How to turn the boomer retirement wave into a generational opportunity From @jbaileyky.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2026/05/22/h...

The aging of the baby boomers is changing everything about our life and economy. In our new Op-Ed, we explain actions Kentucky urgently needs to take www.courier-journal.com/story/opinio...

A 2022 law passed by the General Assembly deeply cut the weeks of unemployment benefits laid-off workers could receive. Now with hiring frozen and no net job growth statewide, jobless workers are rapidly running out of benefits. See link to new @KyPolicy piece in next tweet

New @kypolicy.bsky.social dive into the recent 5-year KY population trends. The data tells a story of an aging baby boomer population and the spike of COVID deaths in a state with low life expectancy, the importance of immigration and more. 1/2

The year-long debate about the Fayette County Public Schools budget is missing how state funding cuts created the context for shortfalls 1/2

The jobs boom has come to a halt, with federal data now showing that Kentucky has had *no* net new job growth over the last two years 1/2

NEW: In the final hours of the legislative session, lawmakers expanded tax breaks for already-subsidized industries, continuing a pattern of opaque decision-making that keeps the public in the dark on costly legislation that benefits powerful industries. kypolicy.org/hb-869-tax-b...

The huge Budget Reserve Trust Fund balance that the legislature built up using COVID-related surpluses will diminish dramatically because of the spending on local projects and programs contained in the new budget. 1/

Small changes to the state budget are being made today. ~30 more earmarks are added using rainy day $, universities lose bond $ but gain some of cut operating funds, & $67M previously earmarked for state worker wage compression gets diverted. Updated here: kypolicy.org/budget-agree...

The spike in gas prices from the U. S. war in Iran is costing Kentuckians $175 million a month. That's more per driver than all but 3 states. 1/2

The General Assembly is passing the budget agreement today. Reflecting the lost revenue from recent income tax cuts, it cuts & freezes funding for most services and underfunds current Medicaid benefits by $691 million. The initial @KyPolicy analysis here: kypolicy.org/budget-agree...

The recent run-up in gas prices is costing Kentuckians $175 million a month. That's $46.69 each month for every Kentuckian, the 4th-worst among states.

Billionaire-inspired bill would separate KY workers from their rights kentuckylantern.com/2026/03/27/b...

The Senate budget eases some cuts proposed by the House by spending $ that the House put into the already huge rainy day fund. It also includes a 13th check for retirees. But it includes less in K-12 SEEK than the House budget and continues 7% cuts for many agencies.

When the state refuses to cover the full cost of public school transportation, districts are forced to take money from students and teachers to cover the gap. The House budget continues this trend, underfunding school transportation by $93m in each of the next two years. The Senate should fix this.

NKU projects $1.9M deficit in 2027 amid enrollment declines, proposed state funding cuts @haleyparnell.bsky.social kentuckylantern.com/2026/03/05/n...

When it comes to education, the House budget that passed last week was an improvement on the initial draft. But an estimated 82% of school districts would still receive lower inflation-adjusted state SEEK payments in 2028 than they did in 2026. kypolicy.org/hb-500-house...

For more than 20 years, the legislature has suspended its own law and funded school transportation at a lower amount than required. That continues in the House budget that passed last week, but it can and should end this session. New @kypolicy.bsky.social analysis in the link below

House A&R committee just passed a new version of the budget that removes the cap on health insurance but still contains substantial cuts and frozen funding while adding $604M to an already huge Budget Reserve Trust Fund. See the @KyPolicy analysis here: kypolicy.org/hb-500-state...

Who is hurt by the health insurance cap in HB 500? Rural counties are more likely to have KEHP members in their community, in part because school systems and public employment make up a larger share of the jobs. Link to new analysis below

State Medicaid costs in KY are not unusual & are not ballooning. Growth in spending comes from payments lawmakers have enacted to help hospitals with reimbursements--which don't come out of the General Fund. 1/2 kypolicy.org/state-budget...

‘Scrap the Cap’ campaign launched against possible insurance hike in Kentucky GOP budget fox56news.com/news/kentuck...

State workers and retirees launch 'Scrap the Cap' campaign against proposed health insurance cost shifts www.lex18.com/news/coverin...

The award-winning Fort Logan hospital birthing center in Stanford is shuttering. Fort Logan is one of 35 Kentucky rural hospitals identified at risk of closure from the Medicaid cuts passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed Congress last summer.

A new federal Constitutional Convention, which the Governor of Florida is in Frankfort today telling Kentucky we need to call for, is a bizarre and dangerous idea: kypolicy.org/kentucky-mus...

As introduced, the House budget bill doesn't just propose major cuts to the health care of school and state employees. It also includes over $100 million in cuts to the SEEK payments to school districts. See the link below for the potential cut to your local schools.

Kentuckians want better pay, a voice on the job, and policies that make life more affordable. What they don’t want is policies that make that harder—including tax cuts for the wealthy

Our episode this week is a good one! Want to know what’s in the draft of the budget? @jbaileyky.bsky.social is here to explain it! myoldkentuckypodcast.podbean.com/e/jason-bail...

Great to be on @myoldkypod.bsky.social last night to talk about the public employee health insurance debacle and the harm of state income tax cuts. Thanks @robertkahne.com and Jazmin myoldkentuckypodcast.podbean.com/e/jason-bail...

Here's an important issue related to the proposal to cut employee health insurance in the House budget. The legislature has taken $1.017 billion from the KY Employees Health Plan in recent years to balance the state budget. That money would otherwise be there to help cover costs.

The groups warned that ‘teachers (and) bus drivers will leave’ under proposed budget bill that would cut funding and cause state employees’ premiums to surge.

The health insurance shortfall that the House budget creates and would shift to employees is $279M. That same House budget leaves unspent *$1.1B*in tax revenue. Why? The only reason is to trigger more of those income tax cuts that go overwhelmingly to the wealthy

The average KY school bus driver makes $15,364/yr. At that income they've received *nothing* from reducing the state's income tax. But under the House budget, their healthcare costs would soar $6,422/yr. KY's richest 1%? They're getting $27,482/yr from the state income tax cuts.

ICYMI: over 300,000 Kentuckians receive health care through this plan, would face "devastating" cuts

Health insurance premiums for state and school employees could explode by *78%* because of language added to the House budget, having a "devastating impact on all...members and their dependents," according to a new letter from the Personnel Cabinet & reported by @austin-horn.bsky.social 1/

Important in-depth, fact-based budget analysis from @jbaileyky.bsky.social of @kypolicy.bsky.social: kentuckylantern.com/2026/02/11/a...

Commentary by @jbaileyky.bsky.social @kypolicy.bsky.social A choice is hidden in the pages of Kentucky’s next state budget. Who is Kentucky for? kentuckylantern.com/2026/02/11/a...

A choice is hidden in the pages of Kentucky’s next state budget kentuckylantern.com/2026/02/11/a...

Some state lawmakers want to take away the authority of the JCPS board of education to govern the local schools. But in recent decades, the state has taken less and less responsibility for actually funding JCPS. See more in our new analysis at the link below:

As introduced, the House budget cuts over $100M from SEEK payments to KY school districts. That means $25M less to JCPS ($37M less counting inflation), and up to 12% cuts in state/local SEEK by district. Find out how your district fares in the new @kypolicy.bsky.social analysis, link below:

New: UAW reaches landmark tentative contract deal with Volkswagen in Chattanooga Tennessee, including 20% across-the-board pay hikes www.bloomberg.com/news/article... "This contract is proof that if you stand up and stick together, you can win a better life”

A new poll of Kentucky voters finds broad, bipartisan support for raising pay, improving benefits, and giving workers a stronger voice on the job — reflecting deep concerns about affordability and a growing gap between the wealthy and everyone else. #kyga26

Kentucky’s support for unions, wealth tax growing, new poll shows www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...

The House budget introduced today is what happens when tax cuts chickens start coming home to roost. See the @kypolicy.bsky.social analysis of how this proposal severely cuts and underfunds a variety of essential public services: kypolicy.org/house-budget...

Despite Ford's plans to shutter its electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky next month, workers there have officially won their contested union election, as the NLRB ruled in their favor. Workers hope Ford gives preference and rights to those who are hired back by the retooled plant in 2027.

Gov. Beshear proposes a tight budget hampered by the loss of revenue from state income tax reductions, and proposes significant rainy day fund investments to address affordability. See the @KyPolicy analysis here: kypolicy.org/2026-governo...

NEW from me: The US is losing blue-collar jobs for the first time since early COVID or the Great Recession—the country has lost 65k jobs over the last year as manufacturing, transport, & mining employment decline, while growth in construction has nearly zeroed out www.apricitas.io/p/america-is...

The 2026 legislative session began today. Follow along here and on many other social platforms to stay informed about what's happening in Frankfort. And if you're not getting our newsletter, change that now: kypolicy.org/signup/ #kyga26

What’s the matter with Missouri? Explanation below