On January 22, KCEP will host a conference exploring pressing policy matters facing the commonwealth in the 2019 General Assembly and beyond. The day’s exciting line-up features experts in banking, criminal justice, safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP, taxes and public investments, and pensions.
You can register here for the conference, which is Tuesday, January 22 from 9:00am to 3:30pm at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. Registration is $25, and scholarships are available upon request.
Keynote Speaker: Professor Mehrsa Baradaran
Acclaimed author of The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap and How the Other Half Banks, Professor Baradaran is a leading voice for more inclusive, less predatory banking practices, specifically a return to postal banking. Baradaran teaches at the University of Georgia School of Law.
Issue Breakout: Promising Directions for Criminal Justice Reform in Kentucky
Kentucky already has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, and the number of Kentuckians in the state’s prisons and jails continues to grow. This panel explores problems with the state’s criminal justice system as well as promising directions for reforms, including needed changes to Kentucky’s bail and juvenile justice systems. Panelists include: Nicole D. Porter, Director of Advocacy at The Sentencing Project; B. Scott West, Deputy Public Advocate at the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy; Amanda Hall, Smart Justice Field Organizer at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky; and Dr. Ashley Spalding, Senior Policy Analyst at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.
Issue Breakout: Thriving Through Better Job Quality, Not Safety Net Tripwires
Too many jobs in Kentucky pay so little that workers qualify for food and medical assistance, despite the fact that many work more than one job. Recently enacted policies that take away vital assistance are misguided and won’t lead to more employment or higher wages. We’ll discuss the links between job quality, health, the safety net and policies needed to improve the lives of Kentuckians. Panelists include: Dr. LaDonna Pavetti, Vice President for Family Income Support Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Dr. Jean Edward, Assistant Professor College of Nursing University of Kentucky and Nurse Scientist at UK HealthCare; Jason Dunn, Policy Analyst at Kentucky Voices for Health; and Dustin Pugel, Policy Analyst at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.
Issue Breakout: Talking Taxes and the Economy
States’ income tax cuts and corporate giveaways fail to stimulate the economy and undermine investments in thriving communities. We’ll look at what’s happening around the country and in our region. Panelists include: Dr. Michael Leachman, Senior Director of State Fiscal Research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Remy Trupin, Senior Fellow at the Topos Partnership; Pam Thomas, Senior Fellow at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy; and Anna Baumann, Communications Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.
Issue Breakout: Kentucky Pensions: Commonsense Thinking About the Path Forward
What Kentucky does about pensions is crucial to the future of public budgets, retirement security, the quality of public services and the economy in our communities. But myths and misinformation have led to confusion about what is needed and why. This session will be a deep dive into the facts about Kentucky’s pension systems, their history and the issues on the table, and will explore ideas for a commonsense way forward. Jason Bailey, Executive Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, will lead.
Click here to register for the conference.
Click here to sponsor the conference.
