House Tax Bill Would Devastate Kentucky’s Budget for a Giveaway to the Wealthy
HB 8 would begin aggressively cutting Kentucky’s income tax rate next year and eventually completely eliminate it, devastating funding for...
Analysis
4 Ways the Kentucky General Assembly Can Fight Hunger in the New Budget
Before the pandemic, 1 in 7 Kentuckians and 1 in 5 Kentucky kids experienced food insecurity. Yet despite deep hardship caused by COVID, relief provided by the safety net kept...
Senate Income Tax Rebate Unfairly Leaves Out Low-Income Kentuckians, Could Force Some to Repay It
Today the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee moved forward a $1.15 billion income tax rebate that will give away a huge portion of the revenue surplus that could otherwise be...
Kentucky’s Jobs Recovery Is Very Strong — False Claims to the Contrary Are Being Used to Justify Harmful Benefit Cuts
Kentucky is currently experiencing a historically strong recovery from the devastating job losses that occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. By April 2020, Kentucky had lost 294,900 jobs,...
While Failing to Address Kentucky’s Overdose Crisis, HB 215 Would Keep People Incarcerated Longer
Kentucky is currently in the midst of an overdose crisis, particularly with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that when pharmaceutically prescribed can be used to treat pain but when acquired illegally...
State Funding for Education Has Been Stagnant for Many Years, But the 2022-2024 Budget Presents a Unique Opportunity to Begin Reinvesting
In 1991, following a Kentucky Supreme Court decision finding that Kentucky’s system of funding education was unconstitutional, the Kentucky General Assembly responded by increasing taxes to begin reinvesting in Kentucky’s...
Income Tax Cuts Are a Way to Sink the Economy, Not Grow It
Wealthy interests and corporate lobbyists are ramping up efforts to pass major tax cuts this legislative session that could leave a massive and permanent hole in Kentucky's budget. The focus...
HB 4 Would Slash Unemployment Benefits, Harming Economy and Deepening Hardship for Kentucky Workers
Working Kentuckians have faced widespread, unprecedented layoffs during the pandemic that worsened existing hardship and inequities. Despite extreme difficulty in navigating the outdated unemployment insurance (UI) system, unemployment benefits have...
Kentucky Has an Opportunity to Continue Steps to Reducing Incarceration by Addressing Harsh “Persistent Felony Offender” Laws
Kentucky’s Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) law is a punitive sentencing policy that emerged during the beginning of the so-called War on Drugs. While originally intended as a measure to deter...
House Budget Provides Only Modest Reinvestment Despite Strong Revenues
Despite billions of additional dollars from both one-time surpluses and stronger recurring revenues, the proposed House budget provides only modest funding increases in certain parts of government while leaving $1.1...