Local Sales Tax Amendment Could Lead to Wider Inequality Without Better Funding Local Services
Under Kentucky’s constitution, there are limits on the types of taxes the General Assembly may authorize local governments to levy,...
Research
State Report Describes Growing Educator Shortage, and Lack of Funding Plays a Key Role
The growing shortage of teachers and other school personnel is becoming more severe, according to a new report by the Kentucky legislature’s Office of Education Accountability (OEA). Inadequate funding and...
Kentucky Is Excessively Stockpiling Needed Resources and Prioritizing Costly Tax Cuts
In recent years, the Kentucky General Assembly has prioritized an effort to reduce its single largest revenue source, the individual income tax. After decades with a graduated income tax and...
New Federal Rule Extends Free School Meals to Nearly All Kentucky Students
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to expand free breakfast and lunch to nearly every school in Kentucky through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. This means...
The Funding for Food and Formula for 120,000 Kentucky Kids and Moms Is at Risk
Vital nutrition assistance for nearly 120,000 Kentucky moms and kids remains at risk due to inadequate appropriations from Congress and the looming threat of a government shutdown. The Special Supplemental...
More Than 300,000 Kentuckians Have Been Charged for Cannabis Over the Past Two Decades
Over the past two decades, as states around the nation have moved to decriminalize and legalize cannabis, more than 300,000 people in Kentucky have been charged with a cannabis-related crime,...
The Funding Gap Between Kentucky’s Wealthy and Poor School Districts Is Now Worse Than Levels Declared Unconstitutional
The difference in per-pupil funding between the state’s poorest and wealthiest districts now exceeds the level deemed unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court more than three decades ago. In 1990,...
Report: Criminal Fines and Fees Drive up Incarceration, Push Kentuckians Deeper Into Poverty
Excessive fines and fees imposed through the criminal legal system drive up incarceration and perpetuate poverty in Kentucky, according to new research from the Vera Institute of Justice. Local and...
New Federal Laws Can Create Opportunities in Kentucky, If We Act on Job Quality and Community Access
In recent years, Congress has passed several sweeping federal policies that aim to create jobs, modernize the economy and boost key industries. Early returns are promising in Kentucky, which is...
Kentucky’s Inflation-Adjusted Minimum Wage Now at Its Lowest Since 1950
Today marks 14 years since the federal minimum wage increased from $6.55 an hour to $7.25. For the dozens of states, including Kentucky, that have failed to boost the minimum...