What’s in the American Rescue Plan for Kentuckians
The new COVID relief bill, known as the American Rescue Plan (ARP), will soon become law. It will send billions...
HB 413 Provides Poorly Targeted Tax Break that Will Add Costs Later and Stress Unemployment System
In June 2020, Kentucky had to request a line of credit up to $865 million from the federal government in order to continue paying unemployment insurance (UI) claims during the...
Banning Food Assistance for Parents Behind on Child Support Is Harmful to Families and Costly to the State
A provision in Senate Bill (SB) 65 would disqualify parents who are behind in making child support payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food assistance). Such a...
HB 406 Modernizes Unemployment Insurance and Prepares Kentucky for the Next Downturn
The COVID-19 economic crisis has created enormous strain on our unemployment insurance (UI) system and made clear how outdated and inadequate the system was going into the pandemic. House Bill...
Despite Continued Risks from COVID-19, Kentucky Jail Population Continues to Increase
Between March and May of 2020, the jail population in Kentucky fell by a third (24,183 to 16,167) as a result of releases aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19....
Bills Capping Insulin Prices Could Help Many Kentuckians with Diabetes, Especially Those Who Struggle to Pay
House Bill (HB) 95 was signed by the governor and will provide much-needed help to reduce insulin costs for some of the 474,456 Kentuckians with diabetes, roughly 1 in 7...
New Federal Relief Package Is a Short-Term Lifeline, But More Aid Is Needed
Congress has finally agreed to a new relief package that temporarily extends much-needed support to a weak economy and struggling families. It includes expanded and continued emergency unemployment benefits, rental...
Defeating the Pandemic and Building a Robust Recovery: A Preview of the Budget of the Commonwealth
In the 2021 short legislative session, the Kentucky General Assembly will be tasked with crafting a new state budget for 2022. In addition to protecting Kentucky’s existing critical services, there...
COVID-19 Crisis Demonstrates Need for State Improvements to Unemployment Insurance in Kentucky
Unemployment insurance (UI) is one of the most effective programs available to help laid-off workers meet their basic needs and allow economies to bounce back during downturns. As a partial...
New Employment Data Shows Hardship Across the Commonwealth and for Low-Wage Earners
Amidst a new surge of COVID-19 cases, recent data shows that employment in virtually all Kentucky counties remained severely depressed in September. When looking at the economic recovery by income...