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Kentucky News & Alert Center
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Recent Kentucky Forum Posts
Kentucky News
- 09/29/08 - Living on Earth: Defending Coal's Victims
- 09/18/08 - Black Lung Warning
- 09/09/08 - Local Agriculture Sees Progress in Kentucky
- 08/22/08 - Grassroots Direct Action: San Francisco Voters Nov. 4 Will Tell Their Congress Reps to Defund the War
- 08/20/08 - Residents Oppose Wal-Mart In Harrison
- 08/18/08 - An End To Mountaintop Removal Mining?
- 08/18/08 - Clean Air Act Settlement May Help Fund Solar Appliances
- 07/24/08 - Has Your Town Declared Peace Yet?
- 07/16/08 - Appalachian Residents Have Found the Antidote to Coal
- 07/15/08 - N.C. Eager to Snuff Neighbors' Pollution
- 07/09/08 - More Medicare Heat
- 07/08/08 - VA, MD Senators Join Opposition to Clean Air Change Affecting Parks
- 06/30/08 - States Taking Initiative on Environmental & Climate Crisis while Feds Do Little or Nothing
- 06/27/08 - Buckminster Fuller Institute Awards Appalachia Recovery Plan
- 06/11/08 - Move Over MoveOn: Grassroots Netroots Alliance (GNA) Launches New Progressive Campaign to 'Press the Politicians'
- 06/03/08 - Louisville Cafe Thrives in Slow Economy by Going Organic and Fair Trade
- 05/15/08 - Center for American Progress: What Are You Paying for the War?
- 05/07/08 - Direct Mailers From Obama Campaign Hail 'Clean Kentucky Coal'
- 04/23/08 - Stripping Mountains to Power D.C.
- 04/12/08 - UMW Taking Up Mountaintop Fight?
- 03/18/08 - Herald-Leader to Shut Down Internal Ad Design
- 02/28/08 - States Criminalizing Immigrant Workers through State "Identity Theft" Legislation
- 02/19/08 - Flagrantly Foul
- 01/27/08 - Kentucky Vintner's Diverse Enterprise Hosts Unlikely Farmhands
- 01/22/08 - Mining Giant to Pay $20 Million EPA Fine
- 01/20/08 - Election Fraud & Paperless Ballots: Congress Must Act Fast to Address Looming National Emergency
- 01/20/08 - Coalitions Geared to Block U.S. Coal Development
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Tell Your Representatives to Support HR 676, the United States Universal Health Insurance Act
Throughout Kentucky, and across the nation, many lack any health care insurance. People without health care insurance are less likely to get the health care they need, and for them ailments that could be easily solved with decent medical care often become more serious, and sometimes even deadly.
This is unacceptable. Please ask your representatives to support HR 676, the United States Universal Health Insurance Act, which would provide affordable health care for everyone across the county.
Take Action
KY Health Care
Updated 7/16/08
Kentucky's 2008 Legislative Roundup
(From Progressive States Network)
In a session The Courier-Journalcalled "the worst legislative session in modern memory," the legislature failed to address major pension and tax reform demands and achieved only modest reforms in other areas.
The state approved its $19 billion budget to guide spending for the next two years, but additional legislation was mostly modest.
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On education, SB 2 will create incentives to increase the number of students taking advanced math and science courses and SB 64 will create incentives for those with math and science degrees to become teachers. An anti-bullying bill, HB 91, will require new school discipline guidelines for students who intimidate other students and alert law enforcement when harassment involves a potential felony.
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On the environment, HB 717 will create watershed authorities to restore and improve streams around the Commonwealth and HB 2 creates incentives for homeowners to use solar and wind energy, as well as other energy-efficient lights, windows, and insulation. State and local governments will be required to build and lease energy-efficient buildings.
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On health care, SB 98 will provide Medicaid coverage for breast and cervical cancer treatments for uninsured women.
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On election reform, HB 479 will give citizens greater access to the voting process by allowing them to request absentee ballot applications via email.
The legislature did approve a $1.2 million per year, 26% increase in funding for the state's Connect Kentucky program to improve high-speed Internet services in the state, but Gov. Beshear vetoed the plan.
On the positive side, the rancorous session assured that agreement was not reached on initiatives to prevent public universities and other government agencies from providing health insurance to unmarried domestic partners, on a bill totarget undocumented immigrants, or on an anti-abortion proposal to require doctors to provide ultrasound images to women seeking abortions.
2008 Special Session:
In a special session, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a measure altering the state's chronically underfunded pension system - though not without recognizing that financial problems still loom. The pension legislation raises the age of retirement and service requirements for state workers hired after September 1 and limits the annual cost of living increase to one-and-one-half percent. Additionally, the legislation directs future General Assemblies to adhere to a funding schedule to increase the state's payments into the Kentucky Retirement Systems by about $52 million each year. Thankfully, the legislature did not approve controversial proposals to undermine existing defined benefit pensions for state employees in favor of "defined contribution" programs, although a working group appointed by Governor Beshear will be studying that and other proposals related to retiree benefits.
Take Action. Support Green Jobs!
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 authorized $125 million per year to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program as an amendment to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Green Jobs Act (GJA) is an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of industries - including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing that produces sustainable products and uses sustainable processes and materials. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating "green pathways out of poverty."
Congress has not yet appropriated money for the Green Jobs Act. Please contact your Senator today and urge them to fund the Green Jobs Act of 2007!
Read more at Green for All's web site.
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