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 Trust Fund (BRTF), primarily on...
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) 500 through committee, legislation that would eliminate lunch and rest breaks in Kentucky. The bill...
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 take away Kentucky workers’ rights to lunch and rest breaks at work and would eliminate...
House Bill 5 Would Cost Kentucky More Than $1 Billion Over a Decade
The Kentucky Senate is now considering House Bill (HB) 5, legislation containing the most sweeping expansion of the state’s criminal statutes in decades. In addition to increasing incarceration, hardship and...
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 unlawfully treat employees as independent contractors. These workers are deprived of their rights, protections and...
HB 255 Weakens Child Labor Laws and Will Fuel More School Dropouts
Alarming growth in exploitative child labor is already a problem in Kentucky, with violations rising and the state making national news on the issue. A nationwide effort funded by corporate...
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 a modest budget – lacking adequate funds for areas like education, child care, housing and...
Kentucky Plummets in State Ranking of Tax Fairness
Because of recent legislative changes, Kentucky’s tax system is rapidly becoming much more inequitable, according to a new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Kentucky has...
Substantial Revenues Are Available for Both Recurring and One-Time Needs, Unless Lawmakers Budget for More Tax Cuts
The budget debate is well under way in Frankfort, but the discussion is clouded by confusion and misinformation about the types of resources available and the consequences of taking advantage...
Governor’s Budget Invests in Education and Infrastructure Using Dollars Otherwise Piling Up in Excessive Reserves
Governor Beshear’s 2024-2026 budget proposal expands investment in a variety of public services, with a focus on education and infrastructure, and pays for that expansion with billions of dollars otherwise...