Kentucky

Advocates for more wireless and broadband options in Kentucky will once again push a bill reforming the state's telecommunications laws—specifically, removing language that requires old-school land-line service throughout the state.

Citizens for a Digital Future unveiled the legislation Tuesday, which is sponsored by state Sen. Paul Hornback, a Republican from Shelbyville.

A new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows a big gap between Kentucky’s income levels on who pays taxes.

The report says Kentucky’s top 1 percent income bracket pays roughly 5 percent of the state’s income tax, while the bottom 20 percent pays 9 percent.

Middle income levels are saddled with a higher percent, according to the report.

Jason Bailey, director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, says the numbers show tax reform needs to happen quickly in Kentucky to better balance the burdens.

A new poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Kentucky parents favor raising the dropout age to 18 years old.

Currently, students can drop out of school at 16 with a parent’s permission. But Governor Steve Beshear has pushed to change that.

A poll by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky shows that 85 percent of parents agree with the governor and would like to see the age raised to 18.

The poll surveyed 1,000 parents in Kentucky.

Kentucky's tax amnesty is winding down and the officials running it are expecting the response during the final days to be overwhelming.  The program started October 1.  Mack Gillim with the Department of Revenue said more than 11,000 applications have come in so far.

"Of that, a little over 9,000 were in-state applications and almost 2,000 out of state," said Gillim.  "We've had over 23,000 phone calls and 46,000 plus visits to our website."

Gillim said, based on Kentucky's previous amnesty programs, there could be another 20,000 or so applications.