News

From the Louisville Courier-Journal: Ford to build new luxury Lincoln SUV at Louisville Assembly Plant

EDITOR'S NOTE: Production workers at the plant belong to UAW Local 862.

By LUCAS ALBACH

Adkins, Beshear and Edelen collect union endorsements

UPDATE: The jefferson County Teacher’s Association endorsed Edelen, according to the campaign‘s Daniel Hurt. Laborers’ Local 576 in Louisville and Covington Professional Fi

From The Louisville Courier-Journal: How Kentucky governor's race is about to get more money – and turn ugly

By PHILIP M. BAILEY

Democrat Adam Edelen appears poised to benefit from a new super PAC, started by a supporter of his race for Kentucky governor. 

From The Louisville Courier-Journal: Lawmakers: Education bills that brought teachers to Frankfort, closed schools are dead

By MANDY McLAREN

FRANKFORT — Legislation that drove hundreds of teachers to shutdown Kentucky's two largest school districts — and motivated Jefferson County teachers to continue calling out sick — will not reach the governor's desk this session.

House Bills 525 and 205, which, respectively, would have restructured the teacher pension board and created a scholarship tax credit program are dead, lawmakers told the Courier Journal on Wednesday.

From WSAZ: Gov. Bevin, KEA respond to teachers calling in sick to protest

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a statement from KEA President Stephanie Winkler regarding Gov. Bevin's statement:

From KCEP: Pension Bill Breaks Inviolable Contract, Shifts Contributions from Underfunded Plan

By JASON BAILEY
Kentucky Center for Economic Policy


The Senate version of House Bill 358 essentially forces quasi-governmental agencies like health departments and community mental health centers to break the inviolable contract for pensions with their current employees in order to avoid making pension contributions that the Kentucky Retirement Systems board caused to jump to 83 percent of pay.

From Forward Kentucky: “Get your program!” — Where 25 key Kentucky bills stand

Schools, taxes, pensions, gambling, guns, and more

By BRUCE MAPLES

Just four meeting days remain for Kentucky lawmakers to decide the fate of 788 bills filed during the 2019 legislative session.

The House and Senate plan to meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, when they hope to wrap up business on bills.

They’ve set aside a final day on March 28 (the 30th day of a session that can last only 30 days) to consider overriding bills Gov. Matt Bevin might veto. But they could also still vote on lingering bills that final day.

From The Lexington Herald-Leader: Sponsor says controversial scholarship tax credit bill is unlikely to pass this year

BY LINDA BLACKFORD and VALARIE HONEYCUTT SPEARS

Controversial legislation that would create a scholarship tax credit program for private schools in Kentucky is unlikely to survive in the 2019 General Assembly, its sponsor said Monday.

House Majority Floor Leader John “Bam” Carney, R-Campbellsville, said Monday that “anything is possible but at this time it’s unlikely for this session.”

From the Louisville Courier-Journal: Amy McGrath vs Mitch McConnell in 2020? Group launches campaign to 'draft' her

By PHILIP M. BAILEY

A liberal-leaning advocacy organization is launching an online campaign to recruit Democrat Amy McGrath to run against U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2020.

The Ditch Mitch Fund, a political action group, announced Monday it is creating a "Draft Amy" website to inspire the former Marine to enter next year's contest.

From the Economic Policy Institute: Wage growth for low-wage workers has been strongest in states with minimum wage increases

By ELISE GOULD