Recovery Went in Reverse in December as Relief Expired, Pandemic Resurged
New monthly jobs data shows the state lost jobs in December for the first time since the recovery began in...
Analysis
New Data Helps Pave the Way for Bail Reform in Kentucky
Legislators and advocates have been discussing bail reform for years, with general agreement that too many Kentuckians are incarcerated while awaiting trial, many because they cannot afford bail. Past bail...
$2,000 Checks Would Provide More of the Relief Kentuckians Need
The December federal relief law provided checks of $600 per person, though many argued at the time for the larger amount of $2,000 per person. Now President-elect Biden and the...
Governor’s Budget Increases Funding for Relief and Reinvestment
Governor Beshear proposed a budget that uses $613 million in extra revenues created because of federal stimulus to provide targeted relief to families and businesses hurting from the pandemic, protect...
New Federal Relief Package Is a Short-Term Lifeline, But More Aid Is Needed
Congress has finally agreed to a new relief package that temporarily extends much-needed support to a weak economy and struggling families. It includes expanded and continued emergency unemployment benefits, rental...
Banning No-Knock Warrants Is an Important First Step in Addressing Police Violence Through Demilitarization
Since the killing of Breonna Taylor by police in March during a drug investigation, public officials, community organizations and advocates have called for bans of “no-knock” warrants, which have become...
Any Action on Proliferating Slot Machines Must Raise Artificially Low Tax Rate
A recent state Supreme Court ruling has threatened the operation of thousands of slot machines across Kentucky because they do not meet the definition of "pari-mutuel wagering” associated with the...
Kentucky’s Inadequate and Outdated Unemployment Insurance Taxes Need to Be Modernized
As unemployment claims surged in Kentucky due to COVID-19 related layoffs, the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) trust fund was quickly exhausted. Kentucky is one of 21 states and territories that...
Kentucky’s Too-Slow Economic Recovery Faces New Threats
New employment data for October shows Kentucky's recovery continues at too slow a pace to get the economy back on its feet any time soon. The expiration of federal aid...
With Many Forms of Assistance Ending in December, Kentuckians Need Federal Relief Before the New Year
At the same time that coronavirus cases spike and economic hardship deepens for many, a number of critical federal and state assistance programs that have mitigated harm during the COVID-19...