Five Things to Know Today
Multiple groups demand Beshear veto “guns in schools” bill
Senate Bill 8, mandating that all school resource officers be armed, has passed the General Assembly and is on Governor Beshear’s desk. A number of activist groups are calling on the governor to veto the bill and send it back to the legislature for changes. (Forward Kentucky)
Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell at odds in vote on Iran war powers measure
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution Thursday to limit the president’s ability to take military action against Iran. Kentucky’s senators split on the issue. (Courier-Journal)
YouTube censors Rand Paul by removing whistleblower video, and he’s not happy
If you want to see a video of Sen. Rand Paul reading a question that outs the Ukraine whisteblower’s alleged identity, you won’t be able to find one on YouTube. (Forward Kentucky)
Herald-Leader parent company McClatchy files for bankruptcy
McClatchy Company, the owner of the Lexington Herald-Leader, filed for bankruptcy Thursday, a move that will end family control of America’s second largest local news company and hand it to creditors who have expressed support for independent journalism. (Lane Report)
Charles Booker blasts national Democrats for ‘meddling’ in primary vs. Amy McGrath
Booker, a state legislator from Louisville, has caught some attention for running a more left-leaning and grassroots campaign. (Courier-Journal)
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 that addresses private internet providers’ KentuckyWired concerns passes House committee – Under the bill, the state partner would be allowed only to build out the network in “unserved areas” without access to broadband services. (Courier-Journal)
Bill would dramatically alter how Kentucky identifies and supports low-performing schools – If passed, Givens’ proposed bill would be the third major accountability system change in as many years for Kentucky schools. (Courier-Journal)
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] Medical marijuana bill clears KY House panel, gains momentum heading into House vote – A House panel overwhelmingly approved a bill that would legalize medicinal marijuana in Kentucky, boosting a proposal that has long struggled to gain traction in the legislature despite increasing public support. (read)
[new] Beshear tells House Democrats to drop campaign consultant who was target of FBI probe – Beshear has told Democratic lawmakers that he will not raise campaign money for any candidates who use Jonathan Hurst as their campaign consultant. (read)
[new] Bill would limit Kentucky to 3 companies to run the state’s Medicaid program – Frustrated by Medicaid bureaucracy, Sen. Steve Meredith (R-Leitchfield) pushed a bill through the Kentucky Senate on Wednesday to limit the number of outside companies the state can hire to manage its sprawling Medicaid program. (read)
🔥 [new] Poll finds Ky. adults overwhelmingly favor legalizing medical marijuana – As lawmakers move close to legalizing medical marijuana in Kentucky, a new poll shows that an overwhelming number of Kentucky adults would support such a measure, and that a solid majority would approve legalizing the drug under any circumstance. (read)
🔥 [new] Indivisible brings ‘Cleanup Carl’ to anti-Mitch rally on Saturday – Indivisible KY is partnering with Corruption Cleanup to hold a rally in Louisville this Saturday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. The rally is the first stop on a nationwide tour sponsored by HAZMAT America entitled the “#ThrashTheCash Tour.” (read)
🔥 [new] Kentucky GOP leader says Matt Bevin hoarded road funds as reelection tool – A bill that would strip a governor’s power to appoint his or her own Transportation Cabinet secretary stems partly from former Gov. Matt Bevin’s heavy use of the cabinet’s discretionary road fund in the waning days of his administration, according to Senate President Stivers. (read)
McGrath rejects progressive policies in new TV ad – Democratic Senatorial candidate Amy McGrath released a new TV ad yesterday in which she makes two policy points: * She opposes free college, instead supporting national service to pay for college. * She opposes Medicare for All, instead wanting to improve the Affordable Care Act. Watch the ad here, and share your thoughts in the comments. (view)
Commentary
🔥 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)
The unbridgeable chasm – We are now a nation, as we were in 1860, with two completely different and completely incompatible views of America. (read)
Policy
[new] Should we move elections for statewide office to presidential election years? – SB 3 moves statewide office elections to presidential election years. Neal Turpin lays out the benefits, a few concerns, and some tactical questions. (read)
🔥 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)
Media
[new podcast] Automatic transfers, fund transfers, & other bills — plus Mike Eaves interview This week: automatic transfer of juveniles to circuit court, fund transfers to balance the budget, and an interview of candidate Mike Eaves. (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 (3,000 shares)
- Bi-partisan Senate bill proposes statewide fairness law (1,000 shares)
- Kentucky GOP leader says Matt Bevin hoarded road funds as reelection tool (854 shares)
- Rand Paul names alleged whistleblower in Senate speech (557 shares)
- ‘Codifying hate and fear.’ Why are KY legislators targeting transgender kids? (480 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.
