State Revenues Continue to Lag as a Share of the Economy and Recent Tax Changes Will Likely Worsen This Trend
As a share of the economy, Kentucky’s General Fund is worse off now than before the last positive effort to...
Analysis
As Kids Head Back to School, Districts Have Even Fewer Resources Than Previous Years
This year as kids head back to school, Kentucky school districts face challenges due to cuts in state funds, ranging from no funding for textbooks and professional development to cuts...
Voters’ Overwhelming Rejection of “Right to Work” Law Reflects Its Harm to Workers
Yesterday, voters in neighboring Missouri rejected the state legislature’s decision to enact a so-called “Right to Work” (RTW) in a landslide referendum, with 67 percent opposing the law. Voters’ opposition...
New Report Shows Vast Income Inequality Across Kentucky
The average income of the top 1 percent of Kentuckians is 18.4 times greater than the average income of everyone else in the state, according to a new report by...
Year End Revenues Below Original Projections and Concerns Going Forward
Kentucky ended the 2018 fiscal year with $119.1 million more in the General Fund than was predicted by the official revenue estimate. However, that estimate had been revised downward by...
Ending Benefits for Medicaid is Unnecessary and Harmful
The Governor’s decision to end dental, vision and transportation benefits for Kentuckians insured through Medicaid was unnecessary and done without any public input. This coverage roll-back will erode health in...
Performance Funding for Higher Ed Already Beginning to Disadvantage Some Schools
New higher education data showing the allocation of performance funds in 2019 to our public universities and community colleges underscores the concern that some institutions are disadvantaged in the performance...
Rural Kentucky Population Continues to Shrink While Urban Counties Grow
Recently released population estimates from the Census document how much Kentucky has continued to urbanize over the last seven years. Not surprisingly, rural eastern and western counties’ populations have dropped while...
Billions Set Aside for Retiree Health Contradict Crisis Story
The drumbeat about a "crisis" in Kentucky’s pension systems over the last year included claims the state's retiree health plans are also in trouble. But those systems are far better funded than most...
Supreme Court Ruling on Internet Retailers a Positive Step for Kentucky’s Budget
The U. S. Supreme Court yesterday overruled prior decisions that had unfairly restricted the ability of states to collect sales taxes from online, catalog and other remote retailers. Before the new ruling,...