♪ >> Well, this is going well.

>> We're the governor's take on the special session so far.

So to 5 million dollars.

Was politics without 4.

♪ Hear from protesters who want a seat at the table.

>> Spoon bread.

It is not corn pudding.

bridge could.

So exactly what is it?

How can make it spoon bread?

That is.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Preston Down for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Thursday.

August, the TWENTY-FIFTH, I'm Renee Shaw.

>> Thank you for spending some of your Thursday night with us.

>> Tomorrow marks one month since the beginning of the eastern Kentucky floods as Kentucky lawmakers meet in special session to pay for the repairs needed to help rebuild people's lives.

The plan now on the table would spend 212 million dollars.

200 million is from the state's rainy day fund.

The rest from the American rescue plan funds sent to Kentucky Day 2 of the session has ended.

And Governor Andy Beshear says so far, so good.

>> This is going well thus far.

It has been entirely non-partisan.

The conversations have been productive.

It is significantly on the fun we put together for Western Kentucky where we were able to deploy dollars very quickly.

It's aimed at helping cities and counties with the expenditures, school districts that they have right now knowing be maintained months, 2 years to reimburse.

It's about helping them in areas where FEMA doesn't reimburse.

It's we painting and repairing our roads, providing additional help to students that are displaced, repairing and rebuilding schools.

Some of which are going have to be rebuilt in different places.

I think there's been great reporting on the different of money and where they go.

Obviously, that can continue to be until it is fully passed.

We expected to be a three-day special session.

Also provides extra assistance and western Kentucky by extending the deadline by which we have an obligation, the funds.

>> The governor says the death toll in eastern Kentucky remains at 39 to women in Breathitt County are still missing.

He says more than 12,000 Kentuckians have applied for FEMA help and it's been granted to more than 6,000 household.

The governor has been critical of FEMA and the past but says the agency is doing better.

He still are just people who has been turned down for help to talk to FEMA representatives in person.

Lawmakers agree that more aid is likely needed for eastern Kentucky next year.

Given the widespread flood damage in the region.

As we mentioned, more than 200 million from the state is being proposed to help with infrastructure schools, local governments, but not housing.

Jason Bailey, executive director of the progressive leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy says given the tremendous housing issues residents face there, the state should step in because homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood related losses and FEMA assistance falls way short.

>> The biggest missing piece is housing.

There's no money in the bill for housing.

We know that thousands of Kentuckians have I had their housing destroyer or severely damaged and folks don't have insurance that ought to be able to cover that.

But insurance is is very rare in Kentucky.

This was a fund that no one had anticipated before.

Homeowners insurance does not cover of flood damage.

It does cover trying to manage like we saw Western Kentucky but not.

>> What damage and the amounts of money that he was providing the people who don't have insurance.

Just a few $1000.

>> You can't get a hole in a in in particular, in eastern Kentucky, folks are going to have to identify sites.

They're safe.

Future housing right?

So it's a complex and expensive challenge, you know, with a population that you know where the Cubs are very low, there's a lot of money that's needed and needs to start now.

And fortunately, the package ended up in the current version, not including any money for House.

>> Governor Andy Beshear did say during a press conference on Wednesday with the opening day of the special session that he said there was an agreement to consider funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund later in the regular session that what is 2023.

So we saying that assistance could come, but it could be January.

>> And I think there are concerns about that for people in eastern Kentucky.

You know, headline Spade.

It's such a good change and there are a lot of complex issues you know, compete for attention during the General Assembly and will that will be there a few months to help Eastern Kentucky like there is now.

There's also just need to get work started immediately.

Sites need to be identified.

Laney's.

It to put housing.

And so folks want to start on that.

Now.

So I think there's a lot of urgency behind trying to get it done and possible in the next couple days.

>> And their report that she put out today, you say that so far, 5700 individuals or households have been certified by FEMA for damage or destruction from the flight.

And you also point out that in the Western Kentucky tornado relief package that was approved earlier this year during the 2022 regular session that included 15 million for temporary FEMA eligible housing units.

So why not this time, I guess, is what you're asking in this situation for eastern Kentucky or is it apples and oranges here?

>> Anyone would say that the problem is much worse, actually newsroom talking because in homeowners insurance does of or tornado that does not cover flooding in so >> you know that there's even more need for in eastern Kentucky.

And again, that a lot of folks are not going to be able to remain on the property that they had or, you know, the the risk is too high flooding.

There are these private bridges all over Eastern Kentucky that are heard some cases more expensive to rebuild it.

you know, the house is worth.

So there's a lot of costs associated with getting these really house.

We're talking about thousands and thousands of people.

We can't have a living in these trailers forever.

We we need to start helping them get permanent housing.

>> Jason Bailey, executive director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.

Thank you for your perspective and sharing it with us today.

>> Yeah, thank you for that.

>> On the Senate floor late this afternoon, Hazzard County Republican Brandon Smith choked back tears and recalling his experience meeting with flood and grief stricken residents throughout the affected counties.

Smith is following an amendment that addresses housing concerns omitted from the original legislation and says it could help families in Western Kentucky as well.

>> But one of the things that I felt the Western Kentucky should have asked for needed was funding for housing.

And so my bill does something simple.

It just simply puts money.

And for us to address the housing needs of these families and these tents.

And it also will go back.

And pick up any of those families and Western Kentucky that are still struggling.

That did not ask for housing assistance.

This funding will be made available to them as well.

So we can right or wrong.

>> Educators in eastern Kentucky are reacting to the bill being considered in the special session.

The bill calls for waving up to 15 instructional days for students impacted by the floods.

Denise Leon says the Letcher County superintendent during a call with the Kentucky Department of Education today on says she's concerned 15 days just won't be enough.

>> Robin, I just have one other comment.

I think the service when he was 4 than the number of dyes, they're white thing for student attendance.

My concern is about the winner.

You know, we're getting online start time.

I don't know when we can start to get them out of Miami Snow days.

We're going to have and are really concerned about K 2, the number of hours or how many hours I can't get in and the time frame for the spring.

So is when you think that will they will address that in the Spring River.

And then January session.

>> I think you know, the provision of this bill, a lot of the things in our tied to a date of January.

I think it's said.

So I do see that as an indication of they want to see how many days you need of until that point.

And then that will allow them to come back in a says where districts are at that point in your school year about what other relief they need to do when they reconvene in January.

>> During that same call, the superintendent from Dawson Springs and western Kentucky says he's pleased with the bill.

His district was heavily damaged by tornadoes back in December.

KET has gavel to gavel coverage of the General Assembly in special session on flood relief.

Lawmakers start their work again tomorrow morning.

You can watch any time.

Okay.

You T dot org and also on our KET talky channel on air.

Organizers of the Kentucky Country Ham breakfast have been selling hams for charity since the 1960's.

>> The Hamza brought in more than 19 million dollars for charities this year.

The prize winningham sold for a record price.

Our Casey Parker Bell reports on the ham and some of the politics.

>> So to 5 million dollars.

It would be odd anywhere else.

But at the Kentucky State Fair auctioning a him for millions of dollars is becoming common practice to me in 3 found 42 million poor prize winning piece sold at the Kentucky Farm.

Bureau's him breakfast for record 5 million dollars.

That's after selling for a then record.

4.8 million last year.

>> Central Bank President Lou, and Joanne Kelly, Kraft who is rumored to be interested in the governor's race, split the cost of the ham.

>> There's a gap between when the federal government and the state government, the Calvary comes in and it is amazing in we have done so.

>> Kraft says the money will go to help the victims from the tornadoes in western Kentuckyian flooding in the east.

And Governor Andy Beshear touched on the state's resilience after the recent natural disasters.

>> We have seen heroism from neighbors helping neighbors at a level that we have never seen before.

And look at what the world has seen when they turned their eyes towards us.

Yes, they probably turn it on to see the devastation and whether it's the West or the east.

There's no lands.

Big enough for what we've gone through.

But every person I run into outside of the state, what they're left with us, who we are.

And how we come together for each other.

>> Many candidates in the 2023 governor's race and those rumored to be interested, Brenna tenants at the Ham breakfast.

But at the podium, Kentucky's 2 U.S. senators in a different picture.

>> Now, the condition of the country overall, in my view, is not good.

And the single biggest problem we're all facing.

And it's a real culture really hard.

Is this rampant inflation?

>> Masks virus can go around the mask actually, too.

In Jefferson County, they're putting our kids back in mass again.

>> Who are these imbeciles?

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Casey Parker Bell meal.

>> Thanks, Casey.

This year's prize winning Hamm was produced by Bass and Ronnie Drennan Kelly Knight Craft the former United States United Nations ambassador, rather, when asked about her plans for the 2023 governor's race said she quote, wouldn't share her game plan.

Those attending Kentucky Farm Bureau's country Ham breakfast likely saw this billboard on their way to the vet this morning.

The fairness campaign paid for the billboard along I-65 north.

Just past the Kentucky Expo Center.

The billboard states, Kentucky Farm Bureau big on discrimination, which is apply on the organization's big on commitments.

Logan.

The Fairness campaign says it's protesting what it calls the Kentucky Farm Bureau's discriminatory practices for the past 12 years.

The organization has led a protest outside the annual breakfast.

>> Why does an insurance company that ensures farmers and other folks have these sorts of discriminatory policies.

The fairness campaign and its allies have been protesting the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation for 12 years.

Now to make their customers and everyone aware of the discriminatory policies that the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation for that.

And that means that every Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance customer is paying into discriminatory policies without realizing it.

They have policies that are explicitly anti LGBTQ anti Union, anti-choice, anti teacher, anti people of color, explicit policies that are pro death penalty.

They print them in black and white and 100 page policy booklet that they have never sent to their paying customers.

But they have always sent to state legislators when we're facing a state legislature that is actively attacking some of our most marginalized people like transgender kids like LGBTQ Kentucky, INS like people's right to an abortion.

These are policies that undeniably are harming Kentuckians in very real ways and they're becoming laws having the Kentucky Farm Bureau spend 10's if not hundreds of thousands of dollars a year lobbying conservative policies in Frankfort is not helping anybody.

It's not helping Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance customers and it sure is not helping Kentuckians.

>> We are unified fighting against the inequalities that we see happening and trying to have open and honest conversations with people here this morning and holding them accountable, also to the votes and the legislators who are here today are taking in Frankfort.

So this is a way for us to bring awareness to the problem that policies that the Kentucky Farm Bureau is on implementing across the state.

>> The solution is simple and it would take no time at all.

All the Kentucky Farm Bureau has to do is drop these discriminatory policies that have nothing to do with farming and insurance and are targeting our most marginalized communities.

There's no reason to have them.

Kentucky from there just needs to drop them and will never show up again.

>> Kentuckians do not support hate and discrimination love, equality and support as we are as Kentuckians.

>> Know that if you buy a Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance policy, you're buying into discrimination, you just need to know that.

And if you're okay with that, go ahead and buy a Kentucky Farm, your insurance policy.

But you need to be aware that this is the largest insurance provider in our commonwealth and they are promoting outright discrimination against Kentucky INS all across the board.

2019 Hartman into other protesters were arrested at the breakfast.

The charges against them were eventually dropped.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer who was once endorsed by the Fairness campaign address the controversy during his speech at the event today.

>> Since becoming mayor.

I've been strongly encourage by some to not attend this breakfasts because of the belief that G B T Q community is not welcome.

The Farm Bureau table.

I continue to attend because I believe it is better to engage and to share that LGBTQ Kentucky INS our brothers, our sisters, children, grandchildren, neighbors, nieces and nephews, our friends.

They are part.

Of the common table.

Out of many.

My hope is that all gathered here.

We'll use your immense power.

And your influence to ensure that everyone feels valued and welcome.

It will help us all.

It will KET us truly indivisible.

>> The fairness campaign cut ties with Mayor Fischer in Twenty-twenty over his response to Breonna Taylor's death and the protests that followed >> in other news.

♪ >> In other news today, Kentucky's unemployment picture continues to improve.

The state says the jobless rate fell from July of last year to this year and 117 of Kentucky's 120 counties.

It went up and Carter Elliott and Robertson counties and down everywhere else, the lowest unemployment rates were in Cumberland and Woodford counties at 3%.

Each the highest unemployment rate is and mud.

Often county at 11.2%.

Hardin County's July unemployment rate was 4.3%.

And good news.

93 more jobs are on the way advance Nano products is headed to Elizabeth Town.

The company will invest 49 million dollars to build it 50,000 Square foot facility to make materials used in electric vehicle, battery production work will start next February and wrap up later in the year.

And jobs are headed to Boone County in northern Kentucky.

McKenzie and Page Logistics won best nearly 4 million dollars and create 210 jobs.

120 of those will be for Kentuckians.

Also in northern Kentucky, Covington says property taxes there are now at their lowest point in modern times Tuesday night commissioners voted to cut the tax by 17%.

That means the new rate is $2 and $0.71 for every $1000 in property value.

That's down from the rate of $3.27 that's been in place since 2017.

The city says the property taxes about one-third of what it was in the mid 1970's.

A Kentucky woman faces prison time after pleading guilty to using pepper spray on police during the January 6 riot.

If the U.S. Capitol Shelly Stallings of Morganfield pleaded guilty to various charges.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

Prosecutors say Stallings used pepper spray on a line of police officers as the officers tried to secure a terrace at the Capitol, a judge will sentence Stallings in January.

She faces 20 years in prison for charges of assault and another 36 years for other charges.

Her husband Peter Schwartz, has pleaded not guilty to similar charges.

Former President Donald Trump continues his blistering criticism of U.S..

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky even saying he should be replaced as Senate minority leader last week, Senator McConnell was critical of some Trump backed U.S. Senate candidates.

McConnell said candidate quality was a factor that might hurt Republican chances of retaking the U.S. Senate.

Trump then called McConnell a hack.

Instead, his wife Elaine Chao was, quote, crazy.

Now in a new statement, Trump says, quote, The Democrats have Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao over a barrel.

He and she will never be prosecuted in, quote, he then says McConnell allow trains to be spent on the Green New Deal and that McConnell should be replaced as Republican leader of the U.S. Senate.

♪ ♪ An area of Morehead has become the latest addition to the National Register of Historic places.

The Downtown Morehead Historic District has 53 commercial government and residential structures among them, the more notable structures are 3 that are more than 100 years old around county courthouse.

The cno passenger Depot and the Lexington in Big Sandy Railroad freight station, the director of downtown Morehead Inc, says getting on the register will main the preservation of several notable buildings.

>> Kentucky is 5th in the nation and the number of historic sites there on the National registry.

looking at building a hotel here downtown and the people that are new construction, folks that are of the developers for the hotel.

We're looking at purchasing a block of the older properties here on West Main Street.

So was a started looking at getting those properties on the National Register in order to get historic tax credits.

In Frankfort.

The advise me to be per that those buildings really just being told the qualify.

You have to think she had to evaluate whether the building was investment units want to be feasible.

And once you determine that there's, you know, the architectural side of that, too looking, though, because all these k*** and tube wiring, all that stuff still in the basement.

You can still see the little blast knobs.

So we go from that to modern day HVAC, electricity and plumbing.

And so you have to look and see if the building can stand on what you know.

Well, the criteria that Moore had had makers, we as a community development, of course, you know how the community evolve.

And we tell that story.

We form at a district that became that was the original lie out in the real world.

Pay me and the traditional downtown commercial district was a pretty small area.

And today it's 53 contributing properties.

Well, you know, having the National Register, some private ownership of him, historic district, you know, use your tourism people, something to tour.

It becomes a viable historical problem.

With that point time, that's a big benefit.

>> Alas story tonight.

You probably know about cornbread corn pudding and bread.

Pudding.

But do you know about spoon bread?

We head to the kitchen and this look at Kentucky wife.

>> The Spirit Festival is a three-day event that happens here in Berea Every September, the 3rd sold weekend in September.

Spoon Bread.

It is not corn pudding.

It's not bread.

Pudding.

It's definitely not a main dish.

It's not a desert and it is not really a bridge.

Tremendous, basically kind of a cross between harm bread and a custard.

And there's a wide range of what I consider to be stronger because they're different techniques.

>> Most of the recipes have similar ingredients.

There's better.

There's a there's white cornmeal.

Typically us what the core values as opposed to yellow milk or buttermilk some kind of leavening agent baking powder and baking soda or sometimes just baking powder.

Because of the eggs because of the milk it It's lighter like a souffle.

It's lighter like a custard.

Supposedly.

It comes from a Native American dish that was come 6 opponent.

I think it's how they pronounce it.

But it was basically just a mush with boiling water.

And in then >> the real the real beginning of some read as we know it, especially in Kentucky is nice.

You know, for many FOX.

>> From a wealthy socialite from Paris, Kentucky.

>> Wrote a book called The Blue Grass Cut.

>> But the idea of calling his film read really comes from the fact that it's not quite read that you're putting with a nice.

>> But it's something softer that can be cut with the stunt.

>> Most people will eat it with Kanye or butter.

And that's how the debate on which one is the best.

Some old-timers, even use molasses.

But here at the festival, we serve it with butter or honey or we have to come taste yourself decide which one he likes them.

Brady is the traditional dish served at the tavern here in town.

>> Members of the traditional items with her and her 70 It 365 days.

A year for lunch and dinner to every guess he to the restaurant.

>> The recipe that we're going to do from the Bin Tavern, a cookbook is you boil them elk any whisk in the Cornell to that.

And that is very much like if you've made Italian polenta.

And they call for cooling it a lot of times.

I will actually cool it in the mixer, sort of along the lines of the same way you would make like a Swiss butter cream and that by putting it in the mixer, warm and turning on the mixer and leaving it there for like 10 minutes.

>> The air is actually land by air rating at your cooling it down because you don't want to put the eggs into anything caught just scramble and it will separate.

And so once it reaches kind of room temperature, then adding in the eggs, adding in the adding in the leavening agent and also some salt and then putting that into a greased pie dish or a souffle dish in the oven?

About 30 minutes and it comes out and it's ready to go.

I think it's definitely something you want to eat hot right away too much like a Dutch baby or a souffle.

>> It's leftover cold.

It's not as good as it is right at the oven.

♪ >> So spoon bread, it's what's for dinner.

Maybe want to with that up in the kitchen tonight.

>> Tomorrow night, could you be getting relief from student loans?

>> Don't want people to assume that they're going to get loan forgiveness.

So for some of those older loans, the older I would, you know, absolutely advise to continue the course and continue to make payments.

Don't, you know, skip payments.

>> So the advice there tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition, an expert explains how President Biden's loan forgiveness program could affect her.

And you.

We do hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition where we inform connect and inspire.

We hope you'll subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes akt Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky edition of the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

>> And you're always welcome to follow KET on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop in.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter as well at Renee K E T. Thanks very much for watching.

Take really good care.

And I will see you right back here tomorrow night.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪