Kentucky

The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill that would add language to the state constitution saying that it guarantees no right for women to get abortions.

  Gov. Andy Beshear has announced three more confirmed cases of coronavirus in Kentucky, making four total cases in the state.

Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration has launched a website where Kentuckians with felony records can determine if they have had their voting rights restored.

The Kentucky House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require voters to show a photo ID in order to cast ballots in this year’s General Election, a top legislative priority for Republican leaders in the legislature.

After significant revisions, the measure provides several ways for those without photo IDs to vote, but opponents of the legislation say it will suppress voter turnout and create confusion for voters and election officials. Because of those revisions, the bill will go back to the Senate for final approval before heading to Gov. Andy Beshear.

On Tuesday, Rep. Angie Hatton, a Democrat from Whitesburg, was gaveled down by the House Speaker after accusing Republicans of pushing the bill for political reasons.

The percentage of middle school students in Kentucky using electronic cigarettes and other vaping products has doubled since 2017. 

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted last spring shows the rate of vaping increased from 15.1% in 2017, to 31.4% in 2019.  High school students saw a nine percent jump in the same time period. 

"The Department for Public Health is really working to provide resources to schools and communities to do what we can to prevent students from using these products and to get them to quit using them," said Stephanie Bungee, a school health consultant with the Kentucky Department of Education.

The state’s first charter school applicant, River Cities Academy, lost its appeal to the Kentucky Board of Education. The board decided Tuesday not to overturn a decision by Newport Independent Schools to deny the group a charter.

A group of parents in Northern Kentucky wanted to open the state’s first charter school, called River Cities Academy (RCA), pulling students from six districts along the river. According to the application, the school was to serve a “diverse learner population” in grades K-8, and focus on closing the achievement gap through experiential learning.

In 19 Kentucky school districts, when a student misbehaves, teachers or principals can still use a paddle to spank students on the behind. Last year, educators used paddling to discipline students at least 284 times — mostly in Eastern and South-Central Kentucky. The state keeps track of how often schools use it, and on who.

Kentucky is one of 19 states where corporal punishment is legal in public schools. That means it’s legal for educators in public schools to inflict pain as a form of discipline, usually through spanking. But state lawmakers are considering legislation that would ban the practice.

A top Kentucky election official says foreign hackers scan the state’s election systems looking for vulnerabilities “on a regular basis” and that lawmakers need to create a more stable funding source for election security.

Jared Dearing, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said election officials don’t know if the hacking attempts are coming from foreign governments, but that they “don’t have good intentions.”

“We are routinely scanned by Venezuela, by North Korea, by Russia on a regular basis,” Dearing said.

A bill that would legalize marijuana for medical use passed out of a Kentucky legislative committee on Wednesday.

Kentucky residents can now get a REAL ID at four offices in the state, but only if they pay with a credit or debit card. Cash and check are currently not accepted at the new offices, and it’s unclear if that’s legal.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Attorney General’s office said they could not locate a statute requiring state government offices to accept specific types of payment, such as cash. 

But the United States Federal Code says cash is considered legal tender and must be accepted as payment for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues.