Thank you, sir.

>> Kentucky's new top cat has been here before.

>> I believe this, in fact, is the most dangerous bill in which we are going to pass this session.

>> State lawmakers are back for the last 2 days of the 2024.

Kentucky General Assembly.

>> It's my first time ever viewing I've never been in the path of totality before.

>> And we'll look back at the day.

Things went dark.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KU Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Friday.

April, the 12th, I'm Renee Shaw at the KET to studios in the Capitol Annex in Frankfort.

Thank you so much for joining us and kicking off.

>> Nor are we all weekend with us.

Kentucky lawmakers are back at the state Capitol for the final 2 days of the legislative session as Kentucky additions.

June Leffler reports they conveyed to swiftly override many of the 27 vetoes by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and turns saving some of this session's most controversial legislation.

More in tonight's Legislative update.

>> This session, Governor Beshear vetoed 20 bills.

Lawmakers overrode his decisions to enact the legislation that includes Senate bill 2.99, which moves the Kentucky horse Racing Commission into a newly formed an independent corporation overhauling how the state regulates gambling.

>> It puts all 3 forms of legalized gaming under one independent agency.

I'm making it less subject to politics.

Those 3 forms of pari-mutuel wagering sports betting in charitable gaming.

>> This was not a strictly partisan issue.

The Senate saved Senate bill 2.99 in a 26 to 12 vote.

The House finalized passage in a 57 to 38 vote.

But most of their votes today fell along party lines.

The governor vetoed a tough on crime bill.

The Safer Kentucky Act.

Republican supermajorities handedly revived House Bill 5 in the 73 to 22 vote in the House.

Democrats question the social impacts in costs of the bill.

>> What I believe is that.

Out of all the bills that we have passed and we will continue to pass over the next 2 days.

I believe this, in fact, is the most dangerous bill in which we are going to pass this session.

House Republican lawmakers were happy to remove the governor's power to appoint U.S. senators when vacancies arise in an 81 to 17 vote.

>> Mister Speaker, the governor is the party boss of the Kentucky Democrat Party.

Plain and simple too much control the people should decide who a United States senator is by election.

Always.

Beshear also issued several line item vetoes to budget bills.

>> Bashir opposed limits per certain funding.

The Democrat from Lexington degrees.

Same Kentucky needs to be flexible when it comes to responding to natural disasters.

It's estimated that in Kentucky we've already experienced the amount of damage that we're willing to cover.

25 million dollars.

And to me thinking about our constituents, our neighbors in need.

It's not enough to say we'll come back and have a special session when people are in crisis they need and the crisis level response.

>> The Legislature upheld the formation of a new energy board.

The Democrats say prioritizes fossil fuels over clean energy.

Republicans say the board will help build the right energy plan for Kentucky.

>> If you or senator in here right now in your districts experiencing rolling brownouts, your industry is being told right now that they are going to have to be without power, but they're getting to choose when.

And it's not going to get any better unless we make a difference here.

>> The Senate voted 27 to 11 to override the governor's veto of that board for Kentucky edition of John Leffler.

>> A little over an hour ago.

The Senate also vetoed House Bill 6.22.

Dealing with U.S. Senate vacancies by a vote of 29 to 5.

Now that bill will become law at the time we prepared tonight's broadcast.

The Senate had not acted to override line item vetoes on the state budget bills nor the Safer Kentucky Act in the autonomous vehicle.

Zach, the Kentucky Senate is still in session.

Medical marijuana advocates have been a regular presence in Frankfort over the last few years and support for medical cannabis has gained traction among voters and legislators alike.

Governor Andy Beshear formed a task force to elevated and even passed an executive order to preemptively pardon medical marijuana users.

Today the Kentucky General Assembly took another step toward making this medicine available and the state.

Our Clayton Dalton has more.

>> Last year, legislators and the governor legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky starting January.

First 2025 Kentuckians with certain medical conditions will be able to use non-smoking forms of medical marijuana.

Now that the Legislature is working out, the details in this year's House Bill 8.29.

>> This is not a wink, wink, nod nod, moved that recreational.

This is the help people need to be helped.

The bill allows growers and dispensaries to get a license and to plan ahead before medical cannabis becomes legal next year, dispensaries can get a license to get up and run and get prepared.

They may not open at all.

And so obviously the program begins January 1st 2025.

So we think this is this is a way to administer the program that that was that the Senate the House passed last year to improve it in various ways.

Tighten it up, tied it up.

The bill aims to maintain local control.

It allows local governments to prohibit dispensaries from operating storefront in their town, similar to a wet The locals can decide whatever they want to do on this.

So either by ordinance.

4 election that they can call for an election in November.

And say as a community, we don't want this in our community and they have the right to do that.

The Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis will oversee the rollout of the program.

We'll have the control to investigate and regulate businesses that grow and sell marijuana.

If you get a license a liquor license.

You are saying to ABC, you can come in at any time.

You don't need a subpoena.

So the ABC can come in and make sure that all the rules are being followed.

Similarly here, if you get a license, what your grower dispenser, a dispensary.

The Office of Medical Cannabis can come in anytime announced and make sure that all the rules are being followed.

This was an awkward vote for some people, particularly outgoing Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, previously outspoken critic of medical marijuana turned reluctant supporter.

So here we are.

The last bill in the last committee meeting in my last session.

>> And it's a pot bill.

Medical colleges, adjective medical.

Whatever.

Haha they are and others are still reluctant to categorically support medical marijuana.

>> But they say if it's going to happen, it should be done.

Well.

>> I hope.

Future General Assembly's will resist the temptation to consider adding smoking on medical cannabis and especially hope that the temptation to pass recreational marijuana is is avoided here in Kentucky.

>> You know, I did not support the original bill.

But I think this is good government.

If we're going to have that, if the intent is there, the legislative intent intent, is there and we need to set up and have good government around it.

The bill passed with bipartisan support with only one Republican voting.

No, as the legislative session nears its end, the bill heads to the full Senate for discussion and a vote.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you, Clayton.

The biennial budget includes over 10 million dollars for the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis.

Well, last year the Kentucky General Assembly passed a law requiring education commissioner hires to be approved by the Kentucky State Senate.

Robbie Fletcher, the board's selection for the state's education chief sat before the Senate Education Committee.

Today.

He served as the superintendent of Lawrence County schools in eastern Kentucky.

He shared today his philosophy for education across the state.

>> First and foremost.

We need to make sure that each kid is safe.

Because that's what a parent wants more than anything else is for their child returned home safely.

They need to be loved.

I think throughout my I've done a a I really didn't but focused in on making sure that every child under my care feels loved.

And in the last is they need to be well educated.

We need to provide the actually best for every single child as they come through our doors as legislation.

>> It was passed about his views on school choice and charter schools.

An issue that will be posed to voters in November.

>> I'm in favor of school choice.

Now there are some operational definitions that we want to have.

It's going to be different if it passes.

Our role is to make sure that it impacts public education in a positive way and then be beneficial to all students.

>> Jason Glass, the previous education commissioner and of this year, ally had a fractured relationship with the Republican dominated Legislature.

Lawmakers reminded Fletcher his potential post doesn't answer to the governor.

>> You're not under the governor's authority.

You are created and we created KET apart from the governor, though he appoints the board.

He is not over the board.

And you are separate entity outside of that.

>> Yes, the governor has a lot of input.

Yes, the governor has some great ideas but just like even when talking with Senator West, there's not always going to be items that we agree on.

But you know what?

We can have good conversations and listen to people.

>> The Senate didn't vote to confirm Fletcher today, but they will have to act by midnight on Monday when the session ends.

The hearing in committee today was for informational purposes.

Only now moving on to sports news, Kentucky basketball fans are hoping a championship player will become a championship coach.

The University of Kentucky announced today its hiring Mark Pope to become the new men's basketball coach.

He'll replace John Calipari who just left for Arkansas after 15 years in Lexington, Pope is the current coach at Brigham Young University was a player for the Wildcats under Rick Pitino in the Mid 1990's.

He was on the 1996 team that won the national Championship.

UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart was a guest today on Kentucky sports radio.

>> He's a positive guy.

You're you can't be around work very long with you.

Don't hear the positivity is will we see the forest reasons words like will cushion that were crushed?

We're going to, you know, get to get have Tribune.

And it was, you know, it is positive energy for anybody comes into contact with is is contagious.

>> Barnhart said donors have already agreed to give 4 million dollars to UK's name image likeness fund to help recruit and retain athletes.

He also said Pope will be introduced to the big Blue Nation during an open news conference at Rupp Arena as early as Sunday.

Well, that's not the only news and basketball news.

Julie faults, the women's basketball coach at Transylvania University in Lexington says she will leave to become the women's coach at Marshall University in West Virginia.

>> For me, I had gotten to a point where >> was very predictable and what our daily schedule was and what we're doing in in a gotten comfortable, which was a really positive piece.

But it was also the impetus and knowing, hey, it's time to go try and do something.

Expand learned row and, you know, Marshall was the perfect opportunity.

>> Frans, a rocked up a long list of accomplishments with folks at the him.

The team won the national championship and had a 64 game winning streak.

At one point and FOX was named national coach of the year.

♪ >> Reforest the Bluegrass is celebrating.

25 years of planting trees.

We force the bluegrass is first event was a 1999 at Cold Spring Park.

The 25th anniversary celebration tomorrow is set for cold stream from 09:00AM to 01:00PM.

Families and friends can go plant trees and experience a wide variety of educational activities on water, quality and other environmental topics.

>> We will be planting anywhere between 5 to 10,000 tree seedlings.

That is all dependent upon the number of volunteers that come out because we do rely on our community to help us get the trees into the ground we will be here with all the equipment that's needed.

We have all the trees you really just need to show up.

I'm is accessible and encourage for all ages from babies and children to grandparents and everybody in between.

>> Another event Reforest home.

It's from 10:00AM to 01:00PM on April, the 20th Fayette County residents can go pick up a tree to plant in their own yards.

That will be free to pick up locations for this will be at the living Arts and Science Center, Park and Jacobson Park.

♪ This week in North America was witness to a rare event, a total solar eclipse Monday's eclipse mark the second time in 7 years, the city of Paducah landed in the path of totality.

It is also one of the few cities where the 2017 2024 pass of the totality crossed that distinction inspired the name of Paducah is Eclipse Festival.

X marks the spot.

Our Laura Rogers shows us how the city celebrated this historic event.

>> First time ever and conduct.

It's beautiful from tourist to I live about 5 minutes from here.

The rage Racquet Club.

They can pay a little rockets that would have a little rocket to take home to the McCracken County Library.

We're also doing make your own eclipse bookmarks.

They're all on the same mission.

We see the solar eclipse of my family 100% totality.

So to cook Kentucky, I do go hosting a two-day street festival with the clips themed jewelry, art buttons and headwear.

It's my first time ever viewing I've never been in the path of totality before.

And don't forget the most important accessory of all of them.

On first Mister Science himself.

Meteorologist Jason Lenzi teaching kids the proper way to wear those glasses to protect their eyes.

Do not take off your solar eclipse glasses while looking as a UNESCO, creative city, local artists say the eclipse is introducing their talents to a new audience.

The tourist when they think of Western Kentucky.

They only think of Kentucky Lake.

So getting everybody into Paducah and seeing our historic downtown and all the things that are going on is going to be a big push for the city.

We have a lot of things here in Paducah and that are created by artist and what's really fun about the eclipse?

>> Is that we haven't done anything to create this.

This is just a natural phenomenon.

I remember as a child going to see Haley's comment.

>> And it still resonates with me.

It will be 20 years before another solar eclipse can be seen from the U.S. was in a lifetime for Kentucky edition.

Next time this happens.

I'm Laura Rogers.

I know I won't be a 20 >> While millions watch the eclipse, NASA took advantage of the rare opportunity to study it.

>> Scientists even launched rockets into the path of the eclipse.

Our Chris T-dot and found out what they hope to learn from these eclipse experiments and how we might benefit down here on Earth.

>> While many of us will have our sights set on the sky.

Scientists across the U.S. will have their sights set on discovering something new from this eclipse.

Joining us now is doctor Lisa Winter from NASA set.

Doctor, would you thank you for being here.

Okay.

What is NASA hoping to find out from the celestial event?

>> So we had a number of science experiments going on during the eclipse to study the solar Corona.

One thing about the eclipse is we can study the very inner solar corona, which you can't see except during an eclipse.

And we're going to Eye on a spirit effects of that is an hour's layer of the atmosphere that conducts electricity is very important to space where they and we have a number of projects going to to study both of phenomena.

>> It will have a new study.

The I don't care.

How are you all going to conduct that experiment?

>> Yeah, we have a really that is going to send that 3 rockets from Wallops Island in Virginia.

The Rockets are going to go out before the eclipse slightly before the eclipse during the eclipse in that slightly after the eclipse, they're going to have a scientific payload that separates and measures the temperature and the density in the atmosphere in the atmosphere and they're coordinating it with balloons as well.

So they'll be and and bracket payments that they're going to temperatures and densities and look for ripples in the atmosphere during the eclipse.

>> But those scientific measurements tell us what will how will that help us?

Yeah, great question.

So.

>> The eye on a stage really important to space if there is a big solar storm, it basically our current through the atmosphere that can induce currents for their down.

So any kind of long conducting wired like our power grids oil pipelines, they're going to be affected by and solar storms and these currents that are in that I am scared.

They can kind of blackouts and there's been a really widespread blackout in 1989 in comeback.

That was caused by solution storm.

And so we want to understand this process Also, the INS fears important for high frequency communications.

So if the aircraft are flying, for instance, over the ocean, they need to use the eye on a sphere to communicate.

So and they can have blackouts a solar storm.

So so this kind of research will help us to understand all of those effects.

Better.

Thank you, Christy, gotten for that.

Science is also giving one community the opportunity they may not have otherwise to share in the excitement of the solar eclipse.

>> A device developed at Harvard University allows the blind and visually impaired to experience a solar eclipse by taking changes in light and turning it into sound.

And as you're about to learn, Kentucky played a key role in the project.

>> Inclusive 18 general means that everybody, it's part of something right.

I mean, science.

We want everybody to be able to do science, to learn science and to experience ions, to appreciate science.

In the case of an eclipse is something that happens visually they me feel feel excluded in the way.

And booked through this.

They can be part of the experience.

The great American solar eclipse happened in the U.S. >> around that I was thinking about lab accessibility, a collaborator at the center for astrophysics.

Her name is Ana Diaz said she's a blunder, stronger and we connected talking about lab accessibility, really, but it happened to be the summer when everybody is talking about solar eclipse is so of course, that came into our conversation.

And so we were thinking, is there a way that we could make this solar eclipse accessible to who are blind or low vision.

I'm using sound.

And so the kind of the rice concept came to be from that conversation and that summer, we built a 3 pro tech devices for the 2017 Eclipse.

One was that the Kentucky school put and another came with me to Wyoming in the 3rd devices at Morehead State University.

And I was a connection through the 30 or sad to bring some of these here.

And there were other scientists who have the devices.

>> In that path of the tally t hearing more heading west now about 97%, 7%.

And so they want to collect data from different points.

And see whether that device will actually will actually work.

♪ ♪ >> He >> buys has a lie detector and a little mini computer, the site and they're doing, you know.

>> it essentially converts the brightness of the light in to me is know.

We have more in letters.

♪ ♪ >> Here too.

>> Getting lower ♪ >> and that represent the darkest part.

>> When we think of eclipse is or for me in general, if you think a visual really striking images that that's not the only way to interpret those you in fact, a lot of the images we see on minor wavelengths that I can't even see.

So an X-ray or So so it's really just interpretation.

My purpose is the experience.

>> Of having people realize, you know, we can include people in that nice cool event.

If we think carefully and we plan ahead.

And we KET something not so the device itself has to kind of designs, but one that we called wired and one that we call the printed a PCB, the grand paid for the components for the programming for all of the information to be free.

You can download that how the wires go.

The list of components, the software so that if you have a group of people that can build them or you can send them already pretty built.

I'm pretty program to to all of these places.

These workshops give us an opportunity to to bring people in that are, you know, wanting to participate in this project in some way.

It gives us a chance to teach people a new skill like soldering.

It big.

They're able to give back to communities.

But they're hoping it's believed the Rices and then we're donating these devices back into the community.

So it's really >> a super warning project in a lot of And it's just been awesome to see how you know, people and communities are ready to jump in and help to help this project in this effort.

♪ >> If you'd like to see and hear more check out our half-hour special eclipse 2024.

Okay.

18 special report that is online on-demand at KET Dot Org.

♪ Ride the rails this weekend.

Our job to give says all aboard as he looks at what's happening around the Commonwealth.

♪ >> We're on track for some beautiful spring weather in the Bluegrass Railroad Museum is starting its spring time train rides tomorrow just in time for the Sunshine Embark on a 90 minute.

Scenic adventure through beautiful horse country featuring a special stop at Young's High Bridge for some amazing views.

Sure to check out this perfect springtime activity.

With April being volunteer month and Earth Day.

Coming up, Big Bone Lick State Historic site has the perfect event tomorrow.

Join park staff and cleaning up the big Bone creek.

The park's trails or D littering the campground make sure to wear the appropriate shoes and KET the park beautiful this weekend.

What better place to celebrate Arbor Day that in a city with Green and its name.

The Bowling Green Arbor Day celebration is tomorrow and trees are the guest of honor.

Stop by for activities, prizes and free trees.

Plus, don't miss the bicycle Rodeo Skills Course where kids can show off their head like prowess.

More heads.

Only metaphysical fair is happening this weekend.

Make it out to the Morehead, mystical market for all or a photographer, a psychic readings and lots of great vendors.

If you're looking for crystals, herbs are just fellowship with fellow mystic lovers.

This event is for you.

A beloved fairy tale is coming to life this weekend at the Lexington Opera House, the Lexington Ballet company present Cinderella, this magical performances for audiences of all ages.

Whether you're a regular ballet attendee or just a fan of the fairy tale.

The beautiful costumes.

Dazzling dancing in familiar story.

Make this a great first or 5 100th ballet.

>> Wednesday is Madisonville Community Colleges.

3rd annual international cultural celebration.

Immerse yourself in the cultures and traditions from around the world through food music, dance and more come celebrate the diversity of the Madisonville community next Wednesday.

>> Hillbilly Days is one of Kentucky's biggest and most unique festivals.

And it's coming up soon.

Starting next Thursday, check out the amazing live music.

Outstanding outfits.

The hillbilly parade and more while you're in town.

Check out some of the interesting historical sites like the Hatfields McCoys feud sites and breaks Interstate Park, which features the largest canyon east of the Mississippi.

And that's what's happening around the commonwealth.

>> I'm told he gives.

>> We thank you always to begins.

Lot of great things to do this weekend.

We thank you for joining us this week on Kentucky.

Addition Hope you have a great weekend and we'll see you right back here again Monday night.

Take it.

♪ ♪ ♪