Testimony on House Bill 1: Tax Cuts Benefit the Wealthy at the Expense of Everyone Else
Pam Thomas, Senior Fellow for KyPolicy, delivered the testimony below to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on Thursday, January...
Research
Average Kentucky Teacher Pay Fell More Than 5% This Year, When Adjusted for Inflation
The modest raises provided by most districts this school year were not enough for average teacher pay to keep up with rapid inflation, KyPolicy analysis of new data from the...
More Than 3,400 Struggling Parents Denied Food Assistance for Falling Behind on Child Support
Since March 2022, more than 3,400 Kentuckians have lost food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) because the state now bans parents who are behind on child support...
Mirage of Inflation-Driven Surpluses Is No Basis for Permanent Tax Cuts
Kentucky is experiencing record revenue surpluses due to high inflation and temporary federal stimulus that spurred a faster-than-expected recovery from the pandemic recession. But under House Bill (HB) 8, lawmakers are...
Despite Growing Risk of Recession, Kentucky Will Slash Weeks of Unemployment Benefits by More than Half in January
Since the creation of unemployment insurance in 1938, Kentuckians have been able rely on up to 26 weeks of benefits, giving them the time and flexibility to find a job...
With Mounting Needs and Fear of Recession, State Should Suspend Tax Cuts
After many years of tight state budgets, Kentucky is now experiencing healthy but temporary revenue surpluses that are growing its rainy day fund, the state’s emergency savings account, to an...
The State of Working Kentucky 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn reshaped Kentucky’s economy in ways that are still revealing themselves thirty months after the virus arrived in the commonwealth. Part of the story...
Flood Relief Legislation Only a First Step, Leaves Out Housing Aid
A relief package introduced in the special legislative session includes over $200 million to help with emergency costs for local governments, schools, utilities, infrastructure and other needs in the wake...
When Disaster Strikes, Disaster SNAP Helps Feed Kentuckians
In addition to the extreme emotional and physical toll recent flooding took on the people of eastern Kentucky, the disaster caused severe and lasting financial challenges in the form of income...
State Must Go Beyond FEMA Aid to Adequately Address Housing Need From Eastern Kentucky Floods
The multi-colored houses on Knott County’s Rainbow Lane were reduced to rubble. Raging flood waters tossed and twisted mobile homes in Letcher County. In Hazard, an engorged North Fork lifted...