The Department of Juvenile Justice is in a crisis never witnessed before. Recent reports demonstrate a lack of leadership within DJJ that allows a toxic loss of morale to manifest itself. Meanwhile, executive branch officials are ignoring the needs of front-line workers who have repeatedly t…

It’s Black History Month.

Returning to my hometown for our annual sojourn, like our family did for the New Year’s holiday, is always a trip back in time. Not because my parents still own and operate an appliance whose sole purpose is to rewind VHS tapes in an age when streaming is all the rage — that’s a topic for a …

Kentucky will once again be thrust into the spotlight on Feb. 24. On this day moviegoers nationwide will be able to feast their eyes on the glorious interpretation of what might have happened in 1985 when a North American Black Bear stumbled upon 75 pounds of cocaine and decided to eat every…

Voters will head to the polls in less than four months to vote in the 2023 primary election for governor, secretary of state and other constitutional offices. As my team has prepared, we have looked to lessons learned from the November elections.

If there is one priority about which Frankfort’s Republicans have been clear and consistent, it’s lowering, and ultimately eliminating, the individual income tax. 

Every year in January we celebrate MLK Day, except in Alabama and Mississippi where they celebrate Robert E. Lee Day and take MLK Day off, celebrating the liberator and oppressor simultaneously, sort of having your cake and eating it too. On that day politicians quote the man using his words…

Plants and animals are hibernating; our town has already had its first snow. Most are thinking of staying in and staying warm. Not us “tree huggers,” we are thinking about trees! 

We like good news but typically the news is not good. Too often no news is good news. In reality, no news is bad news for us all.  

When is a tax cut NOT a tax cut? When a permanent reduction in state revenue is based on a temporary surplus in the state budget. The result is an unsustainable situation — a tax cut that ends up raising taxes elsewhere and harms our ability to fund the vital programs that keep Kentuckians h…

Imagine, if you will, that you are a busy woman, with more obligations than you can remember signing on for, and you are getting dressed for yet another event. In your haste, you put your fingernail through your last pair of pantyhose. Not a big deal, though it’s 30 degrees outside and the t…

I read with great interest about Tesla cutting the prices on their new vehicles up to 19% so buyers could take advantage of a federal tax credit that will soon be expiring. I still don’t see myself shelling out $56,000 for a Model Y, their small SUV, but there are people reading this right n…

Frankfort, let’s welcome James Comer to our town. You haven’t heard of him? He’s our new Congressman, just reelected. You don’t recall his campaigning here? You don’t know what he stands for? You know he’s from Western Kentucky. What’s he doing being our Congressman here in Central Kentucky?…

The Beshear-Coleman administration is, and always will be, education first. Education is the key to unlocking transformational change for all Kentuckians. Education breaks cycles of poverty and creates new cycles of success. Education is how we prepare our workforce for the jobs of the futur…

The effort to reduce Kentucky’s income tax — the source of 41% of state revenue — gives a big tax break to the wealthy and will harm funding for public education and other essentials over time. But proponents tell a fabricated tale about tax cuts growing the economy, and often point to incom…

Per the Bluegrass Institute Center for Open Government, Gov. Andy Beshear wants to reopen the state’s budget to spend more than $112 million on 39 “community development” projects. Reelection campaign, anyone?  

Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.

Kentucky legislators and voters have an opportunity to renew our commitment to democracy, second chances, and restorative justice.

It’s been slightly over a year now since the Kentucky Chamber Foundation established the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and this new year is another opportunity to honor the legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Last year was another productive year for the City of Frankfort and our citizens, as we continue to make progress on several long-term projects and made strides toward several of our strategic goals. 

Working Kentuckians will notice a slight bump in their first paychecks of 2023, thanks to House Bill 8 from the 2022 legislative session, which puts Kentucky on a path to gradually reduce its personal income tax. This change took effect Jan. 1 and lawmakers are expected to consider a similar…

Addressing the long list of pressing modern challenges facing Kentucky requires a unified effort from all of us. How will we create good jobs in a globalized economy, stem climate change and deal with its effects, protect public health against the threat of future pandemics, and more?

Team sports can bring local communities and countries together and give opportunity to put aside our differences as we root for our favored teams. For those of us who are parents of an athlete, we take pride when our child’s team scores the winning touchdown or when they display acts of spor…

With the coronavirus claiming the lives of nearly 18,000 Kentuckians, Gov. Andy Beshear announced during his weekly press conference that construction for the Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial on the Capitol grounds is currently underway.

The contrast was stark in the U.S. Capitol.

As a small business owner, I battle against rising costs, hiring shortages, and supply chain issues to keep my establishment going. I never thought I would also have to defend my business against the big-time gaming giant, Churchill Downs. 

In the classic movie, “Casablanca,” there is a famous scene where the Nazi Major orders the Prefect of Police to close down Humphrey Bogart’s nightclub. 

On Jan. 6 I became re-acquainted with my 15-year-old self while I stood at the foot of a stage in north Lexington and took around 100 decibels of live rock and roll to my face over the course of four hours.

It’s never a good feeling to walk into a place where you recognize your ignorance abounds. It’s something I’ve experienced plenty though. I’ve been on the campuses of some of the greatest universities in our nation. I’ve gone to some of the biggest and most historical libraries. And ... I oc…

Frankfort’s George Russell, who died recently, was a champion of free and fair elections in Kentucky and around the world.