Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series regarding defendants being ordered to go into the military or go to jail. The first part can be read at Guest columnist: Time to join military or go to jail is over. 

In a version of “go big or go home,” the West Virginia legislature last year withstood teachers’ protests and union-forced strikes to pass the nation’s most inclusive Education Savings Accounts (ESA) policy after not being able to get through a smaller ESA program just two years earlier. 

Our future is now. It is time to make bold investments so we can move our state forward — not right, not left, but forward. And we can move forward because Kentuckians are strong and resilient. No tornado, ice storm, flood or even a pandemic can break us.

Indications are the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly will consider major changes to the state's tax system. While big proposals are often labeled as "tax reform," change itself will not necessarily make things better — and can easily make them much worse.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series regarding a defendant being ordered to go into the military or go to jail.

In 1963, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. In it, he wrote: “We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through tireless efforts and persistent work ... and without this hard work time itse…

Citizens in Kentucky, the 15th state added to the United States of America, must take a stand against past, present or future censorship.  

Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series regarding questions that should be raised of the Kentucky State University administration.

The Democrats’ political agenda is on the rocks in Washington, so they’ve set their sights on a new prize: the complete, partisan takeover of all fifty states’ election laws. They are justifying this naked power grab by stoking fear and spreading falsehoods. Kentuckians should see through th…

The proposed expansion of Buffalo Trace can be a win-win situation. Bourbon has long been a part of Franklin County’s history and culture, and we want it to stay that way. We can easily achieve the best solution for our landscape and for the growth of Buffalo Trace.

Happy New Year, Frankfort!

When vaccines against COVID-19 were rolling out in December 2020, we thought we had seen the light at the end of a long dark tunnel.  

Inequality, indifference, inaction, immorality...it does not matter how we arrange these four words. If we do not change these four words, our values, our attitudes, our beliefs, our behavior, and actions, then nothing changes. The words remain the same; the conditions remain the same or wor…

As we move into another year, the discussion of New Year’s resolutions and the noble quest for doing some things differently and better comes to the forefront. More than half of all such resolutions are health-related — namely losing weight, better diet, and regular exercise.

Christmas came early for me this year. A couple of weeks before, my wife and I ventured to the small community of Cromwell, Kentucky and picked up an eight pound, bouncing baby boy ... with black and white fur and a wagging tail. Our lives, and our floors, have not been the same since.

The Kentucky Open Government Coalition has once again compiled its list of the Top 10 Open Government Stories of the year. In 2021, lawmakers, public officials, public agencies, and a few individuals planted hundreds of seeds, and shoveled on copious amounts of hollow “commitments” to transp…

I have lived/recreated around these parts for seven decades, including hiking, riding bicycles on the backroads, and kayaking in Elkhorn Creek. It truly is God's country! People from four states come to paddle Elkhorn Creek. It is that special!

Eight people died in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory when it was hit by a massive tornado in mid-December, and there were serious injuries among the 102 other workers there. The outpouring of generosity across Kentucky to those harmed is admirable, and to do right by the victim…

The State Journal’s Christmas edition brought welcome news that our town’s long-wasted old shoe factory building is to be refurbished and brought back into good use ("SteelBlue founder excited about future in Frankfort," Dec. 23). The new occupant is to be a manufacturing company that actual…

2022 will be over almost quicker than you can say Happy New Year! Just look how fast 2021 sped by us all. Time rarely feels as if it's standing still unless we are waiting on something to happen. Time only drags when we need something to happen like a cure for a disease, a job to open or a r…

In 2022, Kentucky should become the 27th state to allow citizen ballot initiatives, where passionate organizers fan out with clipboards, collecting signatures from a sizable portion of the population to see their proposed law appear on the next ballot for adoption or rejection by the elector…

Learning how to manage money is no small feat. Financial literacy is riddled with challenging concepts like budgets, interest rates, and compounding debt. Much of this is hard for anyone to grasp and is actually quite daunting. Along with the strain and uncertainty the pandemic has put on ou…

The City of Frankfort Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites strives to enrich and enhance the lives of citizens and guests in the City of Frankfort by providing comprehensive and diverse recreational opportunities for people of all ages, with the ultimate goal of positively affecting the over…

No one would deny that Buffalo Trace Distillery has been of enormous benefit to this community. It has revitalized the bourbon industry locally and internationally. It has provided jobs and donated to many good local causes.  It has offered an impressive display of lights for all of us each …

If you’ve wondered what the chance of success is in appealing the Legislative Research Commission’s denial of a records request to the Legislative Research Commission under a recently enacted law that removes the General Assembly and the Legislative Research Commission from the open records …

We had difficulties when we were growing up in Martin County, Kentucky, but overall, we thought we were doing OK.

Amid inflammatory — and frequently racist — news stories about violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentuckians may be wondering if more criminal punishment would make our communities safer. The answer is: We’re already doing that, and it’s not working. 

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce recently released its legislative priorities. Cash bail is something locally elected judges may use to keep someone in jail who they think is a risk to the community. It is also used to ensure court appearances. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is calling for…

It is long overdue that we address the critical nursing shortage in the commonwealth of Kentucky. In a largely rural state with only 16 accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, we must reevaluate student enrollment policies and standards, as well as the retention of currentl…

Do you feel less than joyful during the “most wonderful time of the year?”

Late last month, the Office of Head Start in Washington, D.C., issued new requirements to all Head Start programs across the country requiring mandatory masking for people 2 years of age or older, as well as requiring COVID-19 vaccines for all Head Start staff, partners, certain contractors …

Here we go again, another horrific school shooting. On Nov. 30, a 15-year-old male student opened fire at a high school in Michigan, killing four students and injuring seven. Four more beautiful, amazing young people’s lives were taken due to an unimaginable tragedy. Four more groups of fami…

As we prepare to convene for the 2022 legislative session, stabilizing the child welfare workforce must be a top priority if we are going to address the high rates of child abuse and neglect within our commonwealth. At a time when Kentucky has led the nation in child abuse and neglect for th…

An article (“Holmes Street corridor awarded $616K infrastructure grant,” Nov. 16), featured an announcement by Rep. Andy Barr, R-KY) about the revitalization efforts in Frankfort’s Holmes Street corridor. The article noted that Barr had “voted for the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act tha…

Economic development and growth take tremendous strategy and investment. However, Kentucky is blessed with a natural resource that our competitors cannot match or recreate—our central location. This competitive advantage puts Kentucky businesses within a two-day drive of the entire U.S., not…

In 1945 during World War II, my dad, who served in the Air Force, was flying in the air without knowing what happened in Bologna, Italy. Three decades later, I was mesmerized by the story of "Robert," an American soldier who lost the upper side of his body, including an arm and part of his s…

Knowledge is power. It’s a truth that philosophers, educators and politicians have acknowledged for hundreds of years, if not millennia, sometimes for the betterment of the few, sometimes to the detriment of the many.

In a move that is as regrettable as it is expected, the General Assembly seems poised to sneak through new redistricting maps without the public getting even the slightest peak before they begin their quick run through the House and Senate.

Home is where one is, wants to be, or only dreams and hopes of being for important occasions, holidays, holy days, and for one faith tradition, especially for Christmas.

When December hits, people tend to become reflective in nature. We look back at the past year and forward to the next one. Some measure their accomplishments, while others plan ahead. There is nostalgia, optimism and dread. Each and every person has a different inner response, but the truth …

Quality, innovative, individualized care is key to beating a cancer diagnosis. As an oncologist for almost 20 years, my goal has always been just that — to walk beside my patients through their entire cancer journey while offering a personalized treatment plan to give them the best chance at…

Kentucky is suffering a crisis of mass incarceration and family separation. We have the third-highest rate of children with an incarcerated parent, forcing many children to live with other caregivers. This is largely fueled by draconian sentencing from the failed war on drugs and the belief …

The Kentucky Open Government Coalition presents its first annual Giblet Awards to lawmakers who brought us 2021’s “offal” legislative package and side dishes of secrecy. 

The recent statewide elections in Virginia have brought K-12 education back to the front burner.

Today, the City of Frankfort has the unique opportunity to honor its rich historical legacy and simultaneously cast its vision for creating history, all in one single act.

As Kentuckians gather around their tables for the holiday season, many will share thanks and gratitude for the ability to come together after a trying two years. But as they sit at the table, odds are high that family discussions will be dominated by talk of historic inflation and the supply…

Kentucky and Washington, D.C. may only be separated by a few hundred miles, but the two places sometimes feel wildly out-of-step. Democrats are fully committed to reckless proposals aimed solely at appeasing their far-left base, ignoring Kentuckians’ needs. Amid these partisan fights, though…

Thanksgiving is here and it is a time of celebration for families across the commonwealth. With an increase in statewide vaccination rates, Kentuckians are safely gathering with friends and loved ones.

The “holiday eating season” has arrived — those days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day where food is a big focus. The average person consumes an extra 500-600 calories a day in this time frame.

I’m already dreaming about the bourbon-y, sweet potato and marshmallow encrusted casserole that will be dished onto my plate this week. The warm, buttery, and rich goodness reminds me of debating how much bourbon to add, laughing around the dining room table, games of charades, books by the …