Threatening Benefits for Low-Income Families Wrong Way to Address Drug Problem
Legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly proposes to eliminate public assistance for low-income individuals suspected of drug use unless they...
Report
Tax Expenditures Big Cause of Budget Problems, but Some Legislators Want More
There are three main reasons that the budget the legislature is now considering includes so many cuts. First, the economy is still struggling. Second, federal recovery-related financial assistance to the...
Governor’s Budget Proposes Deep Cuts on Top of Past Reductions
The Governor’s budget proposes cuts of up to 8.4 percent to many state services that have already been slashed deeply over the last few years. The cuts would leave even...
Kentucky Should Re-Enact Surcharge to Pay Unemployment Interest
Kentucky owes interest payments on the nearly one billion dollars borrowed from the federal government to pay unemployment insurance benefits during the economic downturn. The next interest payment, due September...
Kentucky Faces Serious Challenges with Next Budget
Lawmakers face a grim financial situation when they meet in January to craft a new budget for 2013 and 2014. The state has balanced past budgets in part by pushing...
The College Affordability Crunch in Kentucky
A decade of state budget cuts in higher education, rising tuition, underfunded need-based financial aid and stagnating incomes are combining to make college less affordable in Kentucky. Student debt is...
State Has Cut Education Funding Substantially from Pre-Recession Levels
The recession and weak recovery of the last few years have meant less revenue for the state budget, and the legislature has responded with cuts to many services. The state...
State Revenue Growth Should Be Put Into Context
The first of a series of state estimates projects modest revenue growth over the next few years. But increases in revenue should be put into context. The economy is only...
One-Dimensional Reports Overlook Well-Documented Revenue Problem
By ignoring Kentucky's revenue problems, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's "Leaky Bucket" reports offer a narrow and potentially harmful response to the state budget picture. While smart spending decisions are...
Kentucky Job Numbers Beg for Federal Action
Now that the artificial crisis associated with raising the debt ceiling is over, the country must turn to the big challenge facing it: creating jobs and spurring faster economic growth....