Building a Kentucky Workers Can Afford
Hard work runs deep in Kentucky. Kentuckians dug the coal that powered the 20th century and raised the food that...
Research
Affordability Is a Crisis for Kentuckians
Many Kentuckians are struggling to afford the cost of living. This problem is not new, but prices have spiked in recent years while many workers’ wages and household incomes have...
For Tens of Thousands of Kentuckians Participating in SNAP, the Shutdown Is Just Beginning
The recently ended shutdown of the federal government demonstrated just how essential the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is to over 560,000 Kentuckians. Over the last month, as the Trump...
State and Federal Tax Cuts of the Last Decade Are Giving an Enormous Windfall to the Wealthiest Kentuckians
The Kentucky General Assembly will create a new two-year budget in 2026 in the face of declining state revenues and substantial new costs passed down from Congress. Large recent state income tax cuts and a slowing national economy are already causing...
Kentuckians in Every County Will See Health Care Costs Soar Unless Congress Acts
In 2025, more than 90,000 Kentuckians were enrolled in a health insurance plan through kynect, the state’s health insurance marketplace. Most of these enrollees received subsidies that significantly reduced the...
ICE Arrests Are Surging in Kentucky as Local Law Enforcement Joins Troubling Mass Deportation Effort
Anti-immigration enforcement has ramped up since the inauguration in January, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting more than 1,000 people per day on average nationally and locking up nearly...
State Report Shows Educators in Most Kentucky School Districts Received Little or No Raise
The typical Kentucky school district increased salaries for teachers and other certified employees by only 2% this year, and 40 districts provided no raise at all, according to an annual...
Costs on Kentucky’s Health Insurance Marketplace Will Explode Without Quick Action From Congress
For the nearly 100,000 Kentuckians who signed up for plans on kynect this year, the state’s health insurance marketplace, premium costs are on track to skyrocket at the end of...
Kentucky Is Now a Casino State: Slot Machine Gambling Surpasses $10 Billion Annually, But at What Cost?
Kentucky has rapidly become a casino state as legalized slot machine gambling has proliferated across the bluegrass in recent years. With 13 facilities now operating thousands of slot machines, the...
For the Same Cost as a Half-Point Income Tax Cut, Kentucky Could Meaningfully Reinvest in Public Education
In the 2025 General Assembly, Kentucky lawmakers reduced the individual income tax rate from 4% to 3.5%, a cut that will take effect on Jan.1, 2026. That cut will cost...