State of Kentucky

It's been a traumatic and historic time in our history. We talk with Congressman John Yarmuth and Professor Josh Douglas about the attack on the Capitol, the vote to impeach, the strains on our democracy, and what comes next. Serious talk with serious people on serious subjects.

On this week's show, we talk with the journalists from the Courier-Journal who created the series "Beyond Breonna," which looks at systemic racism in Louisville. This is a critical topic, not only for Louisville but for our state.

The Electoral College has voted, and it's over, right? Then what's up with Congress counting votes on January 6? Could Trump still steal it then? Join us as we talk with lawyer and analyst Teri Kanefield about that date, as well as why Republicans are still supporting Trump.

Do you feel like we are swimming in conspiracy theories, on both sides of the aisle? Why are they happening? And, what impact can they have on the polarization in our country? Join Dr. Jan Hillard as we discuss his insights on conspiracy theories, the election, and our society.

The KY Democratic Party has a new chair! On this week's The State of Kentucky, we got to interview Colmon Elridge, and learn more about his goals and plans for the KDP.

Election 2020 was not a good cycle for Kentucky Democrats, to say the least. On this week's The State of Kentucky, we talk with Robert Kahne, Representative Joni Jenkins, and Senator Morgan McGarvey about WHY this happened, and what Dems in Kentucky need to do going forward, both for elections and for the General Assembly. (Note: Senator McGarvey had a last-minute conflict, so he was not able to join us.)

The election wraps up in a few days, with some expected winners and some upsets. Which seats will flip? What will be the biggest surprise? Join us on The State of Kentucky as we break down the election with Trent Garrison, and see if you agree with our predictions!

Here we are, less than two weeks till Election Day, and in Louisville there is a ballot initiative to stop a school tax increase. Or is there? And how does the KY Republican Party tie into the story? Join us for a discussion with Gay Adelmann and Denita Wright about all things JCPS Tax Increase.

Mitch McConnell has been our senator as long as some of us have been alive. Is this the year we can FINALLY help him retire? Join us on The State of Kentucky for a conversation with Amy McGrath, as we talk about her campaign, her strategy, and what she is seeing as she flies (literally) around the state.

For four years, Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa have been sounding the alarm about Donald Trump, first in their writing and then in their podcast "Gaslit Nation." Join as we talk with them on The State of Kentucky about the threat Trump poses to our democracy, how they know, and what we can do about it.

Gretchen Hunt has had a varied and distinguished career in public service. Now she takes the reins of the premier political training for women. What are her goals? What does she see for 2020 and beyond? We asked her about this, and much more, on The State of Kentucky.

State Rep. Charles Booker ran a strong campaign against Amy McGrath for the Democratic Senate nomination, and almost won, closing strong in the final weeks. Now that the campaign is over, what's next for this rising star? We talk with Rep. Booker about the campaign, about "From the Hood to the Holler," the organization he has formed, and if he's going to run for office again.

What's it like to work for a social justice organization? Is the advocacy world different from the corporate world, and if so, how? And what was it like to work in the state legislature? We interview Cara Stewart about all these questions, and more.

On The State of Kentucky, we're joined this week by Josh Hicks and Hank Lindermann, both of whom are taking on incumbent Republicans for seats in Congress. We'll discuss why they are running, how their campaigns are going, and what their strategy is for winning.

This week we're joined by Mike Broihier, former Dem candidate for U.S. Senate, and his campaign manager, Liam deClive-Lowe, to talk about the campaign AND what is next for each of them. Lots of good questions and open discussion – join us!

One of the keys to winning an election is to get trained on how to do it. Running for office is overwhelming even if you know what you are doing, and impossible if you don't. This week we talk with Anthony Robinson, political director the National Democratic Training Committee, about their work. Then we're joined by two candidate who worked with NDTC – and won!

Many young people, from high school to young adults, are increasingly active in both politics and protests. On this week's The State of Kentucky, we interview some high school students and their teacher about their involvement, including making a documentary about their activism. Then, we talk with two citizen journalists who are doing live-streaming of protests and have gathered large followings.

In this week's The State of Kentucky, a CEO gives us updates from nurses and doctors, hospital managers, and his own high-tech firm, as they all deal with COVID-19 and its effects.

Join us on The State of Kentucky as we analyze the primary with Al Cross, long-time political observer of Kentucky politics, and Robert Kahne, data scientist and one of the hosts of "My Old Kentucky Podcast." What do the results mean for Mike Broihier, Charles Booker, and Amy McGrath?

This week Gov. Beshear announced a new “agritech” partnership. What is that, and is this a big deal? We talk with Jonathan Webb, CEO of AppHarvest, about their vision and about working with both Kentucky and the Dutch. (The Dutch?!?) Plus, we share some scary stats that you’ll want to see.

We're joined by Rep. Attica Scott to share her experiences with the protests, and her thoughts on defunding the police. Then, Emily Galvin-Almanza, founder of Partners for Justice, brings us a national perspective on the issue.

Our economy is in a nosedive, millions are out of work, and the Fed says the future is bad. What should be done? And is UBI part of the answer? Join us for a discussion with Scott Santens, UBI expert, and Hale Stewart, economic analyst, as we look at how to deal with all of this.

On today's The State of Kentucky, we interview Denise Gray and Corbin Snardon. We'll talk about the black experience in Kentucky, both urban and rural, and the recent events across the state. We'll also hear what actions are needed, and how allies can help.

We talk with Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky's "top doc," about the pandemic and our state's response to it. Then, we get the backstory on how the Indivisible endorsements happened from Harry Neack. Join us!

Join us as we talk with Dr. Erik Prentice, who formerly served in the office of the Director of National Intelligence, and is now a private citizen in the corporate world, living in Louisville. Recently he became a founding member of a group called "The Steady State," made up of National Security and Homeland Security veterans who have endorsed Joe Biden for president. We'll learn more about this group, why it formed, and why Dr. Prentice joined it.

On this week's The State of Kentucky we are joined by lawyer, author, and political analyst Teri Kanefield, who regularly publishes analysis of Trump and the GOP that is insightful, timely, and revealing. Is it all random, or is there a method to the madness? Join us to learn more!

We talk with Cong. John Yarmuth about rescue packages, Joe Biden, and what he thinks of McConnell’s “bankruptcy” comments. Then, we’re joined by Nolan Higdon to talk about his book “The United States of Distraction.” Join us!

Join us for this week's The State of Kentucky, as we talk with Tiffany Pyette about the challenges indigenous people are facing in dealing with the coronavirus. Then, we welcome Ryan Olexia, who is running for state Senate.

On The State of Kentucky, we’re joined this week by Senator Morgan McGarvey to share his thoughts on the concluding days of the General Assembly. Then, Shannon Fabert comes on to talk with us about her campaign to win the nomination to face Thomas Massie in the fall. Listen in!

It’s The State of Kentucky for Friday, April 3! A good show, with some super guests: Rep. Joni Jenkins to talk about the budget and about voting from cars Amy McGrath, talking about her campaign and what she would say to progressives and others about why they should vote for her Dr. Becky Dutch of UK College of Medicine, explaining why it is so hard to get COVID-19 testing We have a few technical challenges along the way, but the show still turned out well, with good interviews. Enjoy!

On this week’s “State of Kentucky” show, we are joined by Secretary of State Michael Adams to discuss his ideas and plans around vote by mail, and by Rep. Charles Booker, candidate for U.S. Senate, talking about his campaign and how they’re working given the coronavirus crisis. We are honored to have both of them with us, and hope you’ll listen!

We welcome Mike Broihier, candidate for U.S. Senate. He talked with us about virtual campaigning, the Yang Gang staffers that have joined his campaign, and his recent hard-hitting ads. Then we talked with Dustin Pugel of the KY Center for Economic Policy, about the state budgets, ways to get more revenue, and what the General Assembly should be doing in light of the coronavirus crisis. Thanks to both our guests, and thanks to you for listening!

It was a record-breaking week for Democrats in Kentucky – more people are running for office as Dems than ever before! In this week's show, we talk with three people involved in recruiting candidates: KDP executive director Mary Nishimuta, and political activists Anna Whites and Sellus Wilder. We also speak with two of those candidates, Cathy Carter and Tina Bojanowski, on why THEY decided to run. And finally, Bruce Maples has a few thoughts on how this all happened, and the principal it revealed that we all need to remember.

In this week's State of Kentucky show, we start with a look at the drastic change to Medicaid that Governor Bevin has proposed. Then, we talk with Al Cross about the Medicaid waiver lawsuit filed against ... President Trump? Why not Governor Bevin? We also look at immigrants in Kentucky and the recent shutdown drama around DACA, and we talk with Congressman Yarmuth about why the Republicans are so reluctant to do something about Dreamers. Finally, there's an update to the number of candidates who have filed to run for the General Assembly, and we ask: Where are the Democrats?

In this week's State of Kentucky, we talk over Governor Bevin's budget with Rocky Adkins, the House Democratic leader, and with Matt Wyatt, the chair of the Elizabethtown school board. We then discuss the Medicaid waiver with Emily Beauregard of Kentucky Voice for Health. And in the closing SOK editorial, Bruce uses words etched in stone as a starting point for his thoughts about the budget and the waiver.