Keynote: Vanessa Williamson
Vanessa Williamson’s new book, The Price of Democracy, reveals the revolutionary power of taxation in American history. In this year’s keynote address, Williamson will reveal how tax battles throughout American history have been fundamental struggles over democracy, equality, and who belongs.
Vanessa Williamson is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, and a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. She studies taxation and democracy in America.
Her new book, “The Price of Democracy,” reveals the revolutionary power of taxation in American history (Basic Books, November 2025). She is also the author of “Read My Lips: Why Americans Are Proud to Pay Taxes,” and with Harvard professor Theda Skocpol, “The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism.”
She has written on school segregation, tax opinion, and tax politics in the Washington Post; about the Tea Party, anti-union legislation and voter registration at income tax filing in the New York Times; about taxpayer citizenship in the Atlantic; about philanthropy and austerity and white supremacy in Dissent; and about democracy and organizing for Teen Vogue. She has discussed her research on NPR’s “Marketplace”, C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal”, CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”, CNBC’s “Squawk Box”, and MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.” She received her Ph.D. in social policy from Harvard University.
The New News: The Evolution of Kentucky’s Media Landscape
Traditional media in Kentucky is shrinking as private equity and corporate consolidators wreak havoc on the fourth estate. But Kentuckians know a vibrant press strengthens our democracy, and they’re doing something about it. In this session, we’ll discuss how nonprofit newsrooms independent journalists and advocacy outlets are reshaping Kentucky’s media landscape by producing vital, human-centered work at a time when truth and accuracy are at a premium.
Breakouts
Medicaid’s Moment: Planning for an Uncertain Future
Medicaid is vital to Kentucky’s well-being, but harmful policy changes and insufficient funding have created fear and uncertainty for many people covered by Medicaid. Hospitals and other health care providers also face a precarious financial future. This session will detail recent Medicaid changes, explain how our General Assembly can limit harms and provide a vision for sustaining and supporting Medicaid for years to come.
From Protest to Policy: What Follows the Data Center Backlash
A slew of proposals to build new AI data centers across Kentucky and the nation is creating controversy in many communities. In this workshop, we will learn more about the potential impacts of data centers in terms of jobs, taxes, energy, water, the environment and more. We will also explore the policy issues facing the Kentucky General Assembly and the localities where data centers may be built, including tax breaks, transparency and democratic decision making, ratepayer protections, job quality and more.
Securing SNAP: Defending Our Best Weapons Against Hunger
Kentucky has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the nation, and recent federal SNAP cuts are only making it worse. More than 80,000 Kentuckians lost food assistance between October 2025 and October 2026, and the consequences reach far beyond the kitchen table, harming churches, senior centers, farms, retailers, and whole communities across the state. This session will lay out how we got here, how Kentuckians are impacted, and how we can reverse course.
Debt Sentence: Kentucky’s Hidden Web of Fines and Fees
Thousands of provisions in Kentucky state law, and untold local ordinances, make up a vast web of criminal legal system fines and fees that trap too many people in a cycle of long-term debt and incarceration. While many other states have already passed much-needed reforms, fines-and-fees debt has received little attention in Kentucky. This session will expose this hidden issue and highlight policy changes that would mitigate its harms.
Lunch Session: Advocacy 101
Kentucky legislators need your help to imagineand shape the best legislation for us all. They need your insights, your stories, and your voice. In Advocacy 101 you’ll learn about the Kentucky Legislative Process, how to follow legislation, and how you can use your voice to influence the process.