Further Shift from the Income Tax to the Sales Tax is Bad for Kentucky
In interviews leading up to the 2020 session, legislative leaders have expressed their desire to continue down the path of...
Analysis
Change to Poverty Measure Would Mean Hardship for Many Kentuckians
The Official Poverty Measure is used to determine who can get medical, food, childcare and other forms of assistance. But the federal agency responsible for setting that measure is trying...
Record-Breaking Failure to Raise the Minimum Wage Is Holding Back Kentucky
This week marks the longest period in history the federal government has failed to increase the minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. Because Kentucky...
Systemic Barriers Continue to Hold Back Wages and Employment for Kentuckians of Color
On the 154th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, barriers to thriving for black Kentuckians are still deeply entrenched. Data on wages and unemployment in Kentucky show that discrimination and...
Taxing Betting Uniformly Would Generate Much-Needed General Fund Revenue
The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby was over quickly, but the revenue losses from Kentucky’s failure to uniformly tax betting already happening in the state — and to dedicate...
Pension Proposal Steers Quasi-Governmental Organizations Toward Breaking Promise to Current Employees
A new pension proposal from the governor’s office pushes quasi-governmental organizations to leave the retirement system in ways that are still very expensive to them, and even less affordable if...
Ways Forward for the Commonwealth
In the coming weeks and months, Kentuckians will hear from candidates for governor about their vision and ideas for our commonwealth. KCEP’s careful analysis of Kentucky data and the research...
Urban Growth in Kentucky Continued in 2018
Recently released population estimates from the Census document how much Kentucky has continued to urbanize over the last eight years. Rural eastern and western counties’ populations have dropped while the “golden triangle”...
Kentucky’s Gains in Health Coverage Are Resilient Despite Sustained Attacks on Public Insurance
New Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) were released by the Census this month for 2017, showing a continued increase in health coverage among adults under age 65 since Kentucky...
2019 Session Tax Round Up – More Special Interest Tax Cuts Means Less To Invest
The Kentucky General Assembly ended the 2019 session with the passage of a pair of so-called tax "clean up” bills that make Kentucky’s precarious revenue situation worse. The first bill,...