Top 1 Percent of Kentuckians Captured Nearly Half of State Income Growth over Last Few Decades
The top 1 percent of earners in Kentucky took home 48.8 percent of state income gains from 1979 to 2007—a...
Governor’s Budget Provides Some Short-Term Help But Needs Revenue to Improve and Sustain
Governor Beshear’s budget is now under consideration in the House. His plan has received praise for putting additional dollars in education, rolling back cuts to child care and identifying new...
Limiting Expensive Income Tax Break for Higher-Income Retirees Is Important Part of Tax Reform
A limit on the state’s large retirement income tax break for higher-income people is an important component of tax reform, and Governor Beshear’s plan includes such a limit. Reforming the...
Tax Plan Misses Opportunity to Make Overall Tax System Fairer
The combined impact of the tax increases and tax cuts in Governor Beshear's reform proposal would not help improve the regressive nature of Kentucky’s tax system, according to analysis of...
Measuring the Tax Plan Against Key Principles
Governor Beshear has released his tax reform proposal, and analysis and debate over the plan has begun. It’s important that this discussion keep in mind three principles that are needed...
How Governor’s Tax Plan Differs from Tax Commission’s Recommendations
Many of the proposals in Governor Beshear’s tax plan come from his Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform. But his plan is also different—it leaves measures out that were included...
Statement on Governor Beshear’s Tax Proposal
KCEP Director Jason Bailey released the following statement on Governor Beshear’s tax reform plan: “Governor Beshear deserves recognition for bringing forward a specific tax reform proposal for consideration. His plan...
Increase in Tipped Minimum Wage Is Long Overdue
Stagnant or falling real wages for many Kentucky workers threatens their standard of living and is leading to growing income inequality. One of the causes of inadequate wages is the...
Presentation: Kentucky State Budget Briefing
On January 24, KCEP held a State Budget Briefing that included a presentation describing the revenue context of the current budget situation, outlining past budget cuts and including some analysis...
Governor’s Austere Budget Gives Small Bump to K-12, Cuts Funding for Many Areas
Governor Beshear's Executive Budget proposal provides a small amount of additional funding to K-12 education but not enough to fully restore the impact of six years of cuts and frozen...