>> Kentucky law requires a budget reduction, which I'm sharing today.

>> The governor offers a plan to balance the state budget.

What gets cut and what doesn't?

>> You can't talk to people about careers if they don't know where they're going to sleep tonight, or what's going to happen to them.

>> A Northern Kentucky partnership is looking to break the cycle and ensure students experiencing homelessness receive their high school diploma.

>> When they see that it's been activated, then they can spend it and then leaving you not even knowing it hasn't even left your possession.

>> And get some tips to keep you from getting taken this holiday.

>> Production of Kentucky edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky edition for this Thursday, December the 18th.

One day closer to Friday.

I'm Renee Shaw and we thank you for spending some of your Thursday night with us.

Kentucky state government faces a budget shortfall.

And today, Governor Andy Beshear announced his plan to cut spending to balance the budget.

And he talked about the programs he wants spared from the budget acts.

The governor says the consensus forecasting group is predicting a budget shortfall of $156 million this fiscal year, which is less than the earlier prediction of 305 million.

It's about 1% of the overall $16 billion spending plan.

Today, he talked about his plan to deal with the deficit.

>> The primary portion of my plan for the executive branch is to reduce general fund appropriations by $77.7 million.

For many agencies, this is a 3% reduction to their enacted budget.

Most agencies are meeting this reduction through what we call vacancy credits.

These are jobs that were budgeted for that.

There are dollars in the budget for, but are not currently filled.

And what the cabinets are opting to do is not filling them through the end of the year.

But they've gone through and made sure that any that are absolutely necessary, that funding is still there for while saying we can wait until the next budget, or we can operate without some of these jobs.

So we're going to be able to manage this shortfall and still provide necessary services to Kentuckians priorities that we are protecting and that people will see include funding for our K through 12 systems.

There are no cuts there.

The postsecondary education institutions, no cuts there, Medicaid, no cuts there, pension funding for educators and state employees, no cuts there.

Public safety, including state police and juvenile justice.

There are also no cuts.

Now I want to make sure that people know that I am personally taking part in this budget reduction plan.

When I was AG and there was a needed budget reduction under the law, I always participated as governor.

My office and the lieutenant governor's office are also taking the 3% reduction.

>> According to the governor, the State auditor's office and state Treasurer's office say they will not cut their spending by 3%.

He says he has not heard from the other state constitutional officers.

The Kentucky Supreme Court is reversing course and a 4 to 3 ruling.

The justices now say a law limiting the power of the Jefferson County Board of Education is unconstitutional.

In 2022, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill one, which stripped certain powers from the school board and gave them to the superintendent.

The law currently only applies to Jefferson County Public Schools.

JCPS Kentucky's constitution prevents legislation that applies to a single entity.

The state's highest court ruled in favor of the law last year, but in April, the court withdrew its ruling and granted the school board's request for a rehearing.

Writing for the majority opinion today, Justice Angela McCormack wrote, quote, we do not hold today that the General Assembly may never enact legislation addressed to only one particular type of county or form of county government, but rather only that it cannot do so unreasonably.

End quote.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who argued in favor of the law, says he's stunned by the court's reversal.

He says, quote, this decision is devastating for J-c-p-s students and leaves them trapped in a failing system while sabotaging sabotaging the General Assembly's rescue mission.

End quote.

Another Democrat has officially filed to run for Congress in the sixth district.

Zach Dembo is a former educator.

He served in the U.S.

Navy's Judge Advocate General's Office, or JAG, and served as a policy advisor to Governor Andy Beshear and as a federal prosecutor.

Dembo says he's running as a political outsider to fight corruption in Washington, D.C.

Congressman Thomas Massie of Republican from Kentucky's fourth congressional district, was one of just a few Republicans to vote in favor of curbing President Donald Trump's policy of attacking boats off the Venezuelan coast.

Massie and two other Republicans joined Democrats to support two resolutions.

One would directly block U.S.

forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.

It narrowly failed 213 to 211.

The other resolution would block strikes against designated terrorist organizations in the Western Hemisphere.

Massie also voted against that, and it failed to 16 to 210.

Nearly 60% of students experiencing homelessness do not complete their high school education, and studies show that not having a high school diploma can increase the chances of homelessness later in life.

In Northern Kentucky, two nonprofits up Spring and Learning Grove, are teaming up to support homeless youth prepare for life after graduation.

>> Our overall goal is to help give students the tools that they need to help pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

That includes students who are living in hotels temporarily, who are couch surfing or doubled up with other families who are living in their car, living in shelters and things like that.

>> Achieving a high school diploma is something we all take for granted, but just coming to school every day may be a challenge.

>> We work with our school partners and our liaisons at our sites to help identify the students who would best who we can best serve.

It might be 2 to 3 small group working on a specific skill.

Other times it might be one on one working with a student on their specific needs and goals.

Some of the skills that we work on are things like interview skills, helping develop resumes, learning about soft skills and how important those are, and how you can incorporate those into your resume, but also help develop those for your future college and career.

If you're on the college path or the career path, or we have some students who are going into the military, and those soft skills still apply to all sorts of different parts of life.

>> If you are a young person who's experiencing homelessness or other challenges, it's really hard.

I think just because everything is coming at you in terms of survival, you may not be able to think about what opportunities I have in the future.

If we can say, look, look at these wonderful things about you.

Look at these talents you have, these strengths you have.

And guess what?

You have a future.

You could utilize these in this career or that career.

And it's really hope building.

And so that's what we're striving to do is to not only build hope but create realistic opportunities for students, for young people.

>> One of the things I like to emphasize with the kids while I'm there is that I'm there for them.

I'm not.

While I'm partnered with the school, I don't work for the school, and I'm not, you know, I'm not their family.

I'm not their parents.

I just want to know how best I can help them.

>> Allowing students who are experiencing homelessness the opportunity to have some stability is what Upspring provides.

And so those wraparound services, no matter if they switched school districts or they go to a different school district, that that's what's needed.

>> A lot of the students that we work with in these programs don't always have a lot of support, or they're focused on other things.

They're focused on housing security, food insecurity and just getting to school at all.

And so there can be times where they might fall through the cracks because they don't have either as many people looking out for them or everyone in their life is also trying their best to get through everything.

>> You can't talk to people about careers if they don't know where they're going to sleep tonight, or what's going to happen to them.

So I think that that's the that's the partnership, right?

Because Upspring can help these young people that we're all trying to serve feel safe enough to think about their future.

It can also help our entire region and entire state in terms of workforce development.

And so it's bigger than just helping people feel good about themselves, because what our curriculum does and what our work together does is create real opportunities.

>> The pathways for success program began as a pilot at Dayton and Newport high schools this fall.

The program leader says it's their goal to bring the curriculum to Northern Kentucky and beyond.

Time now for our business beat, where we're going to talk about some last minute ideas for you not to get scammed this holiday season.

How to protect yourself when you're buying gift cards and from porch pirates.

And we have with us the expert Heather Cleary, who is community and media relations coordinator for the Better Business Bureau, serving greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana.

Good to see you.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> So this is a busy time of year.

I know you're doing a lot of these kind of media appearances, but there's a real big need because people want to know how not to get scammed and conned during this holiday season.

Let's talk about the Porch Pirates first.

>> Yeah, that's a big one.

It happens all year long, but the the threat of package thieves happens, especially this time of year with people expecting so many deliveries and especially as we're leading up to the holiday.

It can be very easy for you to forget, but porch pirates can be victimizing you and you don't want that to happen.

We do have some tips to kind of keep that from happening.

If you have one of those doorbells, you should be able to see if it's been if it's been delivered, you can TRACK gift deliveries as well.

Usually a website will allow you to do that just by clicking on a link to make sure where it is in transit.

Another way to keep someone from stealing things from your porch is to perhaps have it delivered, either to the retailer's location locally.

>> That's a good.

>> Idea, or even get one of those lockers that some of them offer.

I know Amazon has done that.

Where you go to where the lockers are pushing a code.

Get the gift.

Go home.

That might even be a better thing to do with a more expensive item.

And so the disappears.

You may not get it back, right?

>> What about.

Are there any size limitations?

You think if you're sending somebody a 55 inch television, that's probably.

>> I don't know about that, but you can check with whoever you're ordering something from because that's going to be some expensive shipping right there.

>> Absolutely.

>> Yeah.

And if you do see something that's been stolen.

Of course.

Make your police report.

Sometimes packages are misdelivered.

That can happen too.

We see that happen.

People on Nextdoor and Facebook.

I received a box that was for somebody else.

Yeah, but just kind of keep an eye on those kinds of things.

Try to get it off of the porch as quickly as you can.

If you're at work or away, perhaps a neighbor would agree to receive that package for you.

So those are some tips to keep in mind so that you don't lose those gifts.

>> And you would think, I mean, how bold and brazen are con artists and scammers and thieves because of all the people who have doorbell cameras ring, whatever it is, ADT security systems.

But it still keeps happening.

>> It does.

And we've even heard tales of them following the Amazon or UPS truck down the street and just going right up after them and taking things.

>> Oh my goodness.

Well, so be careful and protect yourself.

Okay.

So now let's talk about gift cards.

Because this really does affect a lot of people because we think that's the easiest thing to do.

Go to the local grocery store or wherever convenience store.

Pick up a few of these gift cards.

But buyer beware.

What's the deal?

>> Exactly.

If you are still shopping for one because you know who doesn't like the gift of shopping, or eating out, or going to a salon or whatever it might be?

If you are on a rack selecting one, first check for signs of tampering.

We will hear from folks who have tried to use a gift card later on down the road a few months later, and find out that it's completely drained because there are scammers out there that somehow they have equipment and they might tamper with, scan a code off of some cards on racks.

They have a website that they just deliver it all to, and then when they see that it's been activated, then they can spend it.

And then leaving you not even knowing it hasn't even left your possession.

So.

So this does happen if you receive a gift card, although we would advise you to register it on the website that you can use it with if that's possible.

You can also always check how much is left on it, by usually calling a number on the back or going to the website and registering it.

If there's a password to it, you might want to change that just to help protect it and of course use it.

>> Yeah.

Don't leave it in the drawer for another year, right?

>> I mean, we do hear from people who say, well, I never could use it because this restaurant went out of business or that retailer went bankrupt, or I just don't have a way to use it anymore.

So if that person wanted you to have a gift you could enjoy.

So go ahead and use it.

Don't don't throw it in a drawer and forget about it.

>> That's right.

Well, and also, Bebe recommends considering buying your gift cards online.

But there is a cautionary measure here too.

>> You can do that.

Some sites you can buy directly from have a digital gift card that might be a little more safe.

Just be certain you're not trying to check the value that's left on a gift card.

On some websites out there that say, just enter your gift card number in there and we can tell you how much is left on it.

That's another way somebody can actually steal the value of it and take it away from you.

>> Yeah.

We used to hear back a couple of years ago about companies that would buy back gift cards, that would buy gift cards that you didn't want.

You hear anything nefarious going on in that space?

>> Not recently.

But if somebody is doing that, I mean, they're also taking a chance.

Are you selling them a gift card that has nothing on it?

>> Right.

Yeah.

>> A lot to.

Consider there.

That's kind of a buyer or seller beware type of thing.

>> Yeah.

So B-b-b also recommends research how to use the card.

Not all retailers have the same policies when issuing a gift card.

What does that mean?

>> You want to use it.

They might have a time frame.

Generally gift cards are not supposed to expire, right?

Although there are some instances where after a certain period of inactivity, a small fee may be charged or debited from it.

This might especially apply to those cash cards like visa and Mastercard type cards.

So you want to look at that carefully just to see if you're going to lose any value on it.

If you don't use all of it on the first spend, there might be a few bucks left.

Still use it.

You may be able to get something for less down the road.

>> Some of those visa or Mastercard gift cards actually have a big fee up front that you pay 6.95 or something.

>> They do, and that's just something that you have.

It's the nature of the beast of buying one of those.

Yeah.

Somebody wanted you to have it.

>> So register your gift card.

You recommend that?

>> Yeah.

If there's a way to get on the website that it's for, if it's for a retailer that's online, if they have a way for you to do that, or a restaurant's fan club or whatever it might be just to help give it a little extra protection and just keep your eyes on it.

But keep in mind, don't put it in a website that you don't know if it's the real deal.

Maybe you're going to a retailer you think is the real one, and maybe you've gone to a different one because you've just googled go to X store and it's a different one using a different kind of thing that can happen holiday time anyway.

>> That's right.

And one of the last items we'll hit real quick.

Be wary of websites that offer to check your gift card balance.

And you mentioned this just a moment ago.

>> But there are some of those out there.

I'll just run this on there and see how much is left on it.

But you've just given the card number to somebody you don't know, and there's really no reason for you to have to do that.

Generally, you can log right onto the website the card is for.

I've done that myself.

Or call a number on the back and it will tell you how much is left on it.

>> Yeah.

Can you tell if a card has been tampered with when you purchased it at a retailer?

>> You want to look at the packaging very carefully, see if it looks like anyone has tried to peel off that cardboard cover.

Usually there's a sticker or decal on the back of some kind.

If you see that looks like it's been tampered with, you might want to choose another one.

Another way to maybe avoid that is to try to buy a gift card that's at a display closer to the cashier, right?

Because there's more eyes on it.

That's not a total protection because it could still happen.

But that's another thing you could do as well.

>> And we're also seeing that retailers are getting wise and they're actually making them a little tougher once you remove them that you can't put them back.

Right.

So I.

>> Have seen that.

Yeah.

So it might be a little bit harder.

And some people still want to reach in the back and take one from behind.

Just like you feel more comfortable.

Just look at that packaging real carefully and give it to your recipient.

Usually you might get a gift receipt with it.

So include that because if something does go wrong, at least you can provide that to whoever the gift card is for.

And that might be able to give you some recourse.

>> Heather Clary, you're just so wise.

Thank you so very much for the B-b-b for sharing all these great gift card ideas and how to protect ourselves.

Thank you so much.

Volleyball fans.

Kentucky squares off tonight and Final Four competition.

More about this in tonight's look at sports news.

The number one seeded Wildcats play Wisconsin and Kansas City, Missouri.

It's the second of two games and is expected to start around 9:00 on ESPN.

If UK wins and we hope they do, the team moves on to play in the finals on Sunday.

Lexington is home to some amazing holiday displays this time of year.

Our Chip Polston takes a look behind the curtain at what it takes to make these possible.

In this Kentucky Life extra tip over to you.

>> Thanks so much.

It's good to be with you again.

One component of getting ready for the holidays for many of us is putting lights on our house.

That's especially the case in Lexington, where two families take these exhibits to a whole new level.

And there is far more to these displays than meets the eye.

Let's take a look.

Every holiday season, neighborhoods light up with unique light displays spreading Christmas cheer.

In some parts of Lexington, the lights do more than just twinkle.

They perform.

But who are the people behind the dazzling displays that draw crowds each year?

For both the Joneses and the Turners, these lights are more than just a hobby.

They are a passion.

>> The light display is somewhere around 15,000 lights, and it's all synchronized to music.

There's about six different songs that I programed and narration between each of the songs, and it all loops.

Every night during the month of December, people come and watch from their cars.

The music plays over an FM transmitter, so they tune their radio to 89.5 FM.

>> We started with our own three children start decorating very little, you know, but the kids enjoyed it so much and got excited.

And some of the neighbors children will come over and join our children.

And and it just grew from there and started gradually.

Every Christmas it just got bigger and bigger.

And we just started having parties, inviting people over.

And then we had Santa Claus, and it's amazing how it spread and how many people it has made so happy.

I get beautiful letters from people and cards and gifts just telling me how much they appreciate what we've done.

>> So what drives them to get bigger and brighter each year?

>> Decorating for Christmas and viewing Christmas lights in one's neighborhood or in one's community is a shared experience that most of us can relate to, whether we celebrate Christmas or not.

And regardless of what that shared experience is, we know from countless studies that the more people are engaged in similar activities, the more that they can talk about those experiences, the more bonded and the stronger the community connections are.

>> For the Joneses and the Turners.

It all began with family creating memories and sparking that childlike wonder in everyone who stops to watch.

>> I was born legally blind.

I had about 20 over 400 vision when I was growing up.

Over time, my vision got worse.

So when I was in my early 20s, my vision changed to where it is now.

But I have a lot of memory of what things used to look like when I could see more when I was younger.

So I know what Christmas lights look like, and I can somewhat see the lights from them when I'm really close.

>> I have 13 in my family, and I lost my father at a very early age, and then my mother was diagnosed with some bad health problems.

So I always said that once we can do this and take it to the next step, we were going to do it.

My whole family plays a big part of all this.

I couldn't do it without them.

>> The light shows do more than just light up Lexington they share a message.

>> I think there's absolutely a bond that can be developed between the creator of the Christmas displays and the viewer, even if they never meet.

The message is I want to bring you joy.

I want to show you something beautiful.

And so I think that that that can feel really good.

>> And the secret behind Ryan's magical setup, a special software helping the Joneses bring their incredible vision to life.

>> I have to spend a lot more time on the sequencing than most people.

The songs that I have in the show right now took anywhere from 40, 50, maybe 60 hours of work to program those songs.

I start putting the lights up physically in October each year.

It takes me about two months, and between each song there's a segment of narration anywhere from 20s to a minute, and it's going through different parts of the Christmas stories.

And so my wife Kayla does all the narration.

The whole thing fits together to provide not only the music, but the narration and the lights with it.

>> And for the Turners, their secret is simple teamwork.

>> We both have different views of things naturally, so his job is to take care of the outside.

Mine is the inside.

I do what I want to do in here, and he does what he wants to do out there, and it works a lot better.

>> Beyond the glitz of the displays, both families want to remind the community of something deeper the true meaning of Christmas.

>> Christmas to us is important to share about the birth of Jesus Christ, and that's something that's important to us to share via the light show.

I want to create a feeling of of happiness and hope for people.

Christmas is about hope.

That's the whole meaning of Christmas.

>> I wanted the children and the adults to to realize what Christmas is really about.

It's not gifts, it's not Santa Claus.

But there's more to this.

It is Jesus's birthday.

We need to celebrate, and we need to thank him for all his blessings.

And then ho ho comes running out with gifts.

So that's even more exciting.

>> And what does that mean for the families who gather here?

>> I think there is a sense of tradition and a sense of nostalgia and a sense of stability that can come from engaging in traditional activities that we do year after year.

>> At the end of the day, these displays don't just tell a story of the season.

They deliver joy, connection and remind us all of what matters most.

>> You can do things you want to do, even if you have a challenge in doing them.

This shows that you can do things if you decide to dedicate yourself to doing them.

And if you have the access and use the right tools and technology, you can accomplish the things that you want to accomplish.

Even when you have challenges to overcome, it may take you a little bit longer.

You may have to do them a different way, but it can still be doable.

So those two things are the real keys that we want to communicate with our light.

>> Show great stories like this one.

Come your way on our show each Saturday night at 8:00 eastern, 7:00 central right here on KET.

We wish you a merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays as we continue to cherish this great Kentucky Life back to you.

>> Thank you Chip, and happy holidays to you.

And that peace will certainly get you in the spirit.

Well, we thank you for joining us tonight and we hope you join us right back here again tomorrow night at 630 eastern, 530 central on Kentucky edition, where we inform, connect and inspire.

We hope that you'll connect with us all the way as you see on your screen through the social media channels, and you can find us on the PBS app to download some great content that we have there.

And also, we encourage you to send us a story idea by email at PublicAffairs at ket.org.

Thanks for watching and I'll see you tomorrow night.