What the Research Says about “Right-to-Work” Laws, Employment and Wages
As several Kentucky counties have passed or are considering local “right to work” (RTW) laws, serious research calls the benefits...
April 15 Isn’t Popular, But Taxes Still Important
Few people like Tax Day. Filling out forms and mailing off checks doesn’t usually inspire reflection on the bigger purpose of taxes. Yet most people can agree on the priorities...
How Several Bills Passed This Session Changed the State Budget
The 2015 General Assembly reopened the 2014-2016 budget to appropriate new monies for several initiatives. These were largely paid for — and the state’s rainy day fund was boosted by...
County, Rural Roads Will Lose Millions Without Gas Tax Freeze
The clock is ticking on the 2015 session and legislators have yet to guard Kentucky’s city and county roads and bridges from the consequences of a pending 5.1 cent drop...
Local Economies Harmed If Lawmakers Fail to Safeguard Road Fund
With just two days left in the 2015 General Assembly, legislators are running out of time to protect the Road Fund from another decrease in the motor fuels tax. On...
Expanding Kentucky’s Film Tax Credits Not a Strategy that Will Pay Off
Despite their cultural appeal, generous film tax credits—like the one in Kentucky that HB 340 in the 2015 General Assembly proposes to expand—aren’t a cost effective strategy to generate jobs,...
Top 1 Percent of Kentuckians Continue to Capture Bulk of Income Gains in Recovery
Income inequality continues to widen in Kentucky and the nation through the recovery according to a new report released today by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Between 2009 and 2012...
Manufacturing is Still Crucial to Kentucky’s Economy, Workers
Despite steep job losses over the last two decades resulting largely from problematic trade policies and economic recession, manufacturing still plays a key role in Kentucky’s economy. A new report...
Kentucky’s Upside Down Tax System Asks the Least of Those at the Top
In Kentucky, the wealthiest residents pay the lowest overall state and local tax rate as documented in a new edition of a study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic...
Increasing Kentucky’s Minimum Wage Would Help One in Four Workers Make Ends Meet
Wages for Kentucky workers at the bottom of the income scale have been eroding, leading to growing inequality and contributing to persistent poverty in the state. The decline in the...