Looking Under the Hood at Kentucky’s Labor Force Participation
Kentucky’s labor force is a frequent topic of discussion among lawmakers. Too often, those deliberations result in punitive policy proposals...
Shrinking the Federal Workforce Means Cutting Kentucky Jobs
The Trump administration, including through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is taking several actions to reduce the number of federal workers. That includes an executive order to incentivize...
Federal Education Funding Supplies Over $1 Billion to Kentucky Kids Every Year
The Trump administration is reportedly considering dismantling the federal Department of Education (DOE), while Congress is weighing cuts to the federal budget that could significantly reduce education funding. While the...
Children in the Balance: Kentucky Reforms Successfully Diverted More Kids from Detention, but Now Those Gains Are at Risk
Executive Summary In 2014, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill (SB) 200 with the goal of reforming the state’s juvenile justice system. The bill accomplished many of its primary...
Teacher Pay Remains 20% Less Than 2008 Despite Small Gain in 2025 School Year
This school year, average district pay for Kentucky teachers is $13,888 less than 2008 once adjusted for inflation, according to new data from the Kentucky Department of Education. That’s a...
The Case for Paid Parental Leave for Kentucky State Employees
Paid parental leave has countless benefits for workers, children and families. It is also critical to attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce. A growing number of employers across Kentucky recognize...
Federal Investments Are Funding Improvements and Creating Jobs in Nearly All Kentucky Counties
Two recent federal industrial policies, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), have led to significant investments in modernizing Kentucky’s infrastructure and advancing clean energy and...
For the Same Cost as Vouchers, Kentucky Could Meaningfully Reinvest in Public Education
Amendment 2 on the ballot in November would open the door wide for private school voucher programs in Kentucky. On the low end, a targeted voucher program could cost a...
New Census Data Shows More Is Needed to Cut Poverty and Improve Incomes
New Census data for 2023 shows that pandemic-era policies made a big difference in reducing poverty and increasing health care coverage rates for children in Kentucky. But those supports have...
Affordable Care Act Has Helped Make Insurance Affordable for a Decade, but Will Get More Expensive if Congress Doesn’t Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created several new opportunities for health coverage in Kentucky that began in 2014, including a marketplace where Kentuckians with low wages can receive subsidized insurance...