Five Things to Know Today
HB 1 is misguided at best, an attack on the poor at worst. Here’s why.
HB 1 is supposed to “improve” our help for the poor. But, some of it is misguided, and some of it is an outright attack on the people it is trying to help. Read to learn more about this bill, and why we should oppose it as written. (Forward Kentucky)
If McGrath loses, what happens to the money?
Scads of $$ are being raised by Amy McGrath and two PACs. If she winds up NOT winning the primary in May, what happens to all the money? (Forward Kentucky)
Bill to let physician assistants prescribe controlled substances passes House on fourth try
The state House has passed a bill to let physician assistants to prescribe highly regulated drugs, a step advocates say is needed to improve health-care access in rural Kentucky, the only state where PAs lack such authority. (Forward Kentucky)
Why are all these legislatures interested in testosterone?
“Endogenously produced levels of testosterone”? That’s not a phrase that you would expect to hear in the halls of Kentucky’s state capitol. Where did it come from, and why are all these other state legislatures interested in it as well? (Forward Kentucky)
Nancy Pelosi, a county attorney, and public records
Public records preservation rarely makes headlines. But two major public records preservation stories made headlines last week—one state and one national. (Forward Kentucky)
KYGA20 Run-Down
More bills are being filed, and more bills are moving, even as work gets underway on the budget. Rather than pull any of these stories into the “five things to know” section, we’re simply listing some of the stories in the media. Note that some of these may never even be heard in committee, while others may wind up on a fast track for passage.
Bill to require guns on school resource officers goes to Beshear – A bill requiring Kentucky school resource officers to carry guns is the first piece of education legislation to head to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk. (Forward Kentucky)
Spanking is still legal in Kentucky schools. A bill passed in the House may change that. – A bill to ban physical discipline of students in Kentucky passed the state House on Friday, but not before one legislator recounted being paddled by another legislator while he was in school. (Forward Kentucky)
Lawmakers propose cost-of-living raise for state workers, besting Beshear’s offer – A bipartisan group of lawmakers is proposing a long-delayed pay raise for roughly 33,000 state workers that would top the one that Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear included in his budget plan. (Forward Kentucky)
Bill would install cameras on school bus arms to catch illegal passers – HB 34 would allow any school district to use third-party vendors to install cameras on school bus stop arms to catch violators who unlawfully pass buses. (Forward Kentucky)
Kentucky’s overcrowded county jails would get relief under two bills in Frankfort – Faced with dangerously overcrowded county jails across Kentucky, two lawmakers are sponsoring bills that would make it easier to transfer prisoners to jails with open beds and to give larger state payments to jails that offer rehabilitation programs and more rigorous standards. (Forward Kentucky)
Reminder
Not all stories on Forward Kentucky make it to the top “Five Things” section of the Forward Five! Many stories only show up in the yellow section below, which is a running list of pretty much everything published. So, be sure to scan the lower section each day as well, so you don’t miss anything.
Did you miss any of these?
Featured Content on Forward Kentucky
([new] indicates new since last Forward Five; 🔥 indicates lots of reads)
News
[new] Union members visit the Capitol to see ‘how unions and politics coincide.’ – Union members from across Kentucky had a “day at the Capitol” to visit with their reps, see how things work, and meet with Governor Beshear. (read)
🔥 [new] President Trump’s acquittal hardens resolve of Kentuckians on both sides of the aisle – Hours before the U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump last week, the aftershocks were already rumbling in Kentucky. (read)
🔥 House bill would change how Kentucky’s pension debt is paid, with winners and losers – The new model would charge public employers based on their proportionate share of the fund’s liability, rather than charging everyone the same flat rate. (read)
Beshear: Rules weren’t followed when gun activists entered Kentucky Capitol – Gov. Andy Beshear said gun-rights activists who brought their weapons into the state Capitol last week were allowed to do so, though security did not properly enforce rules prohibiting masks and requiring the weapons be safely secured. (read)
🔥 Anderson County BOE member calls out clerk on voter ID stance – A member of the Anderson County Board of Elections is calling out Anderson County Clerk Jason Denny for comments he made in last week’s Anderson News about voter ID legislation in Frankfort. (read)
Commentary
🔥 [new] Dear Dems – Stop fighting each other and focus on the REAL enemy – Berry Craig is worried that Dems don’t realize what they’re doing, and uses an old meme to call it out. (read)
Guns are OK at the Capitol, but don’t try to get in with your grandfather’s wrench – If you go to the state Capitol, take your gun. But for God’s sake, don’t take a wrench. I tried. (read)
🔥 ‘Codifying hate and fear.’ Why are KY legislators targeting transgender kids? – The General Assembly is considering an entire “Slate of Hate” against gay and transgender kids, including a bathroom bill and a bill to punish transgender athletes. But House Bill 321, filed by Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) is in a league of its own in attacking vulnerable children. (read)
🔥 In impeachment, McConnell and Paul are the embarrassments that keep Kentucky blushing – Could there be anything more embarrassing and depressing than being from Kentucky this week? (read)
The unbridgeable chasm – We are now a nation, as we were in 1860, with two completely different and completely incompatible views of America. (read)
Media
[podcast] HB 1, Bouchard out at Braidy, and Margaret Plattner interview – In this week’s show, we cover House Bill 1 (complicated!), Bouchard’s ouster at Braidy, and pension relief for quasis. And, we interview Margaret Plattner, running in House District 33. (listen)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
(🔥 indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- In impeachment, McConnell and Paul are the embarrassments that keep Kentucky blushing (4,000 shares)
- 🔥 Dear Dems – Stop fighting each other and focus on the REAL enemy (2,000 shares)
- Bi-partisan Senate bill proposes statewide fairness law (1,000 shares)
- Rand Paul names alleged whistleblower in Senate speech (557 shares)
- ‘Codifying hate and fear.’ Why are KY legislators targeting transgender kids? (425 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.
