Kentucky Politics Distilled

This week in Kentucky politics, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear unveiled what he wants the state budget to look like for the next two years. But Republican leaders of the legislature have their own ideas of how to put together the spending plan, and they’ll be in charge of the process. Plus, a bill banning so-called sanctuary immigration policies passed the first step of the legislative process.

This week in Kentucky politics, a voter ID bill passed a major hurdle on its way through the legislature. Anti-abortion advocates are throwing their support behind new abortion restrictions. And Republican education leaders are pushing for every school in the state to have an armed guard.

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Andy Beshear gave his first state of the commonwealth address, calling on the legislature to reach across party lines. The state legislature finished its first full week, advancing a bill to move gubernatorial elections to even-numbered years. And the sponsor of an anti-sanctuary cities bill has made changes following criticism.

In the first season of Dig, a new podcast from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, we bring you the results of a yearlong look at how rape cases are investigated in Louisville. What we’ve learned: here, the police defer to prosecutors on rape cases -- and prosecutors reject the vast majority of cases presented to them. Due to this unusual relationship, most people accused of rape here...

This week in Kentucky politics, outgoing Governor Matt Bevin claimed he lost his reelection because Democrats “harvested votes in urban areas.” Governor-elect Andy Beshear named some of his cabinet secretaries. And education commissioner Wayne Lewis defended himself, as his job might be in jeopardy in the new administration.

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Matt Bevin said he’s going to return to the private sector after losing his race for reelection. Gov.-elect Andy Beshear named the first appointees of his administration. And incoming Secretary of State Michael Adams says he wants to clean Kentucky’s voter rolls and get a voter ID bill passed before next year’s elections. 

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Matt Bevin conceded his race for reelection, paving the way for Gov.-elect Andy Beshear to take office next month. Bevin had requested a recanvass of the results after losing by about 5,000 votes, but the process only produced one new vote. Meanwhile, Andy Beshear has begun assembling his administration.

This week in Kentucky politics, Attorney General Andy Beshear beat Gov. Matt Bevin at the ballot box, but Bevin still hasn’t conceded the election. Bevin has asked for a second look of the results and has hinted at an official election contest. But even Republicans have started to distance themselves from the governor. We talk about what could happen next.

This week in Kentucky politics, candidates for governor participated in two debates. Now Gov. Matt Bevin and Attorney General Andy Beshear are crisscrossing the state making their final pitches ahead of Election Day on Tuesday. And the Kentucky Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit against a Lexington T-shirt maker that refused to make shirts for a gay pride festival. We talk through it all this week...

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Matt Bevin said he’ll re-open a prison to help deal with the state’s booming prison population. President Trump announced he’ll visit Lexington the night before Election Day. And Attorney General Andy Beshear says he’ll restore voting rights to some people with felony convictions if he’s elected. We talk about it all, this week on Kentucky Politics Distilled.

This week in Kentucky politics, candidates for governor and attorney general both participated in televised debates. And a new poll shows Gov. Matt Bevin and Attorney General Andy Beshear tied ahead of next month’s election. Jonese Franklin and Ryland Barton talk about it in week’s edition of Kentucky Politics Distilled.

This week in Kentucky politics, a judge says that Republican attorney general candidate Daniel Cameron is eligible to run, ruling against a claim that he doesn’t have enough experience. Teachers in several rural districts received emails to this week on their official accounts supporting Gov. Matt Bevin’s reelection. And Bevin’s attempt to reshape Kentucky’s Medicaid system is back in court. It's...

This week in Kentucky politics, the Chief Justice John Minton appointed a new judge to preside over the teacher “sickout” lawsuit after a Facebook like. There was a shakeup on Gov. Matt Bevin’s campaign after a sparsely attended rally in Pikeville. And Kentucky’s congressmen responded to the impeachment inquiry of President Trump. Jonese Franklin talks to Ryland Barton for this week’s edition of K...

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Matt Bevin released a list of all the times he’d used the state plane for official business , but he didn’t say when he used it for personal reasons. A Louisville man has filed a lawsuit to try and have Republican Attorney General Candidate Daniel Cameron removed from the ballot . And the state board of elections has started moving some people onto an “inactive...

This week in Kentucky politics, former Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Jerry Lundergan was found guilty of illegally funding campaign work for his daughter, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. The Courier Journal discovered that Gov. Matt Bevin has been a state-owned plane to fly to events around the country. And Bevin continues to double down on his anti-abortion platform. Erica Peterson...

This week in Kentucky politics, a judge refuses to step down from the lawsuit over the Bevin administration’s investigation into protesting teachers. Two coal miners have demanded that Senate candidate Amy McGrath stop using their images in a campaign video. And the eastern Kentucky segments of the KentuckyWired broadband project are now complete. Jean West from member station WFPL talks with Capi...

This week in Kentucky politics, Donald Trump Jr. visited Pikeville to headline a rally for Gov. Matt Bevin. The governor is trying to get a judge removed from the lawsuit against his investigation into protesting teachers. And Kentucky’s worst-funded pension fund is showing some signs that it’s getting healthier . Jean West talked to capitol reporter Ryland Barton for this week’s edition of Kentuc...

This week in Kentucky politics, President Trump came to Louisville to lend a hand to Gov. Bevin’s reelection campaign. Meanwhile Bevin made more controversial comments about teacher protests and Lt. Governor Jenean Hampton is suing him over the firing of her staffers.

This week in Kentucky politics, Lieutenant Gov. Jean Hampton filed a lawsuit against Gov. Matt Bevin for firing two of her staffers. The University of Louisville announced a deal to try and buy the struggling Jewish Hospital system with a $50 million loan from the state. And sports radio host Matt Jones announced he’s writing a book about Mitch McConnell, but still won’t say if he’s running agains...

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Matt Bevin signed the so-called pension “relief” bill into law after a short special legislative session. Attorney General Andy Beshear threatened to sue over the session, saying that Bevin had blocked lawmakers from considering other proposals. And Amy McGrath addressed the bumpy launch to her U.S. Senate campaign. WFPL's Jean West talked to Ryland Barton for...

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Matt Bevin’s special legislative session on pensions is finally taking place and Democrats think he’s tied the legislature’s hands. Bevin and Democratic rival Andy Beshear clashed during a debate at the Kentucky Farm Bureau. And Kentucky lawmakers responded to President Trump’s inflammatory tweets. WFPL's Jean West talked to Ryland Barton for this week’s editio...

This week in Kentucky politics, retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath announced she will challenge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in next year’s race for U.S. Senate. But the launch had a rocky start. And Gov. Matt Bevin might be a little closer to calling a special legislative session on pensions this summer. Jean West talked to Ryland Barton for this week’s edition of Kentucky Politics Disti...

This week in Kentucky politics, Democratic candidate for governor Andy Beshear continued his “unity tour,” campaigning with his former primary election rival Adam Edelen. Gov. Matt Bevin’s office says a special legislative session on pensions won’t take place until later this summer. And nearly 200 new laws went into effect this week. Jean West talked to Ryland Barton for this week’s edition of Ke...

This week in Kentucky politics, Lieutenant Gov. Jenean Hampton finally spoke out about the feud between her office and Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration. Meanwhile, Bevin says he has the votes to call a special legislative session on pensions, but too many lawmakers are on vacation. Jean West from member station WFPL talked to Ryland Barton for this week’s edition of Kentucky Politics Distilled. Ke...

This week in Kentucky politics, the state Supreme Court issued two major decisions: one that blocked Marsy’s Law, the so-called “victims bill of rights,” and a ruling in favor of Gov. Matt Bevin’s overhaul of several education boards. Plus, Lieutenant Gov. Jenean Hampton’s battle against so-called “dark forces” continued. Jean West from member station WFPL talked to capitol reporter Ryland Barton...