Lisa Autry

General Motors workers in Kentucky and seven other states are transitioning from temporary to permanent employment.  The automaker announced on Wednesday that 1,350 temps will gain full benefits by the end of March.

One of the main sticking points in last fall’s contract negotiations between GM and the UAW was the use of temporary workers.  Those employees typically put in full-time hours, but don’t have many of the same benefits as permanent employees. 

A Kentucky lawmaker has reintroduced a bill that would give crime victims the same rights afforded to the accused, including a voice in the criminal justice system.

Marsy's Law would guarantee crime victims constitutional protections, including the right to be notified of all court proceedings, the right to be present for those hearings, and the right to be heard in any hearing involving an offender’s release, plea, or sentencing. 

One of the races on the ballot this year will feature a rematch for a seat in the Kentucky legislature that represents part of Daviess County.

DJ Johnson is challenging incumbent State Representative Jim Glenn in the 13th District House race.

The 13th District election in 2018 was one for the record books.  Democrat Jim Glenn held the seat for a decade before being defeated by Republican DJ Johnson in 2016.  Two years later, Glenn won the seat back by only one vote.  When a recanvass didn’t change the outcome, Johnson requested a recount, which ended in a tie.  That left a special committee of House lawmakers to decide the winner of the race. 

Australia is burning, and across the globe in Kentucky, one man is watching in horror and disbelief.

More than one billion animals have perished in the devastating wildfires ravaging the country, and that staggering loss of wildlife is hard to accept for Australia native Mick McGill, who manages Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo. 

"Excuse me, excuse me," McGill says as he enters the kangaroo enclosure. "There are 30 kangaroos in here and it’s feeding time now.”

Even 10,000 miles away, he feels at home.  McGill's face beams as he picks up Weston, a red kangaroo who is spoiled.

“He’s my good boy. This is my little baby I raised at home. He thinks I’m his mother," McGill says. "He’s about a year and three months now. When he grows up he’s going to be over six feet tall.”

A federal prosecutor in Kentucky says, if warranted, his office is prepared to prosecute those convicted in state court who received pardons from former Governor Matt Bevin.

U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman says if the crimes took place in the Western District of Kentucky, they will be treated like any other violation of federal law.  Once the findings of the investigation are presented to his office, Coleman says he’ll consider the statute of limitations, double jeopardy, and evidentiary requirements to determine whether the cases meet federal standards for prosecution. 

“The uniqueness of a situation of federal prosecution following a state executive pardon will, however, require ultimate approval by the highest levels at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.," Coleman said in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is predicting a vote on whether to impeach President Trump will be mostly partisan.

Speaking in Bowling Green on Monday, the Republican lawmaker said he thinks every Republican and half a dozen Democrats will vote against impeachment in the U.S. House on Wednesday. 

Paul has defended Trump's motivation for withholding U.S. aid to Ukraine as a way to root out government corruption, rather than to investigate his political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Kentucky’s Muslim community will gather in Frankfort next month for the inaugural Muslim Day at the state capitol. 

Muslims from all over the state will tour the building on January 22, meet with legislators, pray in the Rotunda, and receive training on how to advocate for issues affecting the Muslim community.

Waheeda Muhammad, chair of the Kentucky chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said one of the goals of the event is to clear up misconceptions about the Islamic faith.

A Kentucky state senator says he plans to introduce a constitutional amendment to reform the governor's pardoning power.  The move comes after former Governor Matt Bevin issued hundreds of pardons, many for people convicted of heinous crimes.

Governor Matt Bevin issued more than 400 pardons and commutations before leaving office on Monday.  Among the beneficiaries was a man convicted of beheading a woman and stuffing her body in a barrel and a man convicted of child rape.  In another case, Bevin pardoned a convicted murderer whose family held a fundraiser for him. 

A Democratic state lawmaker from Warren County will have an insider’s view when Governor-Elect Andy Beshear takes the oath of office in a private ceremony early Tuesday morning.   

Representative Patti Minter will attend the formal swearing-in at 12:01 a.m.  A public swearing-in ceremony will take place on the Capitol steps Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. 

Minter is one of the co-chairs of the inaugural committee and says all the festivities will emphasize unity.

A Democratic state lawmaker exploring a run against U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell says he would be committed to the Green New Deal if elected to Congress. 

State Representative Charles Booker from Jefferson County was in Bowling Green on Friday where he picked up an endorsement from the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate activism group. 

Booker grew up in Louisville’s West End, the poorest zip code in the state. Booker said neighborhoods like his are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards.