>> 3 days ago I announced a special session of the General Assembly to address the dire needs of our eastern Kentucky family communities.

Today the General Assembly has delivered.

>> The Kentucky General Assembly passes and the governor signs an eastern Kentucky flooding release bill.

But not everyone is satisfied.

>> This rise cast a reluctant.

we we missed the mark.

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

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

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

August, the 26th, I'm Renee Shaw.

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

>> More than 200 million dollars is headed to Eastern Kentucky following a three-day special session in Frankfort today.

Lawmakers passed a recovery bill to help with efforts following historic catastrophic flooding in Appalachia.

Here's what the bill Dawes.

It establishes the eastern Kentucky State aid funding for emergencies fond or each case.

A fund.

It draws 200 million dollars from the state's budget Reserve Trust Fund.

115 million of that will be used to support cities, counties, school districts, state agencies and utility service providers.

Another 45 million will be used to replace and repair bridges and roads and 40 million will be used to repair schools and provide services for students and their families.

The bill does not include an amendment that would have set aside an additional 50 million dollars for housing out of the Budget Reserve Trust fund today in the House, Republican and Democratic representatives explained why.

>> There is moneys in this bill to buy more trailers to the roofs over people's head, to put them in a place where they've got heat.

They've got water.

They've got restroom facilities and they can live rather the man in a tent.

>> The truth is we do have money for housing in this bill.

We have temporary housing.

We have 94 FEMA trailers already on the ground.

Are these camper trailers?

We have at least 100 more on the way and we have access to more.

We're looking for sites to put them in.

I wish we could spend every dime.

We've housing, but we don't have a plan for how we could repair personal homes or if we can, if that's legal.

But as wonderful as this bill, you know, is this is only the foundation critical to rebuilding our community.

>> I beg you not to go home and feel like we have done our part for eastern Kentucky.

>> This is the media and necessary attention.

>> But we are in need in dire need of a long-term recovery plan.

>> The bill passed a 97 to 0 in the House.

A minute was sent on to the Senate.

So Senator Brandon Smith of Hazzard filed an amendment that would have taken 50 million from the Budget Reserve Trust fund.

That has 2.7 billion dollars and it to pay for housing needs.

But it was not considered.

He says the need for more immediate funding is clear.

>> Mister rise to cast a reluctant and it's not that I'm not thinking at truly, probably the most thankful person in this room.

But I have to say with with altar conference that we we missed the mark on this one.

You know, I know we have a long-term plan and I have had a chance to sit down.

I was in a president who is very passionate about this to show me the engagement to get there.

And I'm thankful, but I'm worried about them.

Now.

I'm worried about the families are not worried about their livelihood, their businesses that lost to worry about sleeping outside in a tent with a 2 year-old and a 4 year-old and a 6 year-old an 8 year-old all huddled together and it's been cold.

>> There's 15 million dollars that the governor has access to.

To temporary housing.

Cupp, temporary housing units.

The other huge component of the U.S. is we want to maximize the drawdown of federal dollars through FEMA.

Before we access our money.

We want to step up first.

To do the individual assistance and then we can follow because if we put our sales in the shoes of FEMA.

And become first priority.

We lose access to some of those dollars.

>> Governor Andy Beshear signed the flood relief bill just after one this afternoon.

He praised the nonpartisan work on everyone involved and said this is just the beginning of the state help that's headed to eastern Kentucky.

>> 3 days ago I announced a special session of the General Assembly to address the dire needs of our eastern Kentucky family communities.

And today the General Assembly has delivered.

We stand here together in your capital Rotunda and we stand United.

We stand united in our love and compassion.

For everyone who lost someone during these floods.

We stand united in our purpose to help the people of eastern Kentucky rebuild their lives and rebuild their communities with this special session only be in one piece and one step of what it's going to take to make that a reality.

>> For many eastern Kentucky has displaced by the floods.

They're worried about their immediate housing needs the foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Springs into action in these times of crises to be a channel for donations, giving money directly to people impacted by disaster.

Chief executive officer Jerry roles spoke with me earlier today about the thousands of residents.

Short-term needs.

And if the relief package will help.

>> We have collected 8,012 application before we close the ordeal at the end of last week.

And now we're still collecting name that has laid down a bit.

But in the 8,000 application, I think what really relevant is.

The home.

1722 of report.

A total home law.

3,980 day, almost 4,000 family report, a partial home law.

Across our region that in all of the disaster declared county and while I what Haitians are self-reported.

We are running very by the female Red Cross, all the other entities that are taking applications that we feel like their numbers of pretty right on target.

Well, right now, if they get the money into the hands of all of those 8,000 probable and we're doing that by sending a chat $250.

Plus $50 children in the household out to everybody that this bill that the application, it's not intended to fixed anything not intended to solve anybody having prize.

This is just intended this day.

We're here.

We are your neighbors.

Take the money to do what you need to do with it.

You can just feel human.

We call it, we believe in you money.

And that's what we're doing right now.

>> From what was passed in the bill as it relates to housing.

Do you believe it's adequate?

>> Know, personally, I do not.

I I don't, you know, having can't wait.

And what this bill does people in our region and our community is.

Just hold on 6 months and the legislature will know more about what we need 6 months from now.

And there will be a big housing bill.

I'm all about the long-term planning.

I think that we are prepared at the foundation to staff and but still it take a long term planning working great on housing, specifically.

But Renee, we were doing that work before this blood, you know, Eastern Kentucky within a housing prices before this blast happened.

We had lead.

In 2021 and b*****.

The county we're both too.

We're waiting for housing.

But a trailer right back where they where and now have been flooded again.

So what we're staying to vote by thing.

We didn't need to put housing in this bill.

And they'll be temporary housing.

I understand that we're going to have some FEMA trailers.

It's not real clear to spend in our communities where there's where those failings are going to go.

We have an infrastructure problem.

I'm really pleased that infrastructure is addressed here.

What we could do now and what we are doing now.

Is nothing and cleaning and testing.

Who can day where they are and who needs a better option.

>> Monday night on Kentucky tonight will have key state lawmakers and a top governor's aide to talk about the relief package passed by the Kentucky General Assembly.

And what could come in the next year's regular legislative session.

That's Monday night at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

In other news today, 2 are dead and 4 more hurt after a man started shooting at a Henderson, homeless shelter for men.

Police say there were 15 people inside the Harbor House shelter at the time around 7.40, last night.

Police arrested Kenneth B Gibbs of Henderson.

Governor Beshear tweeted, Brittany and I pray those injured recover quickly and we give thanks to our brave first responders.

Henderson, he says we stand with you.

This week's COVID map looks similar to last week's 74 counties are in red for high COVID activity.

36 counties are yellow, meaning medium and tenor, green, meaning low.

Last week, 73 counties were in the red.

More than 600,000.

Kentuckians have student loan debt according to higher education officials in Kentucky, President Biden's executive order to cancel thousands of dollars of student debt for millions of Americans has left plenty of Kentucky hands with some questions.

Our Casey Parker Bell met with Aaron Clower from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority at the Kentucky State.

Fair to ask how you should prepare to handle your student loans.

>> We don't have a lot of operational guidance at this time.

>> Aaron Claire's says the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority is working on how people with student loans should proceed after the announcement by President Joe Biden earlier this week, the President's executive order would forgive $10,000 of student debt for individuals who earn less than $125,000.

And for households whose income is less than $250,000.

People who receive federal Pell Grants could be eligible to cancel $20,000 of debt.

But Claire says it's uncertain.

The debt cancellation will happen.

>> However, I would caution people there is some gray area about the legality of this.

And I I would bet that there may be a challenge so that may tie up the even longer even further.

>> After the president's announcement, the K H started to get calls from borrowers asking what they should do.

>> I also 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.

There are serious consequences to default.

>> At the state fair, the K H E 18 handed out information to help people navigate paying student loans in the future.

But with the changing landscape, Claire says she has concerns for students about to begin their higher education Dir.

>> I worry a little bit that this sets a precedent for, you know, maybe those juniors and seniors in high school.

They're going to college next year.

I don't want them to take on unnecessary additional dad because they think it's going to be forgiven.

You know, this is a one time deal as far as we know right now.

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

>> Thanks, Casey.

And K through 12 education news.

Some public school districts have used alternative methods to fill open positions this year, including emergency certifications and recruiting retired teachers and barren county.

They had 61 new teaching positions to fill and one-third of those new hires are participating in what's called option 6.

>> we would have 15 applicants for one teaching positioning during our current situation.

We we find that to be somewhere around 3 applicants.

>> And what we in the Senate >> Good job to head to continue to look for ways to fill those gaps.

>> And recruit the best that are out there for our students.

And we turned option 6 is a way to make sure we're fully staff and we begin our still.

You are option 6.

Allow someone with a bachelor's degree who doesn't currently have teacher certification to pursue that.

I'm using the bachelor's degree that they already >> when I learned of that already had a bachelor's degree.

So I felt like I wanted to have a bigger role in the school system.

>> Option 6 worked out.

Great for us because Andrea, of course, was an instructional system here for 4 years in primary and then in 4th grade in the very classroom where she is now teaching learning the standards that she's now teaching because it is a statement very good when you have an option, 6 person as they bring great skills and expertise in their content area.

But >> they haven't had that traditional pedagogy and training clinical hours that were used to saying from those that have pursued a teaching career through college University >> we us on building level mentor that works with Day in and day out.

Helps with planning with logistics.

All things teacher.

And then we also provide them a district level meet or that checks and any time there in the building.

>> Teachings really reflective I hope I'm mulling that.

Also that every away in what went well, what didn't?

And then we just work together.

>> They need.

That mentoring.

They need somebody to help show them the ropes because there's more to teaching than just walking in a no-win.

The subject matter.

>> It's difficult because she our kids deserve the very best teachers.

We just don't have nearly the number of applicants we've had in the past.

Crunch time.

>> And they still didn't have any applicants.

Then I realized it staff made a comeback.

I just feel called to come back and help out.

>> We're finding that the science fields and the math fields are more difficult to fill and some of our other positions we were just trying to recruit anyone we thought would do a good job in the math classroom.

And we have and I Miss Ainslie who is retired, but was a phenomenal teacher in >> It's all coming back like it does every year for 28 >> Nervous excited.

I did not think that I would come back and teach again full time.

>> It is concerning because see over the course of the past few years, we KET seeing fewer and fewer applicants.

And so we're trying to put some things into place to help 6 that issue.

We and inspiring educator covert here it can So we're trying to grow our own students in high school that are interested in going into teaching.

You KET we're prioritizing, right?

Well, I think there are a lot of people.

>> Out in the community.

Any industry who don't realize the importance of teaching and the role that they could play in the lives of students.

>> I love it.

Yeah, I love it.

I enjoy being in the school system and working with kids every day.

That is just been always been my dream right?

>> Time now for our into week review of the major political developments this week in Kentucky.

And we have.

>> As former Kentucky secretaries of state edition today and also our election night.

Commentators were glad to have Bob Babich.

>> He's the managing partner of Babij co-founder and joining us by Skype is Trey Grayson, an attorney with Frost Brown Todd and a managing director of the firm's government relations affiliate Civic Point.

Good to have you both.

Thank you so very much.

Let's start with the special session that just ended just a couple hours before we convene to talk Bob adage, your assessment of the speed of the session and the result of the session.

>> Was the unity and this led to the speed they conducted this in 3 days from.

Hoping to sign a bill and the Rotunda signed by the governor with legislative leadership.

That's significant.

The contents of the bill very significant.

A major investment in eastern Kentucky.

We have per capita of the most Reserve financial reserve of any state in the country.

Allocate some percent of it today still have over 2 billion dollars worth.

But they put it toward fundamentals to try to bring back Eastern Kentucky after this devastation.

We made a similar West.

Kentucky is a state where the legislature about earlier this year.

So they follow through in a big way and we'll have more to do.

They said in January in terms of expenditures, Representative Blanton represent hadn't Senator Smith among others.

Very emotional, compelling moving comments and by many legislators, Robin Webb, others.

Very strong statements about their home country.

They're to their homeland.

And there their ties to the east of our state.

>> Yes, Trey Grayson, it was some emotional testimony today on the House and Senate floor.

And I want to ask you the same question to Bob this speed, which we conveying the session ended the session pretty much unprecedented.

But these were unprecedented or uncertain times that needed swift action.

>> Yeah, absolutely.

And this as Bob mentioned, we have this Budget Reserve fund which we closed the openly called the Rainy Day fund.

So we're literally using that fun because we had a really bad, rainy day and then the damage in eastern Kentucky is far worse from a cost standpoint and infrastructure.

Western Kentucky.

Plus, from a timing standpoint, we have to do it now.

This is this is designed to basically cover the next 6 months.

So the Legislature can reconvene on its regular schedule next year and or needed Western Kentucky tornado statistics in the summer.

So you didn't need a special session nor into a pro grade that help they could go in the regular counter.

It was extraordinary, as Bob mentioned coming together.

There's a rules allow.

Those now has a special session and 3 days and in that time of the year for governor's race, we're legislature with a Republican leaders have have a great relationship with the governor.

The they came together and did quickly this make a big difference.

>> Now, let's Segway and a couple of minutes.

We have remained to talk about the governor's race and the Big Kentucky State fair Country.

Ham breakfast.

This is a big event.

It's Fancy Farm light is that that's not really.

I know that even a good comparison.

Bob Babich.

But I mean, it was that wasn't just the people who spoke on the stage.

It was those who are milling around in the crowd and there were some surprises.

May be.

>> Hamburger is always a big deal.

And there's always a political tone to it because you have several leaders speaking up front and several other leaders and rising leaders who are in that enormous crowd.

The fact that former Governor Bevin was there that created a stir.

Heck, if you've driven by the there would have been a stir because everybody's asking really run.

There's probably a 50, 50 chance he might.

Kelly Kraft, though, was front and center buying the head with Lou 13 from Lexington and Joe Crafter has been for 5 million dollars.

I don't want to Slice Coast, but we probably can afford.

>> I was going to say I think it was all for a slice of Haha, all Trey Grayson, the fact that Matt Bevin was milling about, I mean, what does that tell you?

Are we over making this at all?

And he was at the Lincoln Dinner as well the previous night.

So is he really weighing his options and going to get into this thing?

>> But, you know, he wasn't.

Jefferson County could just be Haha.

But in the late night tonight for the best.

But that practice was not lawful house or I thought it was at the country and breakfast know he knows and he goes these events that he's create calling attention to itself.

No other.

He's just having fun with all the attention or where they really is.

You know, tears upon a campaign for governor who really knows.

But I'm with Bob.

I think that these are not accidental appearances.

He knows that he's a tense as attendance with it.

We are in tension and probably really enjoying it.

And the other candidates in this race and probably not enjoying that attention because a former governor can garner a lot of support to Kandahar.

>> And so many of us are waiting with bated breath to hear whether the former UN ambassador Kelly Craft when she will make the announcement.

Bob, could she have done it at the country ham breakfast or would that not have been appropriate that I stepped on some other messaging, a rare coral to his well, but at the microphone because it commissioner of Agriculture and of course, the governor Beshear spoke as well.

>> So we could go on about this.

But what's the probability craft a war?

And about 100%.

She had Max was popular state Sen and his wife as their guests at the table.

That said the heck of a signal to everybody.

But I imagine 2 or 3 weeks from now.

When you do this wrap up, we'll be talking about her announcement and the fact that she's in the race.

And so mayor CAC from Somerset may the ham breakfast and drew some attention as well.

He may very well get reelected and then immediately run for governor.

>> Yeah.

So final words, do you Trey Grayson in about 20 seconds?

>> Well, the boss busted out.

Kelly is going to get in the race next month.

Allen might be a little bit later and they go to my guests will be a last minute.

Doesn't that's on me that this funding and his name and brand recognition is going to be a lot of lot of love for us to talk about over the next couple months.

Yeah, these another Ellis.

>> Absolutely.

Thank you, Trey Grayson, thank you, Bob.

Ed, thank you.

Have a good weekend.

♪ >> Ring in September with buttermilk beer or bucks a pass on that.

Toby Gibbs has that and more and this look at what's happening around the Commonwealth.

♪ >> What started out as a small neighborhood get-together is turned into a large gathering in Bardstown 28th annual Buttermilk Days Festival.

Is this Friday and Saturday with delicious food and music.

This festival is sure to be a fun time with family and friends.

That's all of Second Street happening Saturday highlights the African American Business District in downtown Danville.

This year's festival also corresponds with a book released as well as the opening of the We were here display at Center College, which tells the history of African-American life in Boyle County.

Mister Kentucky is bringing the country to Kentucky with their music of the Old West concert in Bowling Green this Saturday.

Enjoy music from unforgettable movies along with TV shows, including the long-range are high noon.

The good, the bad, the ugly and much more.

They're creepy and they're Crawley and they're in Clermont this Saturday.

Bug Fest is a critter and insect zoo put on by the burn high Arboretum and research forest and includes bug themed games and crafts.

Guided insect safaris discovery stations.

And for the more adventurous chocolate covered crickets to snack on.

What do princesses jet eyes and superheroes all have in common.

They can all be found at the Casa superhero run this Saturday at WinStar Farm in Versailles.

Follow up the morning run with a festival includes games, inflatables, a petting zoo and much more the entire day as a fundraiser for Casa up Lexington.

Ever wanted to experience a train ride like back in the olden days.

Dined by rail in New Haven is giving you the opportunity this Saturday put on by the Kentucky Railway Museum.

The evening includes a delicious meal from the Sherwood in a classic experience and an old fashioned dining car and a chance to explore the exhibits and model trains after the ride is over.

Winner of the 2017 Pinnacle Award from the eye.

FDA has the best festival in the world for budget class.

The Hop Town Summer Salute Festival is back this weekend in Hopkinsville, the event draws in over 25,000 people from throughout the region for a weekend full of live entertainment, food vendors rides and more.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

A ZZ Top will be performing at the Beaver Dan Ampitheater Saturday.

Get Ready for a night of killer reps as the band performs hits from their 40 year career.

Tell me more.

Tell me more.

The hit movie Grease will be playing in Ashland this Saturday as part of the movies in the square series.

Grab your snacks in your chair and BOP along to this classic movie musical for an enjoyable summer nights.

Do you love dogs?

Do you love beer than the Newport on the levee barks and brews at that is perfect for you.

Enjoy happy hour specials for both you and your furry friend on the first Thursday of every month.

Join us in Lexington this Saturday for KET Super Saturday.

This pond Free family-friendly event will include both spoke trucks and appearances by some of PBS is favorite guests.

And that's what's going on around the commonwealth.

I'm told he gets.

>> Thank youto be after a weekend.

Join us for Kentucky edition on Monday night.

We'll have a look at how proposed legislation from Frankfort could affect bouncers and how COVID is affecting foster parents.

Plus, a look at this weekend, Kentucky history with Toby gives.

Thank you so much for watching.

We do hope we'll see you again Monday night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition email newsletter and watch full episodes ktv Dot Org and you can find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app and mobile device and smart TV.

Thanks very much for watching.

Have a tremendously great weekend and I'll see you Monday night.