Five Things to Know Today
Good morning! Are your days running together? Apparently mine are, because I have forgotten to change the day of the week on the Forward Five more than once. Today is definitely Monday, though. 😉
We have had some new memberships over the past week. A big Thank-You to those people, and to all who are paying members. Supporting all good media outlets, including us, is vital in this time of misinformation.
We added some new resources to our coronavirus information page. They’re marked with the [new] in the title. If you find the page helpful, please share.
And finally, we’ve got the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday updates from Governor Beshear up on the site. So, if you were busy in the yard this weekend (like we were) and need to catch up, we’ve got you covered.
Take care of yourself. We’re going to get through this, together. #TeamKentucky
Bruce Maples, publisher
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Beshear 4/5 update: Might close churches that keep holding services
Governor Beshear discussed dealing with churches and other groups that continue to meet in person. Also, Dr. Stack shared a chart showing KY doing better than other states at flattening the curve. There is a new testing facillity coming on line that would almost double the number of tests done each day. All of this and more in the summary of the Beshear presser from Sunday. (Forward Kentucky)
(Related editorial) Dear pastors: Get over yourselves – I have spent much of my life serving in church. So with that background and insight, I have a simple message to those still holding in-person services: Stop. (Forward Kentucky)
Beshear vetoes GOP legislature’s voter ID bill, citing COVID-19
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear blocked a bill favored by the Republican-controlled General Assembly on Friday which would require Kentuckians to have a photo identification to vote.
“I am vetoing Senate Bill 2 because the provisions of the law would create an obstacle to the ability of Kentuckians to exercise their right to vote, resulting in fewer people voting and undermining our democracy,” Beshear said in Friday’s message.
Beshear noted there has not been a single documented case of in-person voter fraud in the state for decades. He also cited how Kentucky is in the middle of battling COVID-19, saying it isn’t wise to force people to get a new form of identification amid the outbreak.
“During this time, the offices that would provide this identification are not open to in-person traffic, which would be necessary to create the actual identification,” Beshear said. (Courier-Journal)
With McConnell’s backing, Louisville’s Justin Walker tapped to serve on second-highest court
Only 161 days after he took his seat on the U.S. District Court in Louisville, Judge Justin Walker, who has close ties to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is being tapped to fill a vacancy on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
President Donald Trump announced Friday he is nominating Walker, 37, to the coveted seat, which likely will ignite a fierce fight on Capitol Hill over the former University of Louisville law professor’s qualifications to serve on the nation’s second-most influential court. Walker’s previous nomination was considered controversial because Democrats and the American Bar Association charged that he was unqualified. (Courier-Journal)
Will lawmakers disband the KY Board of Education during coronavirus school shutdown?
Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday asked that lawmakers not disband his Kentucky Board of Education trying to lead during the unprecedented coronavirus school shutdown. The state Senate has to confirm appointees to the state education board, which oversees K-12 public education, before the General Assembly adjourns April 15. Under state law, any person not confirmed by the Senate can’t be reappointed by the Governor for two years.
Beshear said that if lawmakers do not confirm his reorganization of the Kentucky Board of Education that he will reappoint new members. He said his hope is that they will confirm the current board that he appointed as they face important work during the school shutdown. (Herald-Leader)
TSOK for April 3: Joni Jenkins, Amy McGrath, and Becky Dutch
It’s The State of Kentucky for Friday, April 3! Our guests: Rep. Joni Jenkins to talk about the budget and about voting from cars; Amy McGrath, talking about her campaign and what she would say to progressives and others about why they should vote for her; and Dr. Becky Dutch of UK College of Medicine, explaining why it is so hard to get COVID-19 testing. Enjoy! (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] U.S. Rep. Guthrie says small businesses could start receiving loans from aid bill soon – Rep. Brett Guthrie said small businesses should be able to start receiving government-backed loans through the coronavirus relief package this week. (read)
🔥 [new] Gov. Andy Beshear calls on 3M to release patent for N95 respirator amid pandemic – Gov. Andy Beshear wants multinational company 3M to release its patent for the N95 respirator so that more manufacturers can start making it. (read)
🔥 [new] One-word change makes mail-in voting possible – Buried in a bill passed by the General Assembly on its way out the door is a single word added to a single Kentucky Revised Statute. The addition of that one word makes it possible for mail-in voting to happen in Kentucky. (read)
Nearly 113,000 Kentuckians filed for unemployment last week, breaking record – Nationwide, some 6.6 million Americans submitted new jobless claims during the week ending on March 28, a second record-breaking week. (read)
Commentary
🔥 Sadly, we will hang separately – People’s quality of life already depends so much on their ZIP code. Now their likelihood of death will, too. (read)
Attica Scott reminds us all — Get counted, Kentucky! – In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Rep. Attica Scott reminds us of an important task we have to do – get that census filled out! (read)
Policy
The anatomy of the $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill – Want to know what’s in the $2 trillion coronavirus bill? Here’s a great visual breakdown, along with an expanded description of who gets what relief. (read)
Cartoon
🔥 A short message from Andy Beshear – All across the state, and across partisan lines, people are increasingly appreciative of Governor Beshear’s leadership during this crisis. And, other states are taking notice as well. Aaron Smith captured the Gov reminding us of a few things. (view)
Media
[podcast] One-year budget, lege update, COVID-19 response, and Col. Pamela Stevenson – Lots of ground covered in this week’s podcast, plus an interview with Col. Pamela Stevenson, which includes a neat metaphor about diversity and ice cream. (listen)
PubBlog
A literal Sign of the Times – Need a chuckle? Here’s a sign on a door that reflects the times we are living in, shared by a co-worker of my brother. Chuckle, then pass it on. (read)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
(🔥 indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- Bill would limit gov’s powers during health emergency (1,000+ shares)
- Massie plans to vote ‘no,’ threatens to hold up coronavirus stimulus bill (1,000+ shares)
- Rand Paul’s ‘me first’ mentality exposed the US Senate to coronavirus (434 shares)
- 🔥 One-word change makes mail-in voting possible (377 shares)
- 🔥 Gov. Andy Beshear calls on 3M to release patent for N95 respirator amid pandemic (375 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.
