♪ >> We have got to save our kids, our communities, families are people are broken.

We're trying to bring Holmes back.

>> State legislators want to reduce violent crime by use and Louisville.

They're hoping reopening a detention center will help.

And we walk through this world with.

>> Right.

>> BT to plus rights rally at the Capitol today.

>> This is not just a new site.

This is terrible.

>> And a new documentary shows the devastation, but also the courage from July's Eastern Kentucky floods.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET and down the Kentucky productions.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky.

Addition for Wednesday, February, the 15th, I'm your host, Renee Shaw, joining you from Frankfort, our Capitol Annex studios here as the General Assembly session continues.

>> We appreciate you spending some of your Wednesday night with OSS as Kentucky looks to address problems in the juvenile justice system.

One legislator has filed a bill that would reopen a juvenile facility in Louisville House Bill 3 would allocate money to reopen the Jefferson County Youth Detention Center.

The bill was heard in a legislative committee today.

We began our legislative update with Casey Parker Bell who was in Frankfort covering the meeting.

>> Louisville is one of the biggest cities, if not the biggest city in America without a detention center.

The nears detention center is Adair County.

2 and a half hours away from Jefferson County.

But state Representative Kevin pressure is looking to reopen a juvenile detention facility in Louisville with his House Bill.

3.

>> The measure would appropriate 10.9 million dollars to retrofit and operate.

The Jefferson County Youth Detention Center.

Local deputy Mayor David James says the state should run the for the youth Detention center to be able to be able to operate.

>> As a state facility to djj like the rest of the facilities throughout the state is what we're asking for.

The city of Louisville within the personnel and the finance 2 provide for the programming.

>> The push to reopen the facility is due to a rise in violent crime among youth in Louisville and reports of violence and juvenile justice centers across the state.

Louisville Representative Jason Amos says the House Bill 3 needs to pass.

They can get the facility reopened.

>> We're trying to thread the needle.

We have got to save our kids, our communities, our families, our people are broken.

Were broken and we're trying to bring hold us back.

And the 4th before most and Representative Rogers might end up talking 100 times is how do you protect the community?

But as importantly is how do you make that kid?

I've got to get back on track.

>> Another local legislator voted against the measure.

Representative cut her hair and says she has questions about the project's long-term viability.

>> Spending 8.9 million dollars on an old building.

And we have not done an assessment on what that looks like or what those needs are going to be like in 5 years and 10 years.

It just makes me very hasn't.

And I know that we need to bring our young people home however, also know that we need intervention Prevention House Bill 3 passed committee and can now be heard by the full House.

A number of legislators said they would like to attach amendments to House Bill 3.

The bill sponsor said he was open to changes for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Yesterday's state budget director John Hitt said a tour of the old Jefferson County Youth Detention Center had not been Don, and that he was uncertain if the money appropriated and House Bill 3 was the right amount for the project.

Prior to that committee hearing to Democratic lawmakers push for their own ideas for reforming the Department of Juvenile Justice Representative Lisa Willner and cut your hair and said they're introducing 3 bills.

The first is a bill of rights for incarcerated children.

The second bill would establish regional and citizen review boards similar to the review boards that are in place for the state foster care programs.

And a 3rd bill would create a dedicated fund that could be used for youth services other than incarceration.

They discussed these bills this morning and they explained why they currently don't support House Bill.

3.

>> So this is really just the beginning of the work to make systemic change.

We're going to have to engage deeply with justice involved youth with their families, consult with mental health and legal experts and work across all branches of government at the local and state levels.

>> To find additional solutions to our current issues.

If we're going to make sustained change, we need to put our kids at the center of the Solution.

>> House Bill 3 does not address any of these issues that does address some issues as far as funding for the actual physical facility.

But it does not address on the issues as it relates to a re-entry prevention on an alternate alternatives to detention.

>> Representative Haron said she's also concerned that the confidentiality provision and House Bill 3, we'll have unintended consequences.

Kentucky lawmakers have advanced a bill aimed at giving them oversight of relief funds.

Senate Bill 99 calls for an annual report of relief funds created by a government agency or elected official.

The bill stems from reports that some check supported by the tornado relief fund went to people and affected by the tragedy.

Governor Andy Beshear created the fund following tornadoes that tore through parts of western Kentucky and a similar fund after flooding flooding inundated parts of eastern Kentucky.

Republican Senator Whitney Westerfield who sponsored the bill.

Explain why he thinks it's needed.

>> I don't believe that these funds will intended as they were useful as they are are constitutional.

Section 2.30, the Kentucky Constitution requires that we appropriate the money that's in the state's hands and that money is operated entirely outside of that.

>> The measure unanimously passed a Senate committee today and now waits for action by the full Senate.

Abortion could be prosecuted as homicide under a new bill filed by a Kentucky lawmaker, Republican representative Emily Callaway of Louisville filed House Bill 300.

It states that abortion, quote, shall be subject to the same legal principles as would apply to the homicide of a person who had been born alive.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican who's running for governor.

So the bill strikes the wrong balance and urge the legislature to reject it.

In a statement, he said, quote, While I strongly support prohibiting abortions in Kentucky.

I strongly support helping pregnant women, pregnant mothers deserve our help support and life affirming options.

Not to face criminal charges.

Tomorrow Wieder Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates also issued a statement to us tonight and it says, quote, Outrage is the only appropriate response to House Bill 300.

These lawmakers only want to scare patients and pushing extremist political agenda.

Planned Parenthood will fight with everything.

We've got to defeat this.

What she calls cool bill.

The bill has yet to gain any traction in the House so far.

A bill by a state Senate Republican and Lieutenant Governor candidate on so-called parental rights is embroiled in controversy and stoking protests.

The measure passed out of the Senate Education Committee last week but has been rerouted back to that same committee.

>> Campbellsville Senator Max Wise said his Senate bill one 50 is in response to complaints from parents and even educators about Kentucky's educational priorities.

Why says his bill aims to make sure parents are communicated with about school curriculum, especially when it comes to teaching human sexuality and to move away from what he calls, quote, woke school policies on matters like student preferred pronoun use.

Critics, though, say his measure is an attack on the LGBTQ+ community and would cause emotional harm to those students.

Senate Bill, one 50, which is identified as an act relating to rights and public schools is slated for more consideration before the Senate education panel tomorrow.

KET will carry that hearing on the network's Kentucky Channel and also online at KET Dot Org.

The Kentucky state Senate today voted to reopen this road between the capital and the Capitol Annex building.

Governor Andy Beshear closed it for security reasons.

Senator John Schickel, a Republican from union says that's an overreaction, he says with the road closed, people can't fully enjoy the beauty of the capital from their cars.

And he says it's affecting traffic in and around the capital today, the House voted 28 to 6 to reopen the road.

Now that measure goes on to the Kentucky House for consideration there.

And under construction Veterans Center and Bowling Green will now get additional funds to finish the project.

Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 2 today.

The measure allocated about 16 and a half million dollars to help finish the Bowling Green veteran Center.

The governor had this to say about the project's importance.

>> But it's critical.

We owe our the best health care, especially later in This facility is needed given how many veterans are going to need this care and it's needed so that people can stay closer to home in Western Kentucky really want.

>> Beshear says House Bill 2 will create about 120 jobs.

The 80,000 square-foot Bowling Green Veteran Center will provide 60 beds when completed it will be the state's 5th long-term skilled nursing care facility for veterans.

The groundbreaking for the center was last November.

A bill that would reduce Kentucky state income tax is sitting on the governor's desk of the General Assembly passed House Bill one last week.

The measure would lower Kentucky State income tax by a half point to 4% January first 2024.

Governor Beshear told KET today this when he was asked about the bill.

>> House Bill one is on my desk.

We're people's needs right now in dealing with inflation to a long-term challenges that could create.

So we're getting a lot of thought.

>> When asked, Governor Beshear did not say when he would make a final decision on the bill.

A large crowd gathered in the Capitol Rotunda today calling for action on LGBTQ+ rights.

Nearly a dozen people spoke at this year's fairness rally, including Governor Beshear and Democratic lawmakers.

>> Kentucky cannot reach its full potential unless all people feel free to be themselves discrimination against our L G B T Q PLUS community.

It's unacceptable and hold us back and it simply isn't right.

>> This is a just bite.

This is a correct bite.

And this is one that you should never give up on.

And I will never give up on because guess what, I believe in this country, you believe in this country.

And we're gonna make this a more perfect union despite those that don't understand the gift that we all been given the opportunity that we all have.

>> In hopes that you feel seen.

That you feel harder.

And that you feel care for.

In the same space.

That is a tendency right shoe.

>> As I wore this shirt today.

Because I want each and every one of us in this room.

To remember.

That we KET our heads we KET our shoulders that.

And we walk through this world with right.

>> Today's event was organized by the Fairness Campaign.

The group has helped 24 Kentucky communities and at fairness ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Time now for midweek, check-in of some major political developments, particularly here in Frankfort with our good friend Ryland Barton, who is managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio in Ohio Valley Resource.

Good to see you could see it here in a lot of things are moving.

We thought this is going to be a slow session bought.

Here.

We are right.

We KET that from the beginning that the speaker of the House of this is going to slow show that session.

We're just going to come moving around existing policies.

But of course, when given the opportunity to pass new laws, legislators are.

>> Are ready to do that are ready.

And they're doing stuff.

Let's talk about the trans bills that >> really got a lot of discussion last week really after we had spoken and education committee that really kind of cracks down on what the Republican sponsors say are woke policies, particularly coming from the KET.

>> There's been a lot of energy and rhetoric around this particular issue.

>> How a >> school districts, whether they are setting restrictions on how teachers or other employees talk to students who are requesting that employees preferred pronoun.

So for a trans kids say who want to use a different set of pronouns and of then than teachers might otherwise thinking that they would want to use.

So right now a lot of this is over the Kentucky Department of Education having a policy, you know, requiring districts too, to make allowances for those students who want to use a different set of pronouns Republicans are saying that this isn't the issue that's even like driving to the teachers out of the industry.

I think that that's something I'm actually waiting to hear a lot more about because they KET on making this point.

This is something that I've not heard from teachers and really hasn't been talk about a lot, but it is really leading to a lot energy really on the other side of the equation as well for LGBTQ activists or saying that look at what the Republicans in the legislature doing trying to clip, you know, their identities and their rights.

The Fairness rally, which happens every year at state capitals taking place is a lot of folks in town in Frankfort rally around these issues and against these particular bills right now.

>> And there was some are already some action, a local high school as well.

>> Yeah, African high school Students walked out in protest over these bills.

And really there's there's kind of a a a cadre of these bills right now.

The different versions of them, they of broadly the call, the parents rights bills would allow parents to kind of feel like they have a little bit more say in how their school district is operating.

That's the point that they're coming from.

It seems like they're the one bill that's really moving forward on this.

Those of Senator Max Wise Bill, which passed out of committee last week, I believe that it's really focused on that issue, saying that districts and teachers can't be required to implement that kind of >> policy.

And we know that sometimes these bills take on a different iteration as it goes to the process.

We haven't seen that assigned to the Senate floor.

IEA said that could signal that there are some negotiation already going on between what is being proposed in the house and what has become president.

We saw a lot of this last year with the the anti supposedly CRT bills this season falling kind of a similar discussion and molding during the legislative process.

So another big issue, abortion, we thought perhaps wouldn't have that conversation during the short session.

But we're waiting for a couple of things.

The Kentucky Supreme Court has yet to rule.

And now we've got a couple of bills that are coming out that some is causing some dissension even upon room for a member among Republican ranks.

It seems like at this Republican leadership is really willing to move forward on any new reporting restrictions or exceptions, which some people have been contemplating.

>> the big bill that Drew race, a lot of eyebrows is filed earlier this week, which would make people who get abortions illegally in Kentucky, which is really there's so few exceptions where people can get abortions in the state at this point that they could be charged with murder.

This is the first time that a pregnant person would be able to be charged in this kind of case under Kentucky law right now that I know of.

And it seems to be that this proposal even goes farther than what a lot of Republican officials want.

Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who's been one of the defenders of Kentucky's abortion restrictions, has said that he's not interested and this is not just providers.

This are the the woman who this or this is for people who actually get the abortion to the charge them with murder.

Yeah.

And so I didn't interrupt you.

>> Daniel Cameron's even come out.

He's been a strong pro-life propose.

>> And it seems like we found the line Republicans are saying this is too far.

As you said We're still waiting on a ruling from the state Supreme Court over Kentucky's near total ban on abortion.

Legislative leaders have said they're kind of waiting for that to really have some clarity on what to do next.

But I think that there's also a lot of thinking on whether or not to actually include some of the these exceptions.

Alex Acosta at the Lexington Herald-Leader had incredibly compelling story last week about people with non viable pregnancy.

Some Kentucky unable to find of abortion access.

And it's one of the most compelling cases in which there really should be some exceptions for KET our eyes on on those.

Both of those came in the final minute and a half we have remaining.

Let's talk about Governor Andy Beshear.

>> Getting on a list with 30 something other governors when it comes to Russia.

This is this happened late last week.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Ministry added 33 U.S. governors, including Andy Beshear.

>> Kind of blanket leave the banning them from traveling to Russia.

This is in response to sanctions that the including the United States, has imposed on Russia.

And and Andy Beshear came out with a statement saying that he was untroubled by at the moment.

So I don't think any plans to travel trouble Russia any time soon.

Yeah.

And this is, of course, and and say this in response to the West sanctions regarding Ukraine and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

>> So in the last few seconds we still haven't heard from Governor Andy Beshear about whether or not he will sign or veto or just let it become law without his signature House Bill.

One income tax reduction plan.

>> Yeah.

And really I think Republicans are waiting for that, too, because they're they're wanting to use as a political point in which they can say that with hey, look, we lowered taxes for Kentuckians.

And you know, if and and if the governor were to veto them to be kind of a political point in this reelection year.

>> Yeah.

So we'll see what he does.

If anything.

Roland Barnes, always good to say at this.

♪ High quality.

Early childhood education is a growing made all across the country, as you know.

And that includes right here in the Commonwealth expanding preschool and childcare services is a big job, but some students at center college have done some research and they believe the benefits far outweigh the costs.

>> For about a we are whole class was centered around this question of how do we implement Universal Pre K in Kentucky?

It's a lot more complex problem than people think.

And it's actually very prevalent right now with the oncoming needs of high quality education and childcare all over the country.

The problem is kindergarten readiness.

>> I'm here in Kentucky.

So many half of kids are ready for kindergarten and that's a huge issue.

It's a huge issue for the school system's.

It's a huge issue for the workforce down the road.

But that's it.

Even more complicated because childcare is a really fundamental industry to the workforce.

It can help support working families if Universal Pre K means that someone like me is able to go to work, that they're that they have childcare for their work day.

Universal Pre K can help support schools better because schools would have less remedial education to I met him too.

So kids are going to be ready to learn when they get into the classroom.

There's a 3rd way that this can benefit, which is where the real return investment coms, which is that if kids are ready for kindergarten, then they're more likely to be to excel in school.

They're more likely to graduate from school and they're more likely to be productive citizens when they're adults.

>> Not only doesn't quality early childhood education, thanks like future academic school readiness that we're looking at.

We're looking at eateries lifetime earnings for the for the kids.

They receive it.

We're looking at increase in tax revenue for the states that implemented at a commander.

And we're even looking at less crime rates towards the future coming into this class.

We didn't really know the importance of a quality early childhood education.

But as we read about it, talk to people who know much more than us about it.

We saw the importance not only now but in the future of finding a way to implement is the right way.

>> We really we take as a community.

We we take that burden of education from kindergarten on words.

But it's unclear why we don't extend that to to earlier and think of those kids as as future citizens that that we can help support their there.

Gross right now.

>> This is a disservice to these children that aren't getting this quality child care.

And the fact that there's nearly 50% of our kids going into kindergarten in Kentucky are kindergarten ready?

I think it is pretty ridiculous.

And something needs to be done.

>> Governor Andy Beshear is urging Republican legislators to pass his education first plan, which includes funding for Universal Pre K. ♪ >> A Kentucky group wants a federal investigation into the role coal mining could have played in the July floods in eastern Kentucky WKU Public Radio reports Kentuckians for the Commonwealth sent letters to the U.S.

Departments of Justice and the Interior.

The letter asked for a look at weather surface mining was a factor in the floods.

And if there were any breakdowns in the enforcement 1977, law on surface, mine reclamation.

It's been a little more than 6 months since that flooding.

As you recall, more than 40 people were killed and thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.

So many stories have emerged from that catastrophic flooding and we brought several of them to you.

Now there is a new documentary about the flood highlighting local acts of courage in the face of devastating loss.

>> As I was on duty, I got the first national weather alert for the area flooding.

Well, you has any of the even rain.

We'll go over here to the river.

We have the river gauge on the side of a win over Ole Stream.

So I will take 2.

I remember we have 7 feet of water at 02:00AM.

This is 02:00AM ordinarily to think so.

We're same thing.

♪ I could hear it right, how something like in a little bit.

>> Hard to start a point.

So I got to say it, but it's the pans.

>> After I had went upstairs, we heard a big loud crash against the House.

It kind of felt like an earthquake.

And that's land.

The foundation were out on the back and then the water filled the basement.

We got about 10 and a half feet of water and less than 10 minutes.

>> That documentaries produced by the center for Rural Strategies and Whitesburg Kentucky.

We recently sat down with the center's President Dee Davis who shared why he thought it was important to share these stories.

>> When I was in kindergarten I saw the 1957 flood.

And it was devastating.

We lost everything I lived in and it was rough all up and down, particularly the North Fork of the Kentucky River.

And then this flood came and break up, break those records.

This was amazing to have that much water.

Come overnight after a tragedy like this is important.

People tell their stories, right that this is this is not just a new cycle.

This is biblical and everybody had a story to tell.

Most of the people who witnessed that had many stories to tell.

So we want to create a platform of place for people to get the story out to just reach up and grab people by the shirt and say, here's what I saw.

And so it's important for us to.

Be part of getting that story to people so that they could understand.

What we see, what it means to us in our place and to make connections to people who are facing similar situations all around the globe.

I think in some ways that.

The story is about.

Heroism, not just going into the flood him pulling people out who are in trouble, but also and just fallen tears.

people trying to figure out how to rebuild.

And I I would hope that people you see the documentary.

Can't get a sense the some people doing decent things.

>> You can see that documentary East Kentucky Flood tonight at 10 Eastern 9 central right here on KET.

♪ >> Not everyone can afford a prom dress.

So wouldn't it be nice if there was a place that could loan prom dresses to students who made them where there is and we'll take you there and introduce you to the sisters who started it.

That's tomorrow night on Kentucky edition will 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

I'm Renee Shaw from our Capitol Annex office here in Frankfort, Kentucky.

And I will see you tomorrow night.

Take good care.

♪ ♪ ♪