Despite Continued Risks from COVID-19, Kentucky Jail Population Continues to Increase
Between March and May of 2020, the jail population in Kentucky fell by a third (24,183 to 16,167) as a...
Analysis
HB 126’s Reformed Felony Threshold Would Reduce Incarceration for Low-Level Theft
The House Judiciary committee is scheduled to hear a bill sponsored by Representative Ed Massey, House Bill (HB) 126, on Wednesday, February 3. HB 126 would increase the threshold at...
Bills Capping Insulin Prices Could Help Many Kentuckians with Diabetes, Especially Those Who Struggle to Pay
House Bill (HB) 95 was signed by the governor and will provide much-needed help to reduce insulin costs for some of the 474,456 Kentuckians with diabetes, roughly 1 in 7...
Voucher Proposal Takes Dollars from Kentucky’s Public Schools and Gives Them to Unaccountable Private Schools
All Kentucky children deserve a high-quality education that equips them to live well and contribute fully to their community and the state’s economy. The most efficient and equitable way to...
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 the spring of 2020. The end of federal CARES Act...
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...