Ryland Barton
Ryland is the state capitol reporter for the Kentucky Public Radio Network, a group of public radio stations including WKU Public Radio. A native of Lexington, Ryland has covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin.
Always looking to put a face to big issues, Ryland's reporting has taken him to drought-weary towns in West Texas and relocated communities in rural China. He's covered breaking news like the 2014 shooting at Fort Hood Army Base and the aftermath of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.
Ryland has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.
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State lawmakers return to Frankfort on Tuesday to write a new two-year state budget, redistrict Kentucky’s political boundaries and consider a slew of bills, from further limiting abortion to legalizing medical cannabis. -
A federal judge in Kentucky has temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors. -
Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration says $127 million in federal relief money planned for school construction in Kentucky will not be able to be spent as intended. -
Sen. Mitch McConnell joked this was the first time in a quarter century where he came to Northern Kentucky and it appeared there could be real movement on the Brent Spence Bridge project. -
A jury convicted Lundergan in 2019 for funneling more than $200,000 in illegal contributions to his daughter Alison Lundergan Grimes’ campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and conspiring to cover up the activity. She was serving as Kentucky’s secretary of state at the time and was not implicated in the scheme. -
Kentucky lawmakers have extended the state of emergency related to the coronavirus and several other emergency orders issued by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. -
A state lawmaker has filed a bill to ban mask mandates at Kentucky schools as the coronavirus continues to surge across the state. -
Republicans took turns slamming Gov. Andy Beshear during the Fancy Farm picnic Saturday, as the governor and most Democratic supporters took a pass on the annual political event due to the coronavirus.The state’s top Republicans—U.S. senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul—were absent too. -
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Charles Booker’s bid to unseat incumbent Republican Rand Paul in Kentucky’s senate race next year. Warren is a... -
Kentucky will get more than $460 million as part of a multistate settlement with Johnson & Johnson and other opioid manufacturers and distributors....
