thursday that will restore voting rights to more than 140,000 non-violent felons who have served their sentence. (read)
[new] ‘You are not KY.’ Matt Bevin ripped by Twitter users angry over pardons – Bevin posted a picture of a sunset, but Twitter users, including well-known ESPN college basketball commentator Dick Vitale, weren’t having it, and proceeded to attack the former governor for his hundreds of pardons. (read)
🔥Kentucky Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis resigns as new board meets for first time – Education commissioner Wayne Lewis resigned effective immediately as Gov. Andy Beshear’s newly-appointed Kentucky Board of Education met for the first time. (read)
Republican lege leaders issue statements on Bevin pardons, call for investigation – The Republican leaders of the KY Senate and House issued statements today concerning the pardons issued on his last day in office by former Governor Bevin. (read)
Bevin pardons include convicted killer whose brother hosted campaign fundraiser for him – An overview of some of Matt Bevin’s pardons, including one for a convict whose family held a campaign fund-raiser for Bevin. (read)
Commentary
[new] 🔥Gov. Beshear dumps the charter school clown car. And Bevin showed him the way. – Beshear promised a different tone and backed it up with strong action. On Inauguration Day, he put public education at the front of his administration as he said he would, exactly where it belongs. (read)
🔥Ignore the spin – he’s guilty. – Republicans and so-called conservatives are spending millions of dollars on spin ads trying to say Trump is innocent. Ignore the spin – he’s guilty. (read)
🔥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. (read)
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)
- Beshear says he will sign order Thursday restoring voting rights of 100,000+ felons (625 shares)
- Matt Bevin accuses Andy Beshear of ‘selling’ appointment to campaign contributor (574 shares)
- Bevin employs scorched-earth policy in classless exit from role as governor (423 shares)
- What did Kentucky get for Bevin’s $600,000+ contract to investigate Steve Beshear? (376 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.