Research that works for Kentucky
Cutting Bourbon Industry Taxes Harms the Communities That Sustain It
Kentucky’s bourbon and spirits industry had a banner year in 2022, with announcements of a record $2.1 billion in new investments.
Budget & Tax
Shorting State Workers’ Pay Hurts Us All
Last year, the General Assembly provided the first meaningful raise to workers in state government in 14 years by providing an 8% cost of living adjustment.
HB 444 Leaves $110 Million On the Table for State Worker Pay
Last year, the General Assembly provided a badly-needed 8% raise for state workers in fiscal...
‘Transplant’ Bill Would Give Large Windfall to Companies Recruiting Remote Workers
A bill aimed at relocating higher-income remote workers to Kentucky could cost the state up...
Cutting Bourbon Industry Taxes Harms the Communities That Sustain It
Kentucky’s bourbon and spirits industry had a banner year in 2022, with announcements of a...
Criminal Justice
House Bill 3 Proposes Harmful, Regressive Policy Changes to Kentucky’s Juvenile System
A robust body of research shows that locking kids behind bars harms their mental and physical well-being, gets in the way of their education, makes them more likely to be incarcerated again and fails to reduce crime in the community.
SB 225 Proposes Much-Needed Changes to Kentucky’s Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) Law
For the last 40 years, Kentucky’s persistent felony offender (PFO) law has added decades to...
House Bill 353 Would Save Lives by Decriminalizing Fentanyl Testing Strips
With overdose deaths on the rise, and a growing need to assist Kentuckians battling substance...
Lawmakers Should Help Our Kids, Not Lock More Up in Failing Juvenile System
All children deserve a chance to succeed, even those who’ve made mistakes. But when we...
Economic Security
Tracking SNAP in Kentucky
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a vital source of assistance that helps put food on the table for hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians.
How Kentucky Turned Away Half a Billion Dollars in Grocery Help
February 2023 is the last month many low-income food assistance recipients across the country will...
SNAP Is a Vital Tool for Fighting Hunger That Should Be Strengthened, Not Attacked
This Thanksgiving, many Kentuckians will show gratitude for their good fortune by serving meals to...
More Than 3,400 Struggling Parents Denied Food Assistance for Falling Behind on Child Support
Since March 2022, more than 3,400 Kentuckians have lost food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition...
Education
Average Kentucky Teacher Pay Fell More Than 5% This Year, When Adjusted for Inflation
The modest raises provided by most districts this school year were not enough for average teacher pay to keep up with rapid inflation, KyPolicy analysis of new data from the Kentucky Department of Education shows.
Sending Public Money to Private Schools Breaks Kentucky’s Commitment to Students
Ample public investment in K-12 education is essential for Kentucky’s children to thrive. But instead...
Most Kentucky Teachers and School Staff Start Year Without Meaningful Raises
Stagnant salaries are contributing to a growing teacher shortage in Kentucky and across the nation,...
Public Resources Should Stay in Public Schools
All Kentucky children should receive a high-quality education that helps them thrive. Because such an...
Health Care
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 action to keep their health care coverage.
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...
Medicaid Filled the COVID Coverage Gap
Last year when COVID-19 cases were escalating and the bottom fell out of the economy,...
Jobs & The Economy
Tracking the Economic Recovery from COVID-19 in Kentucky
As more Kentuckians are vaccinated, and as consumer demand remains strong, people are returning to work in greater numbers and Kentucky’s economy is beginning to improve.
The State of Working Kentucky 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn reshaped Kentucky’s economy in ways that are still...
State Workers Help Us All; It’s Past Time to Help Them Too
Everyone in the commonwealth relies on services provided by the state government, and the workers...
Personnel Cabinet Recommends Improving Compensation to Stave off State Workforce Crisis
Kentucky faces a crisis-level shortage of workers in state government. Past legislative actions resulting in...
