The General Assembly Took Small Steps to Reduce Hunger in 2024 But Could Have Gone Much Further
The General Assembly took meaningful but modest steps toward alleviating hunger in Kentucky during this year’s legislative session, funding several...
Research
The 2024 Kentucky General Assembly Was the Most Regressive for Criminal Legal System Policies in Recent Memory
More than any legislative session in recent memory, the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly doubled down on harmful policies that will result in longer sentences, Kentuckians locked up for being poor,...
Budget Agreement Maintains Modest Spending for Education and Other Needs Despite Funds Available to Do More
The final budget agreement spends significant dollars out of the Budget Reserve Trust Fund (BRTF) primarily on infrastructure and very specific local projects. However, it remains largely austere when it...
Senate Bill 20 Would Allow More Children to Be Prosecuted as Adults
Prosecuting children in adult court leads to harsher consequences and harmful long-term outcomes, both for the children and the greater community. Yet Senate Bill (SB) 20 would make it easier...
Final State Budget Should Do More for Child Care to Protect Families and Jobs
The recently released Senate budget proposal includes $39 million in new spending on child care in 2025 and $50 million in 2026. This amount is more new state spending for...
The Care Crunch: Survey Shows Kentucky Families Are Struggling to Afford Child Care
Kentucky parents with kids in child care are cutting back on essential family needs delaying major purchases, going into debt, switching jobs to accommodate child care, dipping into savings and...
Crime Statistics Do Not Support Claims of a Crime Wave in Kentucky
The sponsors of House Bill (HB) 5, which will significantly increase incarceration in Kentucky by harshening penalties and lengthening sentences for a broad array of crimes, claim that the commonwealth...
Senate Budget Includes Much More Infrastructure Spending, Remains Austere When It Comes to Other Needs
The Senate has proposed a budget that spends significant dollars out of the Budget Reserve Trust Fund (BRTF), primarily on infrastructure projects, much more than the House proposed. However, the...
Four Bills the General Assembly Is Moving That Would Benefit Kentucky Children and Families
Kentucky’s kids and their families’ health and economic well-being would benefit greatly from several bills making their way through the General Assembly right now. These proposals would improve maternal health,...
Companion Bills to Automate Expungement Would Give Hundreds of Thousands of Kentuckians a Second Chance
Involvement in the criminal legal system, even just once, can have long-lasting consequences that negatively affect social and economic mobility, and quality of life. An estimated 38% of Kentucky adults...