Research that works for Kentucky
The 2024 Kentucky General Assembly Was the Most Regressive for Criminal Legal System Policies in Recent Memory
More than any legislative session in recent memory, the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly doubled down on harmful policies that will result in longer sentences, Kentuckians locked up for being poor, additional state and local dollars spent on incarceration, jail crowding, and more children prosecuted as adults.
Budget & Tax
Budget Agreement Maintains Modest Spending for Education and Other Needs Despite Funds Available to Do More
The final budget agreement spends significant dollars out of the Budget Reserve Trust Fund (BRTF) primarily on infrastructure and very specific local projects.
Senate Budget Includes Much More Infrastructure Spending, Remains Austere When It Comes to Other Needs
The Senate has proposed a budget that spends significant dollars out of the Budget Reserve...
House Passes Austere Budget That Adds to Already Overfunded Reserves and Aims for More Tax Cuts
Kentucky has a historic opportunity to invest in critical community needs, but the House passed...
Kentucky Plummets in State Ranking of Tax Fairness
Because of recent legislative changes, Kentucky’s tax system is rapidly becoming much more inequitable, according...
Criminal Justice
The 2024 Kentucky General Assembly Was the Most Regressive for Criminal Legal System Policies in Recent Memory
More than any legislative session in recent memory, the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly doubled down on harmful policies that will result in longer sentences, Kentuckians locked up for being poor, additional state and local dollars spent on incarceration, jail crowding, and more children prosecuted as adults.
Senate Bill 20 Would Allow More Children to Be Prosecuted as Adults
Prosecuting children in adult court leads to harsher consequences and harmful long-term outcomes, both for...
Crime Statistics Do Not Support Claims of a Crime Wave in Kentucky
The sponsors of House Bill (HB) 5, which will significantly increase incarceration in Kentucky by...
Companion Bills to Automate Expungement Would Give Hundreds of Thousands of Kentuckians a Second Chance
Involvement in the criminal legal system, even just once, can have long-lasting consequences that negatively...
Economic Security
Final State Budget Should Do More for Child Care to Protect Families and Jobs
The recently released Senate budget proposal includes $39 million in new spending on child care in 2025 and $50 million in 2026.
The Care Crunch: Survey Shows Kentucky Families Are Struggling to Afford Child Care
Kentucky parents with kids in child care are cutting back on essential family needs delaying...
Four Bills the General Assembly Is Moving That Would Benefit Kentucky Children and Families
Kentucky’s kids and their families’ health and economic well-being would benefit greatly from several bills...
The Two Ways HB 367 Would Take Food Assistance Away from Many, Including Kids and Seniors
House Bill (HB) 367 would make significant cuts to food assistance in the Supplemental Nutrition...
Education
Kentucky Average Teacher Pay Fails to Keep Up with Inflation in Most Districts, Remains Far Behind 2008 Levels
In 80% of Kentucky school districts, average classroom teacher salaries declined in the current school year compared to last year once inflation is taken into account, according to a KyPolicy analysis of new data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
When Higher Ed Is a Lower Priority: Kentucky Campus Workers Sound the Alarm
Kentucky’s eight public universities and its community college system are invaluable resources to the students...
State Report Describes Growing Educator Shortage, and Lack of Funding Plays a Key Role
The growing shortage of teachers and other school personnel is becoming more severe, according to...
The Funding Gap Between Kentucky’s Wealthy and Poor School Districts Is Now Worse Than Levels Declared Unconstitutional
The difference in per-pupil funding between the state’s poorest and wealthiest districts now exceeds the...
Health Care
Medicaid Renewal Process Underway for the First Time Since Start of Pandemic
Kentucky, like every other state, is re-starting its Medicaid renewals process after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing downturn.
Nearly 250,000 Kentuckians Covered by Medicaid Will Need to Take Action to Stay Covered
For the past three years, 1.7 million Kentuckians on Medicaid have not had to take...
Kentucky Will Start Providing 10,000 More New Mothers with a Year of Postpartum Medicaid Coverage
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just approved a plan to allow Kentuckians...
Coalition Letter: Kentucky General Assembly Must Use Special Session to Protect the Health of Kentuckians, Our Workforce and Our Children’s Education
A coalition of Kentucky organizations sent this letter to the Kentucky General Assembly on September...
Jobs & The Economy
Kentucky’s Kids Don’t Need Us to Drag Child Labor Laws Back to the 19th Century
When I was 16, I nearly sliced two fingers off my left hand while working at a plastics factory.
The Right to a Break Is Just One of the Worker Freedoms on the Line
Lawmakers in Frankfort set off a firestorm last week when they passed House Bill (HB)...
House Bill 500 Takes Away Kentucky Workers’ Lunch and Rest Breaks and Cuts Their Pay
House Bill (HB) 500, which may receive a vote in the full House soon, would...
HB 465 Will Further Undermine Worker Protections and Job Quality
Kentucky already has a growing problem with worker misclassification, in which employers inaccurately and often...
