Podcasts about Kentucky General Assembly

On this week's show, we bring you more highlights from the 2026 Kentucky Conservation Committee's Legislative Summit that was held online on Sunday afternoon, January 25th. You can learn more about it and find links to all the great materials referenced at https://kyconservation.org/legislative-summit-2026 The Summit includes a review of conservation legislation and trainings on key conservation and environmental issues in Kentucky to provide you with all the necessary advocacy tools you need during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and beyond. These sessions included a broad look at the anticipated topics of the 2026 General Assembly, related federal legislative issues, basic training on ways for citizens to engage as a “citizen lobbyist”, plus tips on how to be more effective with your legislative advocacy in a virtual world or in person. On today's show, we take a deep dive into two environmental issues that have been very threatening to communities throughout the Commonwealth, but particularly in Appalachia: flooding and the construction of hyperscale data centers. After a brief welcome from KCC Director, Lane Boldman, you'll hear from Brian Storz, the Licking River Basin Coordinator at the Kentucky Division of Water on nature-based solutions for stormwater mitigation. After that, we switch gears to hear from Max Moran and Janet Garrison, two citizen activists with the “We are Mason County” Citizen's Group who have been mobilizing at a grassroots level to resist the steamrolling of data center developers over the health and wellbeing of their neighbors. Explore these great resources: View Brian Storz's Presentation Slides on Green Sink Stormwater Mitigation at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T6z9gwKJ4nkpc8qrkpvPuDwhdpX28FJn/view?usp=sharing Nature's Solutions for Stormwater Management: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/13muZspC-g1HgtXP9LDfIQSoQjZMzVA4J Building a Flood Resilient Kentucky: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HHpbDgj8B8X508C5ThrROLjv-RWbUge3/view?usp=sharing VIDEO of the presentation on data centers is at https://vimeo.com/1158645052 Presentation Slides: Data Centers and Community Action: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OOBpwSNoJe47y9UFuFhrPL1yZVEv1Y-/view?usp=sharing KCC webpage on data centers: https://kyconservation.org/data KCC one-pager on data centers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KrXAucfipI5QRLDoqA9XqNYqOx85vphG/view?usp=sharing On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else! Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://www.forwardradio.org

On this week's Access Hour, we bring you highlights from the first hour of the 2026 Kentucky Conservation Committee's Legislative Summit that was held online on Sunday afternoon, January 25th. You can learn more about it and find links to all the great materials referenced at https://kyconservation.org/legislative-summit-2026 The Summit includes a review of conservation legislation and trainings on key conservation and environmental issues in Kentucky to provide you with all the necessary advocacy tools you need during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and beyond. These sessions included a broad look at the anticipated topics of the 2026 General Assembly, related federal legislative issues, basic training on ways for citizens to engage as a “citizen lobbyist”, plus tips on how to be more effective with your legislative advocacy in a virtual world or in person. On today's show, you'll get an overview of bills that are already filed in the General Assembly, or anticipated to be filed, along with KCC's analysis and recommendations for action, and a preview of the State Budget. Want the latest information on environmental issues impacting Kentucky? Want to be a more effective citizen advocate during the General Assembly? Want to know how the recent elections will impact state and federal policy on environmental issues? Tune in for the resources you will need to be an effective advocate for a wide range of environmental issues impacting Kentucky. After a brief welcome from KCC Director, Lane Boldman, KCC's Legislative Agent, Randy Strobo, provides highlights of House and Senate bills reviewed by KCC to date. And finally, Pam Thomas from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy will provide a State Budget Overview. Resource: KCC Citizens Guide to the General Assembly 2026: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R5bSKYXp6mEF1wM34kKha8pGdWCRJuqM/view?usp=sharing Resource: List of Lawmakers and Issues 2026: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JRMQ-qxz4hjXOvWeN_MjcGAIOX8fYqqW-JYTaCGaz04/edit?usp=sharing Resource: How a Bill Becomes a Law in Kentucky: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a0ZJSKw3os9UQivaW9VpS-S-bXWZ60tB/view?usp=sharing Presentation Slides: Bill Highlights to Date: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E806k-oxQ4h9aSP6lgha5KKq1LaXnhTN/view?usp=sharing Presentation Slides: Ky Policy Budget Preview: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N2g04vAJkvTiv1DoKAn2Cw0yKNRUFx-s/view?usp=sharing KyPolicy Budget Preview: https://kypolicy.org/preview-of-the-2026-2028-kentucky-state-budget/ Governor's Budget Proposal: https://kypolicy.org/2026-governor-andy-beshear-budget-proposal/ The Access Hour airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Wednesday at 2pm and repeats Thursdays at 11am and Fridays at 1pm. Find us at https://forwardradio.org If you've got something you'd like to share on community radio through the Access Hour, whether it's a recording you made or a show you'd like to do on a particular topic, community, artistic creation, or program that is under-represented in Louisville's media landscape, just go to https://forwardradio.org, click on Participate and pitch us your idea. The Access Hour is your opportunity to take over the air waves to share your passion.

Lawmakers unveil their top legislative priority for the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly, debate over lowering the legal conceal carry age, and a bill cracking down on distracted driving speeds through the legislator.

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion about the Kentucky General Assembly 2026 session with State Senator Robert Stivers (R-Manchester), Senate President; State Representative David Osborne (R-Prospect), House Speaker; State Senator Cassie Chambers Armstrong (D-Louisville), Senate Minority Whip; and State Representative Lindsey Burke (D-Lexington), House Minority Caucus Chair.

The 2026 Kentucky General Assembly kicks off in a new and temporary building, Senate Democrats in Frankfort lay out their priorities for the new session, meet Kentucky's newest state senator, a warning about a measles outbreak in Northern Kentucky, and a rise in the number of whooping cough cases.

Governor Beshear delivers his 2026 State of the Commonwealth and Budget Address, a look at some of the early bills filed in the Kentucky General Assembly, Cameron makes his entry into the U.S. Senate race official, and details on the state's first digital ID platform.

In hour two Larry talks with Reggie Thomas Member of the Kentucky Senatefrom the 13th district and minority caucus chair about the LRC and Kentucky General Assembly. They talk UK sports and state politics! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Larry talks with Reggie Thomas Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 13th district and minority caucus chair about the LRC and Kentucky General Assembly. They talk UK sports and state politics! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by Shane Noem, a Republican lobbyist from Northern Kentucky with Roebling Solutions and a Kentucky Youth Advocates board member, Jared Smith, partner at the government and public relations firm Piper Smith based in Lexington, and Alicia Whatley, KYA's Senior Policy and Advocacy Director. They discuss what to expect in the 2026 legislative session, including priorities impacting kids, state budget considerations, and the realities facing the Kentucky General Assembly. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children 2026 priorities and more at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family's wellbeing in mind.

Kentucky lawmaker sparks firestorm for saying she doesn't feel good about being white A Kentucky Democrat went viral this week after admitting she felt guilty about her skin color in a speech defending diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools. “I'm going to be honest,” state Rep. Sarah Stalker said during a meeting of the Kentucky General Assembly's Interim Joint Committee on Education Tuesday. “I don't feel good about being White every day, for a lot of reasons.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/kentucky-lawmaker-sparks-firestorm-for-saying-she-doesnt-feel-good-about-being-white/ar-AA1SaHtx Tim Walz Under Fire For Blaming White Men Over Somali Fraud Scandal Governor Tim Walz's remarks regarding the fraud scandal... View Article

Terry Brooks shares reflections on the 2025 Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard, including trends of the latest child well-being data in economic security, education, health, and family and community. Additionally, Shannon Moody is joined by members of the Make America Health Again Kentucky Taskforce, Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Adam Moore. They discuss the taskforce's focus on child nutrition and food access and priority areas for the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly. Learn more about the Kentucky KIDS COUNT Data Dashboard at kyyouth.org/kentucky-kids-count/. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family's wellbeing in mind.

Renee Shaw leads a discussion about SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Guests include: State Rep. Adam Moore (D-Lexington), a member of the Kentucky General Assembly's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Task Force; Anne-Tyler Morgan, a Lexington healthcare attorney with McBrayer PLLC; and Heather LeMire, State Director of Americans for Prosperity - Kentucky.

This program features Andrew Owen, Louisville's 9th District Councilman, tackling two topics: (1) Changes to Louisville's elections as a result of passage of HB 388 in the Kentucky General Assembly. Starting in 2026, Mayoral and Metro Council elections will be non-partisan; and (2) How Councilman Owen envisions making housing affordable and plentiful, especially in the city center, so that less people will end up homeless.

This week on Truth to Power, we bring you a vital community conversation on "The Good, Bad & Ugly," the Kentucky Resources Council's annual Legislative Wrap-Up, featuring Ashley Wilmes and Audrey Ernstberger from KRC. It was held online on Friday, April 25th, 2025. Together, we'll walk through this year's legislative wins, setbacks, and what it all means for Kentucky's environment, energy policy, and social justice. This is your chance to hear insights on key bills and learn what comes next. More info at https://www.kyrc.org. Find a PDF version of KRC's analysis of the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly at https://www.kyrc.org/news/general/2025-good-bad-ugly Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https:/www.forwardradio.org

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion and review of the completed 2025 Kentucky General Assembly session with State Representative David Meade (R-Stanford), House Speaker Pro Tempore; State Representative Pamela Stevenson (D-Louisville), House Minority Floor Leader; State Senator Gerald Neal (D-Louisville), Senate Minority Floor Leader; and State Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R-Lexington).

Lawmakers leave Frankfort after wrapping up the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly, and it's a big weekend for sports in Kentucky.

At this Democracy in Action meeting, held monthly by the Louisville League of Women Voters, a distinguished panel of experts discussed the relentless chipping away at the public's right to know, enshrined in both federal and state law, but increasingly ignored at various levels of government, notably the Kentucky General Assembly. Panelists were Deborah Yetter, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, retired Courier-Journal reporter and KY Journalism Hall of Famer; Jess Clark, Investigative Reporter for Louisville Public Media; and Amye Bensenhaver, retired KY Assistant Attorney General and co-founder of Kentucky Open Government Coalition. Dr. Wayne Tuckson host of KET Kentucky Health and colorectal surgeon.

Renee Shaw hosts a review of the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly session with State Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R-Taylor Mill), chair of the House Health Services Committee; State Rep. Lindsey Burke (D-Lexington), House Minority Whip; State Senator Phillip Wheeler (R-Pikeville), chair of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee; and State Senator Robin Webb D-Grayson).

We discuss several of the over 1,000 bills that have been filed as the Kentucky General Assembly heads into two days of Concurrence before the gubernatorial veto window starts on Saturday. https://legislature.ky.gov Hosted by Roberto Henriquez and Ann Dickerson

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion with State Rep. Scott Lewis (R), Chair of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee; State Rep. Tina Bojanowski (D), member of the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee; State Sen. Stephen West (R), chair of the Senate Education Committee; and State Sen. Reginald Thomas (D), Senate Minority Caucus Chair and member of the Senate Education Committee.

The Kentucky General Assembly is about two-thirds of the way through its legislative session. Kentucky Public Radio Capitol Reporter Sylvia Goodman sat down with Statehouse Enterprise Reporter Joe Sonka with a legislative update.

The new presidential administration is making headlines every day, but state politicians are moving along with their own agendas too. On this episode, we're checking in on the Kentucky General Assembly. Their 2025 session is underway, and Kentucky Public Radio's Sylvia Goodman will let us know what's happened so far, what we should be watching for next, and most importantly, how proposed legislation could affect our lives in Kentucky.

The Kentucky General Assembly is back and KPW has you covered with some of our favorite (and least favorite) bills so far. Also, friend of the pod Ryan Underwood is here to pitch a bill that creates a new way for businesses to pay taxes. Finally, the KPW crew is VERY excited for the latest track to drop from Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control! That joint is lit!

On this week's show, we bring you the keynote address from the 2025 Legislative Summit and Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Conservation Committee (KCC) that was held at Kentucky State University in Frankfort on January 26th. This year's featured guest was Alice Driver, author of “Life and Death of the American Worker.” Winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, the book is an explosive exposé of the toxic labor practices at the largest meatpacking company in America and the immigrant workers who had the courage to fight back. During the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 16 (https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24rs/sb16.html), also known as an “Ag-Gag” bill, prohibiting the operation of recording devices at commercial food manufacturing and processing facilities. This kind of legislation favored large-scale farms such as Tyson, who had been in the process of opening a new $355 million production factory in Bowling Green during the 2024 legislative session. Ms. Driver's work exposes environmental and worker practices at Tyson foods in Arkansas. Watch a full replay and see Alice's powerful photos at http://vimeo.com/1051505067?share=copy Full details are at https://kyconservation.org/legislative-summit-2025 Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

The Kentucky General Assembly passes a bill to further lower the state income tax, House Democrats unveil their legislative priorities, lawmakers discuss if state workers should be required to return to the office, why a Kentucky Congressman wants to elminate the U.S. Department of Education, responding to threats of tariffs on bourbon, and a Northern Kentucky distillery is putting what it calls a "New Riff" on an old tradition.

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion with freshman lawmakers in Kentucky's General Assembly. Guests: State Senator Craig Richardson (R-Hopkinsville); State Senator Keturah Herron (D-Louisville); State Representative Mitch Whitaker (R-Fleming-Neon); and State Representative Anne Gay Donworth (D-Lexington).

Sixty seven people were killed when an American Airlines jet and a Blackhawk helicopter crashed near D.C., Gov. Beshear responds to questions about whether he would allow state resources to help with immigration raids, meet one of the newest members of the Kentucky General Assembly, and a lawmaker from Bowling Green discusses some of his proposed legislation.

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion about the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly with State Senator Max Wise (R-Campbellsville), Senate Majority Floor Leader; State Senator Reginald Thomas (D-Lexington), Senate Minority Caucus Chair; State Representative David Meade (R-Stanford), House Speaker Pro Tempore; and State Representative Lindsey Burke (D-Lexington), House Minority Whip.

fWotD Episode 2825: Lewis W. Green Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 28 January 2025 is Lewis W. Green.Lewis Warner Green (January 28, 1806 – May 26, 1863) was an American Presbyterian minister, educator, and academic administrator. He was the president of Hampden–Sydney College, Transylvania University, and Centre College for various periods between 1849 and 1863. Born in Danville, Kentucky, baptized in Versailles, and educated in Woodford County, Green enrolled at Transylvania University but transferred to Centre College to complete his education. He graduated in 1824 as one of two members of the school's first graduating class. He enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1831 but returned to Kentucky in 1832 before graduating. After one year as a professor at Hanover College, he returned to Centre in 1839. He left again the next year for a position at Western Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he spent six years. He then went to Baltimore to preach full-time, though he resigned after just over a year and a half due to poor health.Green was elected president of Hampden–Sydney College in January 1849. He was recruited by numerous other institutions after his eight-year term. Among these institutions was Transylvania, which recruited him to their presidency shortly following the establishment of a normal school by the Kentucky General Assembly. The bill that created the normal school was repealed after a year and a half and he resigned in late 1857. Green was elected president of Centre College that year and entered office in January 1858. After leading the school through the start of the Civil War, he died in office in 1863 from an illness which he caught after helping wounded soldiers. He was buried in Danville's Bellevue Cemetery. He was a member of the Stevenson political family through the marriage of his daughter; as a result, he was the father-in-law of vice president Adlai Stevenson I, the great-grandfather of Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson II, and the great-great-grandfather of senator Adlai Stevenson III.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Tuesday, 28 January 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Lewis W. Green on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Amy.

Volunteers from Kentucky are helping battle wildfires in California, a Kentucky native reflects on his activism alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., meet another new member of the Kentucky General Assembly, an a new after-school program that's working to close achievement gaps.

Terry Brooks shares reflections on the first week of the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly, updates on Blueprint for Kentucky's Children policy priorities, and a call to action for advocates to speak up for kids throughout the short state legislative session. Find advocacy information and resources at kyyouth.org/blueprintKY. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family's wellbeing in mind.

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion about the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly session with State Senator Robert Stivers (R-Manchester), Kentucky Senate President; State Senator Gerald Neal (D-Louisville), Senate Minority Floor Leader; State Representative David Osborne (R-Prospect), Kentucky House Speaker; and State Representative Pamela Stevenson (D-Louisville), incoming House Minority Floor Leader.

Another winter storm takes aim at Kentucky, a recap of the first week of the Kentucky General Assembly, Kentuckians discuss their personal connections to the late Jimmy Carter, Kentucky's Attorney General announces a major opioid settlement, and a youth hockey team in Kentucky is Canada-bound.

We catch up with a major Louisville nonprofit on this week's Access Louisville podcast.Tamera Reif, senior director of Housing Services at Volunteers of America Mid-States, is on this week's show to talk about a number of ongoing projects with the organizaiton. She spends her days in the world of residential homeless and housing work — a key issue affecting Louisville in recent years. She talks about how she is inspired to do the work.Volunteers of America Mid-States (VOA) broke ground on its new headquarters, the $58 million Community Care Campus, in September. Reif tells us on the show that one of the most exciting parts of that project is a new family emergency shelter, which will more than double the available space for families experiencing homelessness. The campus also includes transitional housing for 18 to 24 year old youths and respite care for homeless people leaving the hospital. The space will also include meeting rooms and partner spaces, she explains. And she speaks with LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy talks with Reif about how the campus project came together with the support of Louisville Metro Government.The start of construction comes nearly two years after Louisville Metro Government purchased the Smoketown properties on Breckinridge Street near Floyd and Brook streets for nearly $7 million. Existing facilities on the property included the Vu Hotel and Guest House as well as the C2 event space, which George Stinson and his partner Ed Lewis opened in 2016.The majority of the funding for the project is coming from the Kentucky General Assembly and Louisville Metro Government, which are contributing a combined $22.5 million, according to VOA's website. Low income housing credits are responsible for $19 million in funds and the VOA has been able to raise $2.5 million for the project to date. But that still leaves a $17.5 million gap in funding.The new campus is expected to fully completed in 2027 and will employ 75 people. Miranda Construction is handling the buildout of the Community Care Campus. Hancock said the new Unity House will have 34 rooms and be able to serve 80 to 90 people at a time.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Original publish date February 2020 We discuss bills in the Kentucky General Assembly that have had two readings. We then interview Chris Tobe (author of Kentucky Fried Pensions) about the 2020 state budget and why the lack of pension discussion is very troublesome. Hosted by Roberto Henriquez and Amy Ferguson. You can follow bills and happenings in the General Assembly at https://legislature.ky.gov/

Original publish date March 31, 2019 Episode 4 of Left In Kentucky - We have our Cow Patty awards. We spend most of this episode talking about the final day of Kentucky General Assembly 2019 with a brief digression on fiscal conservatism. We also discuss the Mueller report and why we need to wait to find out what the report ACTUALLY contains.  During the episode we reference the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission which can be found at https://lrc.ky.gov

Original publishing date March 19, 2019 In episode 3 we start off with our latest round of cow patties. We then have an interview with Chris Tobe (author of Kentucky Fried Pensions and candidate for Kentucky State Auditor) about the state pension problems and action in the current General Assembly. Finally, a bill roundup regarding a number of bills as the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly heads towards the finish line.  We are in the veto break before the final day. As we saw last year, the last day can be a roller coaster, so keep your eyes on Frankfort! Hosted by Roberto Henriquez with Ann Dickerson and Amy Ferguson.

Original episode recorded March 3, 2019 Kentucky General Assembly: HB 413, HJR 37, HB 387, HB 150, SB 205, SB 250, SB 100 Hosted by Roberto Henriquez, Ann Dickerson, and Amy Ferguson

Terry Brooks is joined by state Senator Lindsey Tichenor to discuss the proponent perspective of Amendment 2, the state ballot initiative to amend the Kentucky constitution to allow the Kentucky General Assembly to create legislation that allows public dollars to be spent to support nonpublic or private K-12 education. Be an informed voter on November 5th -- check out Kentucky Youth Advocates' Electoral Advocacy Toolkit to ensure Kentucky kids count this election day at kyyouth.org. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family's wellbeing in mind.

Terry Brooks is joined by Maddie Shepard, President of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, to discuss the opponent perspective of Amendment 2, the state ballot initiative to amend the Kentucky constitution to allow the Kentucky General Assembly to create legislation that allows public dollars to be spent to support nonpublic or private K-12 education. Be an informed voter on November 5th -- check out Kentucky Youth Advocates' Electoral Advocacy Toolkit to ensure Kentucky kids count this election day at kyyouth.org. Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family's wellbeing in mind.

A forced marriage survivor discusses Kentucky's child marriage laws at NCSL, attendees create their own Derby hat, a new caucus is formed in the Kentucky General Assembly, recognizing the Eighth of August, and it's back to school for the state's largest school district.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky among those reacting to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Several new laws, passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, take effect. Some homeowners in the coalfields are rebuilding with clean and affordable energy in mind.

Rob Weber tells us what science and education bills were passed by the Kentucky General Assembly this year. Professor Scott Miller guides us through the night sky for the month of May. Dr. Iuliana Popescu discusses the structure, function and pathology of the human kidney. Finally, Dr. Dave Robinson challenges you to ponder the advances in science and technology that have occurred in the past six years or will occur in the next six years. Tell us what you think! ‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science' is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am. Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenchTalkRadio/posts/?ref=page_internal

Kentucky General Assembly passes biennial budget worth more than $100 billion, a massive anti-crime bill known as the Safer Kentucky Act is on its way to the governor's desk, if a House measure becomes law, Kentuckians would have fewer options when they try to buy vapes or e-cigarettes, and hundreds gather at Western Kentucky University to protest a guest speaker.

Another week of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly session is gone and, while things are moving slowly, the budget is beginning to move from the House to the Senate. Also, Ron DeSantis likes to fly private, RFK likes Only Fans, and Abby dislikes germs in Senate hearing rooms.

A look at bills focused on protecting Kentucky moms, a push to expand access to paid family leave, how a set of proposed bills could impact adult businesses, another possible amendment to the state constitution, and a summit to discuss AI in Kentucky.

Dee Pregliasco, President of the Louisville League of Women Voters, unpacks a report by the KY League (How Can They Do That?) exposing an increasing trend they've documented since 1999 of procedural maneuvers used by the Kentucky General Assembly to withhold notice of bills being introduced and enacted from the general public and from the media. In this way, more and more bills are being passed without any awareness or input from the public or reporting from the media. It probably violates the KY Constitution and, at minimum, sets a dangerous precedent.

Terry Brooks offers predictions of the 2024 General Assembly, reflections on the legislative session so far, and a look ahead to Children's Advocacy Week. Learn more about the Blueprint for Kentucky's Children and track the progress of bills that are good for kids at https://kyyouth.org/blueprintky/

A couple weeks into the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly, your Sustainability Now! host, Justin Mog, puts down the phone to the Capitol for a chat with Lane Boldman, Executive Director of the Kentucky Conservation Committee (KCC). Get caught up on what's happening in Frankfort, particularly with respect to environmental legislation. You'll also get a preview of the: KCC Annual Meeting & Legislative Summit Sunday, Jan. 21st, 1-5pm at Kentucky State Univ. or virtual Get the resources you need to be an effective advocate for a wide range of environmental issues impacting Kentucky. Includes a keynote by Public Service Commission Chairman Kent Chandler and panels on: “Forever Chemicals” (PFAS) Guests: Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong & Rep. Nima Kulkarni “Outdoor Recreation as an economic driver for land conservation” Guests: Gerry Seavo James & Sen. Matthew Deneen. “Our emerging Electric Vehicle Infrastructure” Guests: Mike Proctor of EVolve & Justin Harrod with the KYTC It's free and open to the public. Register at https://kyconservation.org/legislative-summit-2024 The Kentucky General Assembly ends April 15th. Some of the bills KCC is watching now: Energy/Utilities: • HB180 (support) - Makes it harder for utilities to disconnect service during extreme temperatures, or following the receipt of a certificate of need, certifying that disconnection of service would threaten the health and safety of the customer. Outdoor Recreation/Trails • SB35 (support) Establishes the Trail Town operations grant fund. Water Quality/Toxics • HB116 - Establishes a PFAS Working Group to research the effect that exposure to PFAS has on health; and a reporting requirement for manufacturers that intentionally include PFAS in products for sale in the Commonwealth and for PFAS releases in the Commonwealth. Kentucky River Metals Recycling bills (Backstory: https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/campbell-county/newport-community/newport-files-complaint-against-recycling-company-over-explosions) • HB91 - Controls explosions and combustion events at metal recycling facilities; and notice of violations of noise standards from a metal recycling facility. • HB197 - Requires a notice of violation by a recycling facility be sent to the local governing body. Agriculture: • HB68 (support) Establishes a healthy soils program in the Dept. for Natural Resources. • HB74 (support) Establishes the Kentucky Urban Farming Youth Initiative pilot program for 6- to 18-year-olds to promote farming to youth in urban counties in at least one urban UK Cooperative Extension Service office. • HB93 (support) Establishes the Kentucky Healthy Farm and Food Innovation Board and fund. • SB16 (oppose) - "Ag Gag" bill which prohibits unmanned aircraft, recording devices, or cameras on or above a concentrated animal feeding operation or commercial food manufacturing or processing facility. Transportation: • HB29 - Allows a local government to issue permits for racing events on state highways subject to approval by KYTC. KCC would like to see a requirement for environmental and animal collision assessments conducted before each race by KYTC personnel, with race organizers responsible for producing a mitigation plan. To find out bill status, call 1-866-840-2835 Call 1-800-372-7181 to leave a message for a legislator or an entire committee. (Monday-Thurs. 7AM-9PM and Friday 7AM-6PM). For questions about the lawmaking process or legislative resources, call the LRC Public Information Office 502-564-8100 ext. 59105. As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW! Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. http://appalatin.com

Renee Shaw hosts a discussion about the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly. Guests: State Representative David Osborne (R-Prospect), Speaker of the House; State Senator Robert Stivers (R-Manchester), President of the Senate; State Representative Derrick Graham (D-Frankfort), House Minority Floor Leader; and State Senator Gerald Neal (D-Louisville), Senate Minority Floor Leader.