A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Opinion – Amye Bensenhaver: Another open records exception passes without the least bit of discussion or vetting

An awkward silence accompanied the Kentucky House of Representatives’ passage of HB 80 by a vote of 94-0 on January 24. Sponsored by Rep. Kim Banta, HB 80 creates a new exception to the open records law for names and likenesses of winners of Lottery prizes — in any amount and for all time — if the winner requests anonymity. It creates a corresponding prohibition on release of names...

Opinion – Bill Straub: Mitch McConnell finds himself on the spot; question is can he hold on to power?

After 17 years finagling and conniving as the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell finds himself on the spot. His maneuvering over the next few days could determine whether he can maintain the confidence of his caucus, not to mention what sort of impact it might have on his already shaky legacy. McConnell, of Louisville, has been involved over the past several weeks attempting to forge...

Opinion – Susan Douglas: We’re unboxing the future of Northern Kentucky girls

There’s a lot going on with local Girl Scouts and it’s not just about boxes of cookies. Of course selling Girls Scout Cookies is an integral part of our organization. We use the revenue to continue our amazing programs that nurture girls’ development. But as booths start to pop up and a Girl Scout may ring your doorbell to test her marketing skills, much more is going on this year. Susan Douglas...

Opinion – Gary Houchens: It’s time for Kentucky to elect the State Board of Education

The Kentucky state legislature is considering a bill that would allow voters to elect members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE). As a former member of KBE, the time has come to make the board, and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Commissioner of Education that it oversees, more directly accountable to the people. Traditionally, Kentucky law provided that the governor would appoint...

Opinion – John Yarmuth: Don’t mistake ending Kentucky’s income tax for a valid economic strategy

My brother has been very successful in the barbeque restaurant business. (Full disclosure: I am a passive investor in his company.) Politically, he was always what I call a Rockefeller Republican, pro-business and progressive on social issues. He tended to vote Republican primarily because he wanted to pay less tax and viewed the GOP as the low-tax party. So it was surprising when, in the summer of...

Opinion – Amye Bensenhaver: FERPA wall keeps secret a school board’s ‘investigation’ of counselor

I questioned the Anderson County Board of Education’s refusal to disclose the investigative report into widely publicized accusations leveled against a high school counselor, and the Anderson County Board of Education took me to school. My frustration with the board’s denial mirrors the frustration of the sponsor of the 1974 federal law on which the board relied. In a 2011 interview, former...

Joe Heller: A cartoonists’ view of week’s news — long winter, Biden&Trump again, awards season, it’s cold

Joe Heller was the editorial cartoonist for the Green Bay Press-Gazette in Green Bay, Wis., from 1985 until being laid off in July 2013. He still draws several cartoons a week and distributes them through his own syndicate. Through Heller Syndication, his cartoons regularly appear in more than 400 newspapers, making him the most successful self-syndicated editorial cartoonist in the nation. His cartoons...

Opinion – Stephen Voss: The irony of Kentucky election reform

I believe that former state Sen. Charles Booker, the progressive who sought to challenge Mitch McConnell in 2020, fell short in his quest for the Democratic nomination due to progressive election reforms. Democrat Charles Booker (File photo And while those changes have been scaled back dramatically, I believe that conservative efforts to eliminate the remnants of those policies would hurt conservative candidates...

Opinion – Bill Straub: Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell have their difference; try to count the ways

Sen. Rand Paul, that sentinel of good sense and comity, hopped aboard the Never Nikki express running through the Republican presidential primary this week and did so in a way that provided him with an opportunity to take a nasty shot at an erstwhile compadre – Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Paul, R-Bowling Green, for some reason felt compelled to publicly declare he won’t be voting...

Opinion – Susan Weston: House budget against Big Bold ask; more needed in Early Childhood

The House of Representatives has released House Bill 6, its initial budget proposal for the next two fiscal years. Here, I’ll summarize the major education elements, including action on the Prichard Committee’s Big Bold Ask and some continuing questions about how the limited step up for child care will work for children and the workforce. Readers can also download our more detailed looks at...

Opinion – Mitch McConnell: As threats to our interests grow, Israel deserves U.S.’s firm support

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks Tuesday on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities: “House and Senate negotiators worked hard to reach an agreement on topline government funding levels for the current fiscal year. And work continues to deliver full-year appropriations through regular order. “Shutting down the government – even...

Opinion – Jamie Ruehl: Seasonal depression or something more? Understanding suicide…

In the last two months, two people I knew took their own lives. Before those two tragedies, I’ve had other friends who committed suicide. If you’re a veteran like me, odds are you’ve been affected by it. When I was a police officer, I responded to multiple scenes after-the-fact and had to help respond to the emotional roller coasters as family members and friends arrived or were informed of their...

Opinion – John Schaaf: The negative outcomes from using public money for private schools are very real

Like salmon swimming home to spawn, lobbyists are again roaming the hallways of the Kentucky State Capitol. This year, big-dollar lobbyists representing corporate-run private schools and churches are pushing House Bill 208 to change the state’s constitution to allow politicians to throw billions of tax dollars into private and religious schools. The bad news is, other states are trying this risky...

Joe Heller: Cartoonist’s view of week’s news — MLK character, January, emergency exits, missing Austin

Joe Heller was the editorial cartoonist for the Green Bay Press-Gazette in Green Bay, Wis., from 1985 until being laid off in July 2013. He still draws several cartoons a week and distributes them through his own syndicate. Through Heller Syndication, his cartoons regularly appear in more than 400 newspapers, making him the most successful self-syndicated editorial cartoonist in the nation. His cartoons...

Opinion – Kelly Read: Teachers are on a ‘wage strike’ as they leave the classroom for much better pay

“Educators are on Strike in the Commonwealth” That’s quite the title. And you might look at it and say it’s untrue in Kentucky. Most recently teachers in Oakland and Portland struck, but that’s not the Commonwealth. But the fact is, TEACHERS ARE ON STRIKE here in Kentucky. And please make no mistake about it, teachers are on a WAGE STRIKE. What’s different about this strike? This...