♪ You're not a criminal.

>> Because of your living situation.

What a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court could mean for Kentucky.

♪ The protester interrupts a Kentucky congressman hear his response.

>> I didn't want him to be one of those statistics that wind up sitting at home.

>> And the pieces are falling into place to help families in Western Kentucky overcome challenges.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday.

April, the TWENTY-THIRD, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for one down your Tuesday with us during the recent session, the Kentucky General Assembly passed an anti-crime bill that bans the homeless from camping in public places yesterday as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about a similar Oregon law, housing advocates and for Kentucky cities held rallies to say homelessness should not be considered a crime.

Kentucky additions June Leffler has more from the rally in Louisville.

>> The coalition for the homeless estimates on any given night in Louisville about 600 people sleep on the streets.

Andrew Johnson has been there.

>> I read with that and we're back on the streets.

Because I know have people disrespecting on the streets.

They spanned all you.

They won't go up.

Just reaching like no peace and dirt.

>> Kentucky elected officials said at a rally Monday, the only solution to homelessness is affordable.

Housing.

>> It's not a difficult solution and it's not new.

But what it needs to be successful is funding.

And what we do not have right now is the political well.

To invest in our communities and in our people.

>> Hasn't advocates gathered in response to a case before the U.S. Supreme Court Johnson be grants?

Pass the town of Grants.

Pass Oregon is defending its local street camping ban, which lower courts have ruled is cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution.

How the court decides will likely impact laws in Kentucky like House Bill 5, the Kentucky General Assembly set statewide penalties for people setting up tents or sleeping in public spaces, including fines and eventually a Class B misdemeanor.

>> One of the main reasons why.

Our governor vetoed House Bill 5 was because there is a principle that he and I believe in.

You're not a criminal.

Because of your living situation.

Anything we have an obligation.

To extend our hands, invest resources to promote him, to pursue and realize healing not to discharging him.

Throw your way right?

>> According to a local ordinance and Louisville police officers can issued $200 fines to people sleeping in cars are camping in parks.

>> If you're out on the street, the likelihood of you being able to afford a fine or take it is less than likely.

But if you compound too many tickets, then that means you have no choice in the police are forced to take you to jail because you have a warrant for your unable to make your court date because you don't have a place to receive your court.

Reminder, messages.

>> Proponents of the street camping ban say homelessness is a blight that cities have to deal with and leaving people to live out doors isn't some humane solution during testimony for House Bill 5 Republican lawmakers said these laws could lead people to addiction treatment.

>> Formerly addicted homeless people I've talked to.

They said we need tough love.

We need somebody to force us into rehab because we're in the throes of addiction.

We don't want to go.

>> Opponents say some people might need treatment down the line.

But the first thing everyone needs is housing having to pay fines and going to jail doesn't help them when looking for a place to stay for Kentucky edition.

I'm John Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on that Oregon case.

Johnson versus grants pass sometime this summer.

We'll talk more about homelessness and the homeless provision and the new anti-crime bill next Monday night on Kentucky tonight and we'll talk about other housing issues, including the Kentucky General Assembly is move to protect landlords who don't want to accept federal housing vouchers.

That and more next Monday night at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET, Kentucky.

Tonight.

Homelessness also came up during last night's to Kentucky tonight.

As we recap the legislative session with a panel of Kentucky lawmakers.

I asked why an anti-crime bill, including a provision about the homeless.

>> Crime is a huge, huge topic.

We have to do something.

The figure out what we need to do to get control of crime.

>> And so there was data that show that the homeless are committing violent crime.

>> So the homelessness and that whole part of that is not necessarily attacking him for crown.

The home was part of that is looking to say how can we help you?

And that whether it's provided shelter, provide the sources that you need, whether it's addictions, whether it's food, whatever it is.

But the part of that part is that the homelessness was basically.

In front of stores in front of people's livelihood.

And so while we were trying to say is look, I know there's an issue.

We all know there's an issue.

Let's find a way to kind of KET them out of the streets in some other places of shelter, whatever that looks like.

And that's something that we've got to thank a hard look at.

But that was the intent of my opinion of White House.

Bill 5 was about.

>> Democrats have been critical of the homeless provision in the bill as well as the costs and the burden the new bill puts on police.

>> Lacking stakeholder, input and data driven sources.

It's really concerning for what the future of Kentucky looks like, especially when we now have limits on how much funding for things like our corrections unit that the governor's office come can expend when we're at a session.

And I'm really worried without them and updated corrections impact statement that we really don't know the level of burden and sticky situations that this is going to put our law enforcement officers into and in moreover burden corrections system than what we currently have today.

>> We also talked about the state budget and what lawmakers did and what they didn't do.

>> Before the session, our rainy day fund was at a historic high.

This budget document actually doesn't take a lot of that money out of that rainy day fund out of that budget surplus.

And so it concerns me is I think we can all agree that we have big problems in the commonwealth that families are facing.

Rising costs.

But health care is too expensive.

That childcare is hard to find.

And so we have real problems and we could put that money to work for Kentuckians.

I'm concerned that we didn't.

I'm concerned about the way we then have to pay for that decision down the road.

The fact that we didn't invest in some of those problems now, how much more expensive are they going to be when we try to solve the next budget cycle?

>> What we have to be careful of is we do need to create systemic problems in the budget, which is what would she do today?

We're still living with some of the problems created by past generations of legislative assemblies.

Most glaring example be the pension crisis.

I mean, we have a 60 million dollar monkey on our back that we've been slowly paying down over the years because of poor decisions that created systemic debits to the.

To the state budget that we that that that take up a huge amount of money or the lack of funding by the General Assembly.

2 of the dead in yesterday's exactly a year is, you know.

>> So, you know, we have to be careful.

I agree that we need to try to make sure that working families get all the support they been consistently in favor of that during my service in the General Assembly at the same time, we have to do it in such a way that is responsible.

It doesn't overburdened working.

Kentucky ends in Kentucky taxpayers with a systemic costs that continue to increase every year.

>> We covered other topics last night.

Medical marijuana, the momnibus mental much a maternal health bill and whether state government should be able to reverse local government decisions.

You can see it all online on demand at KET DOT org.

Slash K why tonight?

A pro Gaza.

A protester interrupted Congressman Morgan McGarvey during the housing not handcuffs event.

We showed you a little earlier.

Here's the protest and congressman mug RV's response.

>> I'm truly honored to be joining you all today to speak out against criminalization of homelessness.

>> I want ♪ ♪ >> Today we are going to talk about homelessness in our community, though.

And I'm happy to continue meeting with people about the need for a ceasefire.

The need to stop killing innocent people.

And how we make that happen.

I do want to talk about homelessness saying not detract from the good work that people here doing.

>> The protester reference the 95 billion dollar aid package for Israel and Ukraine.

The U.S. House passed over the weekend.

The U.S. Senate is now debating that foreign aid Bill, U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate minority leader talked about the stakes.

If the U.S. fails to help Ukraine and Israel.

>> They are to help Ukraine stand against Russian aggression.

Now.

Major dividing escalation against our closest radio and trading partners.

The major greater range that American forces.

The gunman involved in conflict.

That means more costly deployment of our military and stripper mileage or good inch aggression.

reestablish deterrence.

Then she ran means encouraging on track terrorist violence.

Against American personnel.

Israel.

The international commerce it on Derby downs.

Our place >> passage of the bill is expected today or tomorrow.

The Pentagon says it will rush a billion dollars worth of supplies to Ukraine as soon as the bill passes.

Our reporter who became one of America's longest held hostages has died.

Terry Anderson was working for the Associated Press when he was kidnapped off the street in war-torn Lebanon.

And 1985.

He was held for nearly 7 years during which he was tortured and chained to a wall after returning to the U.S. in 1991, Anderson gave public speeches and taught journalism at a number of schools, including the University of Kentucky.

Terry Anderson was 76 years old.

Several chemical plants in Kentucky will soon be required to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer.

The change follows the adoption of a new rule by the Environmental Protection Agency.

As it applies to more than 200 chemical plants nationwide, including 10 and these Kentucky cities for the plants are in Louisville and three-year and Calvert City and Marshall County.

That's in western Kentucky.

The new rule updates several regulations on chemical plant emissions that have not been tightened in nearly 2 decades.

Communities near the plants are often disproportionately block or low to no Latino and have elevated rates of cancer.

Respiratory problems and premature deaths.

The first few years of a child's development can be critical to setting them up for success.

Doctor Donna Grigsby is the chief of general academic pediatrics at Kentucky Children's Hospital.

She says there are things we can do both as parents and as a community to help children have a strong start in life.

>> Giving parents the 2 parents in many cases, our child's first and getting those parents, the tools that they need either fruit counts unit through and fights or let's make sure you've got the resources you made to be successful and to give your child the best opportunity and then starting early so that when it in in is you see children who live in poverty that don't get that stimulation they're already gaps by the time they are 3 years old and sometimes as early as 9 months old, you can see the differences in their vocabulary in their developmental milestones.

So my argument would be let's start from the very end and from the very early as childhood, give those parents or those child care providers are those caregivers, the tools they need to help that child be successful so that when they get to preschool, we don't see that gap because it's hard for day for those children to overcome that gap because even though they'll make strides, you know, that's why head start such a the fabulous program because they, you know, work with as children.

They work very hard to get those children ready for school and to eliminate those gaps that we may see in some children.

And my argument would be let's back up and let's yes.

Head start's of is a wonderful resource for our families.

But let's happier help our families even sooner.

And as soon as that Baby's Warner soon as we know that mothers pregnant, let's start talking to them about all the things that can impact their child's health, which will ultimately impact their success.

>> You can see more of Doctor Grigsby is interview hosted by Doctor Wayne Tuckson by logging onto K E T Dot Org and clicking on Kentucky health.

And you can hear more from experts about ways to establish a foundation for learning during a child's first years of life by watching Smartstart.

Okay.

E 2 special report which is also available online on demand at K E T Dot Org.

♪ ♪ Kentucky State University isn't happy with the KSU Foundation and check out a pink moon meteor shower in the next 2 weeks.

Our Toby Gibbs has more as we look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Kentucky State University is freezing its relationship with the KSU Foundation which oversees the school's donations.

The State Journal reports the letter from the university's Board of Regents detailing the move plus sent Sunday to alumni and stakeholders.

The State Journal says in the letter board chair Tammy Duke says the foundation's recent actions have caused out about its management of the funds.

Duke says the board has been, quote, faced with challenges in obtaining confirmation of deposits made by agents of KSU and owners into the appropriate accounts since April 2022.

And quote, the letter states the foundation has instead pursued legal action to KET its records hidden from the public and is spending money to do so.

The State Journal reports because of this.

The foundation can spend money from the account.

No funds will be deposited to the foundation.

At know Dispersement will be authorized without approval from the president.

In a unanimous opinion released March First Court of Appeals Deputy Chief Judge Pamela Goodwine, Judge Glenn, a Curry and Judge Allison Jones said the KSU Foundation is a public agency and must comply with open records requests.

The State Journal's original Open records request to the foundation and 2021 plus for documentation regarding former K state president and Christopher Brown.

The seconds travel and birthday party expenses and any payment over $1500.

The State Journal quotes Chair Tammy Duke's as saying if the issue continues, the university will end its relationship with the foundation and request all funds be transferred to KSU.

Governor Andy Beshear announced a new website to connect those who are formerly incarcerated and those overcoming addiction to job and education resources.

Kentucky Standard reports second chance DOT K Y DOT Gov was launched with nationally recognized second chance Month which supports formerly incarcerated individuals.

The site focuses on 4 areas, finding a job getting an education benefits for businesses and recovery resources.

The site features resume help job searches, GED class information and links to job training opportunities.

A pink mon will rise Tuesday night, but it's not actually pink Eastern Kentucky University professor Mark Pitts tells W the KU the motives were catching.

If you can next week on May 4th a day to acquire its meteor shower will peak and produce a meteor nearly every second.

It says the shower, which appears to come from the constellation Aquarius consists of tiny bits of rock and ice from Haley's comet.

Yes, its best scene in the hours just before dawn.

With headlines around Kentucky, I'm told begins.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> April is Autism Acceptance Month, a nonprofit in Owensboro provides services and support for those with intellectual disabilities, including clients on the autism spectrum.

They've recently expanded opening a new satellite location, focused on early childhood education.

Our Laura Rogers shows us how they strive to be just one piece of the puzzle to create a healthy, happy, independent life.

>> 11 year-old Skyler comes here every day after school.

This is our home away from home with his mother says he was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 and a half years old.

He could understand what you're saying.

But he couldn't tell you what he needed.

What do you drive?

Close?

Skyler received early intervention at school, but his mother would know to some regression after summer break.

I changed after enrolling in the summer session.

That puzzle pieces when we transition back to school after that summer, it was almost like seamless.

He almost went back ahead of.

>> Other Pearson, brother does have 4 x lack from his own disability.

He was the 11 person I states every born with his type of disability inspired by her and spent 6 years as a special education teacher.

>> Before receiving a grant to realize her other dream of opening the doors here at puzzle pieces.

And I was the janitor out, has the bill or as executive director, I was the direct support professional.

I was all of the things.

HR, everything.

I'm just trying to live out a dream for the purposes of those individuals with disabilities of creating and a door that can be open for them and creating opportunities like I wanted for my brother puzzle.

Pieces began with 32 clients and 7 staff members and over a decade later, they've grown to serve 400 people with more than 100 employees.

Yes, good job.

>> Nothing looks very cookie cutter.

We have a framework of what we want to target as far as life skills, social skills, executive functioning job skills.

It's a place for them.

>> To be comfortable and find other people that they have things in common with Blair neighbors is director of Autism Services.

Whole puzzle pieces serves people with a variety of intellectual disabilities.

It is estimated that 60% of them are on the autism spectrum.

We do things like >> executive functioning skills, life skills.

>> Social skills, money skills.

>> I try to pick things that are super important them that are actually going to help them function out society and in life with a 200 person waiting list puzzle pieces recently expanded to a new satellite location right across the street from the main campus focusing on early childhood education for those 18 and under with an autism diagnosis.

>> They go on outings where they practice their social skills and then their daily.

>> Life skills they do had Jean, he loves the Friends are a big part.

I want him to be able >> what people on being part of a community and building relationships.

Also important for young adults like Carter.

I cried.

>> After we got done the tour and I KET it was where we had to be Donna and her son Carter.

Now in his 20's relocated from Michigan to Owensboro after finding puzzle pieces.

>> I was looking all over the United States.

Donna has noticed improved communication skills and her son and a willingness to try new things.

It is families like hers that originally encouraged him and his vision.

And I realized.

>> Not everybody was like my brother.

The families were like my family and they were looking for what was life after high school.

And now that life isn't rich for the hundreds of people coming through their doors.

Once they graduate.

We have other programs here.

>> That they can filter into.

So we have a great supported employment program that helps our clients find careers.

They're also developing young adult programming for those with autism.

At the collegiate level, offering a future with opportunity and possibility for kids like Skyler has will be says will always be a part of our village.

>> That was Lower Rodgers reporting founder and executive and all one has also written a couple of children's books.

I will release a memoir this Summer.

♪ ♪ Back in January, we introduced you to Whitney Lewis, a Nelson County woman who was making the state cleaner one bag of trash at a time.

We caught up with Lewis on Earth Day and found not only is she still on her trash collected journey, but others are now on it with her.

>> I am the trash lady.

It's a title with the Lewis comes by it.

Honestly, I try to go every single day.

If I have in our free time.

I'm at a Laker waterways somewhere.

Picking up trash.

>> Last year in honor of Earth Day, which also happens to be your birthday.

Lewis set a goal clip.

500 bags of trash in a month.

I thought 500 was not going to be well, let's sick on our day.

I surpassed it is 750 bags and she kept going and setting more ambitious schools.

We met up with her in January more at 11,335 as of today, I want to hit 25,000.

So many people tell me I'm crazy and that it's not going to have.

And so where did she land on her skull this Earth Day?

What a blessing.

To share a birthday day that we get to celebrate our planet.

You know, and of course, what I want to do is go pick up trash as the state we have collected.

49,600 bags for a blow that 100,000 out of the water.

I'd love to see 150.

>> Her trash collecting journey has taken in more than half the counties in the state.

And it's also inspiring others to grab a bag and pick up around their neck of the woods.

People have just.

>> They've seen my posts and they've noticed say, look, I've got grocery bags at home.

I can do the same things she is, you know, and they just contributed on their own without any kind of incentive, which is amazing.

I have a journal.

I KET daily of the people that I me and the amount of bags that are submitted loose hopes other states will see their efforts and be inspired to do the same.

I think Kentucky is going to.

Be the cleanest state and country and I think we're going to lead the way for other Follow so so Art day is a celebration of that to me.

And she says making Kentucky cleaner is simple, bring some grocery bags with you.

I you're out on your walks in your hikes, in out in nature, but one or 2 in your in your pocket, every bag makes a difference.

>> And she certainly is making a difference.

If you want to get involved with helping Whitney Lewis on her journey and to clean up the state, you can go to her Facebook page at Sun Kissed K I cde sticks and stones tomorrow.

We'll catch up on the week in politics with NPR's Rylan Barton.

Plus, some Kentucky libraries are offering more than books.

And we're really intentional.

>> With developing the spaces, each case is unique.

Each space has different equipment and materials to offer to be able to be an asset to Lexington as a whole.

>> These Lexington library marker or makerspace is help you create anything from T-shirts to magnets to even podcast that story and much more tomorrow night on Kentucky EDITION, which we hope you'll join us again for its 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

>> We hope that you'll also connect with us all the ways you see on your screen there and sign up for email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips out our website at KET Dot Org can also find us on the PBS video app and the mobile device and smart TV.

And we always welcome you to send us a story idea that public affairs at KET DOT Org and follow KET on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

Thanks so much for watching this evening.

I hope you have a great one and we hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night.

Take the chair.

♪