What’s in the American Rescue Plan for Kentuckians
The new COVID relief bill, known as the American Rescue Plan (ARP), will soon become law. It will send billions...
Analysis
Kentucky Among Worst States in Nation for Higher Education Cuts, Harming Students Who Already Face the Greatest Barriers
After more than a decade of cuts to the state’s public colleges and universities, college affordability in Kentucky has continued to worsen according to a new report by the Center...
HB 413 Provides Poorly Targeted Tax Break that Will Add Costs Later and Stress Unemployment System
In June 2020, Kentucky had to request a line of credit up to $865 million from the federal government in order to continue paying unemployment insurance (UI) claims during the...
10 Ways the Kentucky General Assembly Can Advance Race Equity and Shared Prosperity
The last year has brought much-needed new attention to issues of racism across the country and in Kentucky, spurred in large part by the killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd...
Banning Food Assistance for Parents Behind on Child Support Is Harmful to Families and Costly to the State
A provision in Senate Bill (SB) 65 would disqualify parents who are behind in making child support payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food assistance). Such a...
HB 406 Modernizes Unemployment Insurance and Prepares Kentucky for the Next Downturn
The COVID-19 economic crisis has created enormous strain on our unemployment insurance (UI) system and made clear how outdated and inadequate the system was going into the pandemic. House Bill...
The General Assembly Must Resist an Expensive Double-Dip Tax Break and Instead Provide Targeted Aid to Businesses that Really Need Help
As Kentucky recovers from the pandemic and the resulting recession, it is important for state policymakers to invest in families, communities and businesses that need help to get back on...
SB 36 Would Protect Children from Automatically Being Tried as Adults
Senate Bill (SB) 36, sponsored by Senator Whitney Westerfield, would eliminate a provision in Kentucky law mandating that children charged with certain felony offenses be prosecuted as adults, rather than...
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 result of releases aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19....
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...