A State Budget for an Affordable Kentucky: Preview of the 2026–2028 Budget of the Commonwealth
In the 2026 legislative session, the Kentucky General Assembly will perform its most important job — crafting a two-year state...
Kentucky Is Now a Casino State: Slot Machine Gambling Surpasses $10 Billion Annually, But at What Cost?
Kentucky has rapidly become a casino state as legalized slot machine gambling has proliferated across the bluegrass in recent years. With 13 facilities now operating thousands of slot machines, the...
The Hidden Web of Criminal Legal System Fines and Fees in Kentucky
Thousands of provisions in Kentucky state law, and untold local ordinances, make up a vast, hidden web of criminal legal system fines and fees that trap many people in a...
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...
Broad Language of Amendment 2 Would Have Far-Reaching and Unpredictable Consequences
Kentucky has one of the nation’s strongest constitutions when it comes to public education. But Amendment 2, on the ballot next month, threatens to upend that. Currently, the state constitution...
New FBI Data Shows No Evidence of a Violent Crime Wave in Kentucky
Recently-released FBI crime data for 2023 shows a slight increase in total violent crime in Kentucky compared to 2022, but a closer look shows that while some crimes went up...
Legislature Moved Goalposts to Meet Conditions for Tax Cuts Whose Bill Is Now Coming Due
The conditions have been met for the General Assembly to potentially cut the individual income tax rate from 4% to 3.5% beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the State Budget Director announced...
The Impact of Diverting Public Money to Private School Vouchers in Kentucky
This November, Kentuckians will vote on an amendment to the state constitution that would permit the General Assembly to spend public money on private schools. [efn_note]House Bill 2, 2024 Regular...
Budget Agreement Maintains Modest Spending for Education and Other Needs Despite Funds Available to Do More
The final budget agreement spends significant dollars out of the Budget Reserve Trust Fund (BRTF) primarily on infrastructure and very specific local projects. However, it remains largely austere when it...
Crime Statistics Do Not Support Claims of a Crime Wave in Kentucky
The sponsors of House Bill (HB) 5, which will significantly increase incarceration in Kentucky by harshening penalties and lengthening sentences for a broad array of crimes, claim that the commonwealth...