What Are Taxes For?
Tax Day is an important time for Kentuckians to consider the role of government in our state and nation. Taxes...
Research
Without More Revenue, Paying Pension Liabilities Will Continue to Be Challenge
After the General Assembly passed final pension legislation, some proponents of Senate Bill 2 hailed it as “historic.” But the costs Kentucky faces to pay down its unfunded pension liability...
Child Care Cuts Part of Broader Underinvestment in Early Learning
Recent cuts to Kentucky’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and Kinship Care are part of a broader set of cuts to child care and early childhood education programs, despite solid...
State’s Mental Health System Has Experienced Severe Funding Shortfalls
Discussion of the news that Seven Counties Services, a community mental health center in Louisville, plans to file for bankruptcy should include a look at the chronic lack of state...
Higher Minimum Wage Is Good for Kentucky Workers and the State’s Economy
Raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would lift the wages of over one in four Kentucky workers and add $546 million over three years to the Kentucky...
Expanding Medicaid is a Good Move for Kentucky
Expanding Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a good move for Kentucky. More than half of the state’s uninsured stand to benefit. It would have a positive impact...
Pension Revenue Bill Provides Modest Resources to Address Budget Challenges
The pension revenue bill that passed the General Assembly this week provides only an estimated $31.7 million in net new state revenue to help address Kentucky’s budget needs. House Bill...
Ryan Budget Would Mean Substantial Funding Cuts in Kentucky
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget—which the House passed by a slim margin last week—would cut funding to state and local governments in Kentucky by an estimated $301 million...
Kentucky Remains Long Way from Employment Recovery
New estimates show that Kentucky has added on average 1,500 net new jobs a month for the last six months and 1,525 a month for the last year. So far,...
Revenue Recovery from Great Recession is Slow
The debate over pensions in Frankfort hinges in part on whether the state should raise additional revenue to help make the pension payment or dig into the rest of the...