Kentucky General Assembly

Kentuckians with chronic pain are finding it harder to afford medical cannabis. On July 1, an executive order was lifted that gave conditional pardons to patients traveling out-of-state to purchase the drug. They're now finding a large cost disparity between Kentucky and its neighbors.

Gov. Andy Beshear has issued posthumous pardons to some Kentuckians jailed for helping Black people escape slavery. He has proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth in the commonwealth, a day he declared an executive branch holiday in 2024.

A former data center executive says Kentucky needs a moratorium on the industry until state regulations are in place. Erin Petrey, who is also a Democratic candidate for Congress in central Kentucky, is leading efforts to get legislation filed for the 2027 General Assembly.

A new report suggests Kentucky isn’t making the grade when it comes to preparing children for kindergarten. The National Institute for Early Education Research found only one-quarter of the state's four-year-olds attended preschool during the 2024-25 school year.

Kentuckians charged with low-level crimes often brought on by substance abuse or mental illness can avoid incarceration by participating in specialty courts. But the next two-year state budget being crafted in the General Assembly threatens to eliminate that option.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed a bill that would opt Kentucky into a federal scholarship program for K-12 students. House Bill 1 would allow students to receive scholarships for private school tuition funded by donors receiving a federal tax credit starting in 2027.

Western Kentucky University is ending gender-inclusive housing, among other changes, to comply with the state’s new anti-DEI law.

A Franklin Circuit Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit by State Auditor Allison Ball against the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The case stems from 2024 legislation on kinship caregivers.

In 2022, the General Assembly approved HB 9, setting up a funding mechanism for charter schools.

Ahead of the 2026 legislative session, Gov. Andy Beshear is working to sell his proposal for expanding preschool access. The Democrat's “Pre-K for All” campaign came to Bowling Green Wednesday evening for a town hall at Western Kentucky University.