Increase in Federal Minimum Wage Would Provide Much-Needed Boost to Kentucky Families
An increase in the federal minimum wage to $9.80 an hour would raise wages in Kentucky by $606 million over...
Economic Security
Public Versus Private Employee Costs in Kentucky: Comparing Apples to Apples
While a state task force considers further cuts to public employee pension benefits, a new report shows that Kentucky public workers are already undercompensated compared to their private sector counterparts....
Health Care Law Will Benefit Kentuckians In Many Ways
The Supreme Court's decision that the health care reform law is constitutional has not brought an end to ideological attacks on the law and calls for its full repeal. Now,...
Report Estimates Medicaid Expansion Could Actually Save Kentucky Money
We previously reported (here and here) that the state will likely incur little cost associated with the expansion of Medicaid beginning in 2014 to around 300,000 Kentuckians. But in fact...
Medicaid Expansion is a Very Good Deal for Kentucky
The 2014 expansion of Medicaid in the Affordable Care Act will benefit Kentuckians substantially, while the federal government will largely pick up the bill. According to one analysis, Kentucky will...
Supreme Court Ruling Allows Kentucky to Move Forward on Addressing Health Challenges
The Supreme Court's decision today to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is good news for Kentucky, a state with tremendous health challenges and a growing number of families that...
The Problem of Low Wages in Kentucky
The economy is growing, but job growth is happening way too slowly. To make matters worse, low wages keep many of those Kentucky workers with jobs from meeting their families’...
Decline of TANF Caseloads Not the Result of Decreasing Poverty
Caseloads for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a safety net program designed to help families facing economic hardship meet basic needs, have declined sharply since 1995. Some policymakers have...
Legislation Requiring Government-Issued ID Could Deny Public Benefits to Eligible Recipients
Senate Bill 118, which passed the Senate yesterday, would require applicants for all public benefits to provide proof of lawful presence in the United States. While the bill’s proponents say...
Threatening Benefits for Low-Income Families Wrong Way to Address Drug Problem
Legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly proposes to eliminate public assistance for low-income individuals suspected of drug use unless they can pass drug tests or enroll in treatment programs. House...