Public Schools Are Becoming a Lower State Budget Priority
Preschool through 12th grade public education has become less of a Kentucky budget priority in recent years, according to the...
State Budget Changes in 2023 Session Increase Future Risk
The General Assembly reduced future revenues substantially this session by passing House Bill (HB) 1, a law that will further shrink Kentucky’s largest revenue source by cutting the state income...
‘Transplant’ Bill Would Give Large Windfall to Companies Recruiting Remote Workers
A bill aimed at relocating higher-income remote workers to Kentucky could cost the state up to $200 million and widen inequality without necessarily drawing many people to Kentucky who aren’t...
House Bill 3 Proposes Harmful, Regressive Policy Changes to Kentucky’s Juvenile System
A robust body of research shows that locking kids behind bars harms their mental and physical well-being, gets in the way of their education, makes them more likely to be...
Cutting Bourbon Industry Taxes Harms the Communities That Sustain It
Kentucky’s bourbon and spirits industry had a banner year in 2022, with announcements of a record $2.1 billion in new investments. According to the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA), 2.4 million...
Ailing Juvenile System Needs Investment and Care, Not Harsher Penalties
The bipartisan working group on Kentucky’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) wrapped up last week, and the legislature heads back into session tomorrow. There are several key issues to keep...
Kentucky Should Not Volunteer for Greater Inequality by Becoming More Like Tennessee
The effort to reduce Kentucky’s income tax – the source of 41% of state revenue – gives a big tax break to the wealthy and will harm funding for public...
Kentucky’s ‘Booming’ Bourbon Industry Doesn’t Need Another Tax Cut
Kentucky’s bourbon and spirits industry had a banner year in 2022, with announcements of over $2.1 billion in new investments and 700 jobs created, both record highs. According to the...
Testimony on House Bill 1: Tax Cuts Benefit the Wealthy at the Expense of Everyone Else
Pam Thomas, Senior Fellow for KyPolicy, delivered the testimony below to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Thursday, January 5. The committee was considering House Bill 1, which would...
Sending Public Money to Private Schools Breaks Kentucky’s Commitment to Students
Ample public investment in K-12 education is essential for Kentucky’s children to thrive. But instead of committing to funding the many different components of successful public schools, including skilled teachers,...