>> What is the intent of this bill?

What is the point?

Opponents are signed.

A bill in Frankfort will put trans children's lives at risk.

>> Because the group?

>> Mothers and Fathers, brothers, There were people that were engaged in the life of Lexington's Community.

>> An art display will pay tribute to some of the people who are forgotten who helped shape Lexington.

I came home talked to my sister about it.

And we KET we had to do something.

And one, some students couldn't afford a prom dress.

2 sisters took action.

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 Thursday, February, the 16th, we thank you for joining us tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw coming to you from our annex studios in Frankfort as the General Assembly continues in session.

And almost total abortion ban remains in place.

Intent, hockey after a state Supreme Court decision to KET Republican passed restrictions in place for now in 2022, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a what's called trigger law to prohibit most abortions.

Wants the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade, which happened last June.

Lawmakers also passed a fetal heartbeat law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is typically around 6 weeks into a pregnancy.

Our circuit court blocked those laws from going into effect.

But an appeals court court to reverse that decision today.

The state's highest court affirmed the appeals court's decisions.

It did not rule on the constitutionality of the law's deputy Chief Justice Debra Lambert wrote to be clear, this opinion does not in any way determine whether the Kentucky Constitution protects or does not protect the right to receive an abortion has no appropriate party to raise.

That issue is before us.

Nothing in this opinion shall be construed to prevent and appropriate party from following suit at a later date, Kentucky's Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron who is running for governor called the ruling, quote, a significant victory.

In a statement, he said, quote, We're very pleased that Kentucky's high court has allowed these laws remain in effect while the case proceeds in circuit court Adia Wishon are with the Kentucky right to life.

Had this to say about today's ruling.

>> We're elated.

We know it's not the end of the battle, but for you.

Some of these baby abortion facilities in Kentucky have been closed for 198 days.

They want main closed as this continues.

>> We would have liked a pet.

>> Just say there's not right to abortion in the Constitution because there's not competition is going to shoot.

But I think they liberated.

They looked at it and they gave one that said there's still some work to be done is what is needed.

I just we're just very thankful, very grateful.

And this 43 room.

>> The ACLU of Kentuckyian Planned Parenthood put out a joint statement saying, quote, Once again, the Kentucky Supreme Court failed to protect the health and safety of nearly a million people in the state by refusing to reinstate the lower court order blocking the law.

We are extremely disappointed in today's decision, but we will never give up the fight to restore bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom and Kentucky.

This fight is not over, end quote.

Today's ruling just so happened to come on the same day that the Family Foundation gathered in the state Capitol Rotunda.

The group hosted its faith and family advocacy Day.

David Walls, executive director of the Family Foundation began the event by explaining why they were there.

>> Kentucky has a tremendous opportunity.

This legislative session to take a leadership role in protecting the rights and standing up for our children.

>> Some of the legislation backed by the Family Foundation includes House Bill 30 filed by state Representative Bill Wesley.

It would require students to use school bathrooms based on their gender assigned at birth Treasurer Allison Ball, an auditor, Mike Harmon, who's running for governor, also spoke at today's event.

There was emotional testimony at a Frankfort committee meeting today as opponents of Senate Bill.

One 50 say it will put trans children in danger.

State senator and Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate Max was says his bill will give parents more rights and transparency and school policies.

But the leader of the Kentucky Fairness Campaign says it's part of a, quote, slight of hate.

>> Our Casey Parker Bell begins our legislative update with this report on the controversial Bill and >> This is legalized bullying.

By peers and their teachers.

And I don't know if you know that our schools have a bullying problem already.

>> Opponents lined up to speak against Senate Bill one 50 again after the bill was sent back to committee for changes.

State Senator Max Wise sponsors.

The bill.

He says the bill gives educators First Amendment options.

Nothing in this bill would prevent students from requesting identification.

>> For a non-birth conforming pronoun nor prevent staff and students from addressing those students.

>> With nonconforming pronouns.

You know, Lyles still for the First Amendment.

For faculty.

For those wishing to do so or not up to them.

But there's nothing in this bill that sentiment didn't stop emotional testimony against the measure yesterday.

Hundreds packed into the Capitol Rotunda for the Kentucky Fairness Rally today, the group's executive director told legislators he has spoken with children feel the bill takes away their dignity.

>> You're legislating these people.

Can survive.

And I'll tell you what they can get.

Not with the slate of hate that you all have introduced this session.

The suicide rates are outrageous.

You know what?

You seem to not care.

Not what you have talked about.

It.

What is the intent of this bill?

What is the point?

>> Rates of suicide among transgender and non-binary youth are disturbingly high.

The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization with the goal to end LGBTQ suicide conducted a survey in Kentucky.

It shows that nearly 59% of transgender and non-binary youth in Kentucky seriously considered suicide in the past year.

24% attempted suicide.

Former Republican state legislator Bob homering are also spoke against the bill, calling it distress.

And why is that any business of the General Assembly?

>> Why let the schools handle this one?

I let the families handle this.

With the General Assembly has to handle.

Haven't these kids had enough challenges?

I think it's wrong.

I this is there's either right or wrong.

And this is wrong.

And you know what?

It's not just discrimination.

It's not just immoral, in my opinion, but it's not going to work.

>> In committee, one Republican legislator voted against the bill Litchfield Senator Stephen Meredith says there needs to be more dialogue among legislators, the concerned parties.

>> But I'm not sure that the concerns other folks are being taken to consider numbers in those concerns are right or wrong.

It just says should be considered.

We should be of a sudden a table together and talk about the right approach to all these things.

I'd like to hear a little bit more from our educators to teachers in the classroom about this.

And I think it's just premature at this point in time, too.

Act on this bill taking Senate Bill one 50 back to committee.

>> Richard Amendments attached to the Bills.

Previous version unusable state Senator Karen Berger had proposed 4 minutes to measure the bar.

She lost her transgender son, Henry to suicide last year.

>> So what this bill does?

Is it takes.

>> The single.

>> Most important they.

That can be done.

To improve a child's health.

And well being.

And makes it entirely.

>> Shot a note.

>> SB One 50 passed the Senate on a party line vote of 29 to 6 now heads to the House for consideration.

There for Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Thank you, Casey.

There are other measures in the state legislature that LGBTQ+ activists are calling extreme including Senate Bill 102 and House Bill.

One.

73.

If you or someone you know, is suffering from a mental health crisis, help is available.

The national suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 9, 8, 8, or you can chat on line 9, 8, 8 lifeline dot org slash chat.

Lawmakers will consider a plan designed to help ease Kentucky's teacher shortage.

Representative James Tipton, chair of the House Education Committee filed House Bill 3.19, yesterday.

If passed, would let teachers with a license and an eligible state receive a similar license in Kentucky and the bill would require the Kentucky Department of Education to establish an online statewide job posting system.

So teachers wouldn't have to apply multiple times for jobs in different counties.

We'll talk about the teacher shortage coming up Monday night on Kentucky tonight.

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

A group fighting for gun safety also rallied in the state Capitol today.

Kentucky Moms Demand Action, volunteers, survivors of gun violence and students urged lawmakers to make gun violence prevention a priority.

This session.

One of today's speakers was hauling home who was injured in a deadly shooting and West Paducah and 1997.

We just want to remind our lawmakers.

>> That in spite of the efforts of the gun lobby, the majority of the people in Kentucky, what Todd says, come on.

>> Here in Kentucky, we have to let the highest rate of gun violence in the country.

Each time I hear about a new incident, I think about the scars that ripple through our community forever changing the people affected.

That is not a class.

One should have to do it.

>> Democratic State Representative Chad, all of Lexington joined today's rally.

He's a co-sponsor of House Bill 3.26.

Which calls for creating an office of Safer Communities and the Department for Public Health.

The office would among other things, collect data and make recommendations relating to gun violence from both the public safety and a public health perspective.

The mother of a University of Kentucky student who died at a fraternity house is pleading for lawmakers to stiffen penalties for hazing.

Tracy Hazelwood lost her son, Lofton and 2021 from excessive alcohol consumption.

He'd write 18 shots of wild turkey bourbon in less than an hour.

The 18 year-old freshman from Henderson, Kentucky was found unresponsive at the farmhouse fraternity house.

It was part of the fraternities tradition.

But the Hazelwood say it was hazing that had deadly consequences.

The grieving mother says new anti-hazing laws are needed to help KET college kids safe.

>> Senate Bill 9, we'll send a message that Kentucky value student safety.

In Senate Bill 9 will hold people accountable, especially those responsible for serious bodily harm or death as in life to its case.

We beg of you to plan passed this law because we don't want anybody to go through what we went there.

I want everybody to think about being 3 hours away.

And you get that phone call.

So just please consider it.

>> Karlov places, the burden on universities and colleges to enforce the act of hazing with a maximum penalty of expulsion.

If the measure called Lofton's law is approved by the General Assembly, Kentucky would join 13 other states and elevating hazing to criminal status.

State.

Senator Rob emails of Henderson is the sponsor of Senate Bill 9.

He says hazing as a so-called right of passage is wrong and deserves tougher penalties.

>> We do not believe the one endangerment charge in Kentucky, Ed Oakley covers all the acts of hazing and this is why it merits a separate criminal status.

Under Senate Bill 9, a person is guilty of hazing in the first degree when he or she intentionally erwan le engages in the act of hazing.

That results in the serious physical injury or death of a student.

Under this proposed legislation.

First-degree hazing will be a class D felony.

Under Senate Bill 9, a person is guilty of hazing in the second degree when he or she recklessly in cages in the act of hazing and under this legislation, second degree hazing will be a class, A misdemeanor.

>> Senate bill 9 that criminalizes college hazing advance from the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning and now waits for action by the full Senate.

Some health related policy was also discussed in Frankfort today.

The Kentucky Hospital Association is pushing for the passage of House Bill 75.

The bill is sponsored by Republican State Representative Brandon Reed of Hodgenville.

He and the association say this bill is about ensuring access to hospital outpatient care across Kentucky.

My chair and CEO of TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital in Bowling Green says the bill will particularly help rule hospitals.

>> House bill, a Senate problem, our hospitals, our Jeanne small, to have the resources to focus on all day to help small hospital room hospital.

Also stabilize finances, which are critical.

When hospital start getting these negative margins, which almost all hospitals are, it takes away from the investment and equipment maintenance of those within their facilities.

And most importantly, he reinvested into our staff and make competitive to deliver the care.

>> House Bill, 75 has passed a House committee and as our weighted waiting to be voted on by the full House.

Insurers would be required to cover biomarker testing for cancer under a bill passed by the House Health Services Committee today, Republican State Representative Kim Moser of Taylor Mill sponsors.

The bill.

She points out that Kentucky has some of the highest cancer rates in the nation and is number one in the nation for lung cancer.

She said biomarker testing allows for targeted cancer treatment, but she says means fewer side effects for the patient and fewer premature deaths.

And that is should that is to be covered by the private health insurance and Medicaid.

Speaking on the bill today, the president, the Kentucky Association of Health Plans to send more guardrails need to be put in place before the bill is passed.

And Leah Phillips, a cancer survivor who said biomarker testing helped her beat the odds.

By having that biomarker testing performed.

I qualified for to which is a targeted therapy or precision medicine.

>> To treat my cancer had I not had the biomarker testing done.

I would have been treated like a typical lung cancer patient, most of which are smokers.

And but it's been put on chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

If I would have chosen that route of treatment, my life expectancy and my quality of life would be much decreased.

Not only do I have I market testing done at diagnosis might get type of cancer.

It's not a matter of if it comes back, it will return in progress.

At that point, the doctors will want to re biopsy are re biomarker test that tissue to see if there are any other new genetic markers that have.

Developed that would.

Qualify me for a different take it to the eye or additional treatments to target into that therapy.

So not only is this important in guiding my a treatment plan, but it's also allowed me now to live for 38 months since diagnosis with now the life expectancy of 5 to 7 years.

>> This legislation could significantly increase the number of tests that plans would be required to cover, including tests that have not been found to improve health outcomes.

Broad testing leads to unnecessary testing, raising costs and lowering affordability for all enrollees.

The use of biomarker testing should be based on peer reviewed medical literature and be proven to materially improve the net health outcomes.

These proposed legislative mandates would require us to apply standards employed much lower bar for evidentiary assessment, particularly Medicare, local coverage, determinations and some clinical practice guidelines, both of which would require plans to cover an incredibly large and diverse number of tests which are not supported by evidence and may lead to patient harm through unnecessary testing treatment.

In other unintended downstream effects.

>> Representative Moser told the committee a cost benefit analysis showed insurance premiums and administrative costs for insurers would not increase under the mandate.

Governor Andy Beshear says House Bill 3, a bill dealing with juvenile justice doesn't provide the money needed to fix the system.

Among other things, the bill allocates money for reopening the Jefferson County Use Detention Center.

It holds parents accountable for children's school attendance or participation in a diversion program.

But the governor says the General Assembly needs to okay money to hire staff and improved facilities throughout the system and he rejects the idea that the budget can't be changed.

>> General Assembly has already reopened the bunch.

Signed House Bill 2 dealing with the veterans nursing home that we need to define bed open.

The budget depending on what happens with House Bill one, it will reopen the budget if you change revenue.

That's the budget and House Bill.

3 with the appropriation for the local facility reopens the budget as well.

So now the budgets being reopened.

It is being reopened.

It already has been.

We know we're going to have about 2 billion dollars more in revenue than we have incurred expenses under the budget.

These dollars are there.

I need to be appropriated if the legislature is going to do its part in addressing these challenges.

>> Speaking of money, Governor Beshear says general fund revenues added up to 1.2 billion dollars in January.

The best January in the state's history.

Also today the governor announced progress on the Brent Spence Bridge Project in northern Kentucky.

He says next week, engineering and construction companies will be able to begin applying to compete for the contract to design and build the bridge.

The bridge work is expected to take several years.

♪ Kentucky's second-largest school system is buying land and planning for new schools.

The Fayette County Board of Education voted this week to buy 14 acres of land along Greenville Road for 3.1 million dollars.

The board plans to build a new elementary school there and there would be enough room for middle school.

But the elementary school will be built first.

This is to handle anticipated growth in Lexington's Masterson Station area.

Many who have visited Ashlynn have seen the historical preservation of the home and legacy of Henry Clay.

But missing from the estate is the legacy of those enslave there.

Henry Clay estate and its partners are looking to change that with a new Memorial.

>> Ashland is the 17 acre state Henry Clay.

And in 1950, is with the House actually opened as a public museum.

And ever since that time, we've really started examining who was involved in Clay's life and that included the enslaved people that were on this property, not just what they did for Henry Clay, but who they were as because they were.

Mothers and fathers and brothers There were people that were engaged in the life of Lexington's community.

We reached out to lax arts because of that experience with public art projects.

Our goal is to make this property relevant.

To speak to.

How history can not just tell us about how things were but perhaps inform decisions that are being made today.

We thought that.

It would it would help us in telling the story to commission an artist or artist team to create a memorial where there's actually tangible on this property that helps us connect to that narrative.

The Henry Clay Memorial Foundation approach LAX arts to >> Find an artist that will create a permanent public art work that will memorialized.

The enslaved peoples of Ashland.

That we're here to help facilitate that project.

We have many years of experience and commissioning public work and we're here for service to the community.

The legacy of Henry Clay is complex.

You can't really separate slavery from his legacy that the >> part and parcel of his political life and also his personal life.

You could say that he spoke out of both sides of his mouth.

But in terms of I'm saying that he was for gradual emancipation, but was not all that interested in Mensa painting his the people that he enslaved.

I think you can acknowledge the fact that he did great things for the country, but at the same time, you acknowledge that he wasn't slave and he was a product of his generation.

>> Public art really can help us create an identity, a visual land markers within our communities that often can help you know, individuals or accomplishments, but also acknowledge, you know, some of our history that that we need to have present and and be able to create dialogue around.

And when we put the monument up or a sculpture up in our public space, it does Dan Forest and it's important for us to, you know, think about what does this say to the next generation about who we are now?

>> The deadline for artists to apply is February 28th.

♪ Prom is a highlight for many high school students, but there's no guarantee everyone can afford to go with the cost of prom attire rising.

Some students aren't sure if they'll be able to attend this magical rite of passage.

2 sisters saw this issue and are working to provide a solution to ensure that every student has a night.

They will remember forever.

Why?

I 2 sisters.

Prom shop.

>> Really came together about 2 years ago.

We KET there was an a E I work full time at the hospital in Mercer County and we realize there was any that a lot of the girls, a lot of the guys could not go to prom for the simple fact that could not afford to prom attire any cash?

I came home.

Talk to my sister about it and we KET we had to do something.

So from mayor, we thought why not do a Facebook post just throw it out there.

If anybody has any progress is any suits we would love to You know, there is a need and it completely blew that.

We never expected it to be as big as it is.

Now.

So last year we gave away 167 dresses and non states and this year, the need will be more.

We are one of the only organizations that does not charge one dime.

We do not do an application process.

We do not rant.

We go and they, you know, pick out their tax.

They travel on their dresses shoes and yeah, they're out the door.

We even have all of the jewelry.

My sister and I are making and debate nears the risk or causes.

We do have giveaways some of our local solace will give away free Heyer.

We'll do a drawing.

We take everybody's name into a drawing.

Some people will donate gift card so that they can have a meal to go out to eat anything that is prom related.

We usually get a donation.

And if not my sister and I will purchase at our pretty.

We're just 2 sisters.

That's it.

Nothing special at all.

We're just ordinary people are grandparents have always instilled and us.

You always pay it forward.

If there's somebody in need, you help those people in need.

The state got stuck in our heart and we just went with it and I hope that from this people.

Will be inspired to do something.

You know, not dresses or states or whatever, whatever they're passionate about.

You note that just pay it forward into black.

Our goal is to make everybody have one magical night that they'll remember forever.

Haha.

What a great story.

2 sisters prom shop will be at Mercer County Senior High School with all its prom attire.

>> This Saturday from 10:00AM until 02:00PM Eastern Time.

Students from all over the Commonwealth are welcome to attend.

What a great gesture.

So coming up tomorrow, we'll update you on a bill that makes them have to be changes to the Kentucky Board of Education and how the education commissioner is approved.

Plus, Louisville's Common Table Program is a win-win.

Students get 8 weeks of training on how to cook and 20 different locations get bread and soup.

We'll tell you more about a program that feeds and teaches tomorrow on Kentucky edition, which, of course, is at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central.

And we will inform connect and inspire.

That's a guarantee.

Thank you so much for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw.

I will see you again tomorrow night.

And until then, take really good care.

♪ ♪