♪ >> I think the name of this bill, the Horizons Act, says everything about this bill in a brick on Taishan.

You can use that word.

Will be a darker eyes and or bright one for Kentucky's child care system.

One lawmaker says that's the choice for Kentucky.

>> It will be the most damaging decision made to this community in many, many years.

>> Jefferson County Public school superintendent pushing back against lawmakers on dei audits and calls to split the district.

>> It feels better when you're able to see someone that looks exactly like you because you're like, hey, I can do that, too.

>> This courtroom isn't real.

But the lessons learned our.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KU Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky.

Addition for Tuesday, February 20th, I'm Casey Parker Bell filling in for Renee Shaw.

>> It's not childcare daycare or babysitting for one Kentucky state senator.

The childcare industry is more than just chaperoning.

It's early childhood education without help from the state.

One in 5 child care facilities could permanently close its stores.

But a new Senate bill called the horizon sacked.

Maybe the rescue this industry needs.

Our Clayton Dalton breaks it down in tonight's Legislative update.

During the COVID-19 pandemic child care facilities across the country were supported by arpa funds, emergency money from the federal government.

>> In Kentucky, those dollars are about to dry up and without intervention.

The future of childcare looks grim.

>> I think the name of this bill, the Horizons Act, says everything about this bill and every connotation you can use that word.

The 2022 report shows that without government investment, 70% of Kentucky childcare providers will raise tuition.

>> 40% will cut staff wages.

30% will lay off staff and 20% will permanently close darker eyes and see if we fail to act bright horizons.

If we do act and we act properly.

Broadening horizons is another term to describe this.

The Horizons act is expected to cost 300 million dollars over 2 years.

Do I think it's worth 300 million investment?

We need to make.

Do I feel like the dividends?

We are going to be worth more than what we're investing?

Absolutely.

I do without question.

10 years we have lost half of our providers in this state.

Imagine what's going to happen if we do nothing.

We anticipate another 20% will close their doors.

If you can't feed your family if you can't make a living opening up the Sooners and operating the Sooners, you're going to closure doors.

The bill provides money for the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps families pay for child care.

These dollars also helped childcare facilities ensure a steady stream of income for operating costs like utilities, insurance and salaries.

Kathleen Donald, a a child care provider, explains the impact of potentially closing her doors.

I don't want to close, but if I did close, I would impact 80 families.

>> And that would be people leaving the workforce.

They're re.

25 teachers that I employ.

That would be out of work.

That would impact over 120 children not having care.

And that would include 10 and fenced 27 Tyler's in 84 preschool children.

Then I would not be able to care for.

>> Charles, all with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce says the bill also help bolster Kentucky's workforce.

>> So I think Chairman Carroll's legislation to do is that it would ensure that more parents can access and afford quality early childhood services, which in turn, what help us mitigate aren't sustainable.

Workforce trends.

>> Senator Carol says the bill is not only good for parents and businesses, but also for Kentucky's children.

We know that our kids start learning from the moment they are born.

We know that between birth and age 5, 85 to 90%.

Of the brain is developed.

These years.

Lay the foundation for an edge.

All the educational career there follows Kentucky free a conservative policy organization believes bailing out the childcare industry is a bad idea.

Subsidies result in higher prices over the long term.

The cost of health care and higher education are informative.

If policymakers are concerned about the cost of childcare for families providing permanent subsidies is the last thing that should be under consideration.

Still.

Senator Carroll, thanks.

Kentucky has an opportunity to send a message for once.

I want Kentucky to be the one that gets out in front and 6 sets the example for this entire nation.

We have an opportunity to do that.

No vote was held today.

But Chairman Carroll hopes to hear the bill in committee for its first vote next week.

He says after rally more support from his colleagues for Kentucky edition.

I'm Clayton Dollar.

We'll talk more about the horizon sacked and what it would do to help with child care in Kentucky next Monday on Kentucky tonight.

Send us your questions and comments.

That's next.

Monday at 8 Eastern 7 central here on KET.

Abortion was the focus last night on Kentucky tonight.

Some Democrats want legislation to ease abortion restrictions put in place since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade in 2022, some Republicans are also pushing new legislation, including Olivia slaw, our House Bill 3.46, it would require public schools starting in the 6th grade to teach students about fetal development.

That would include a 3 minute long animated video showing the fertilization process.

>> And it's important for us to acknowledge the humanity of the baby in the way as opposed to it being in a blog bar, you know, not being in a baby.

We know that the the heartbeat can be detected after, like 18 days.

And so this is a baby in its very easy for us to determine through the alter sound that it is a baby.

And I know whenever I was in school, we were actually taught this type of information, the growth of the baby in what occurred from every week and and somehow that's moved away from the development of the baby in the womb to maybe more like sex education.

And that's important.

But it's also important for us to acknowledge that that is a baby in the way in and that's that's exactly what the intent of this language in a sweeter.

How do you read this measure?

>> I.

>> I'm a big proponent of comprehensive sex education.

However, House Bill 3.46, and specifically that the video the Olivia, the baby Olivia video has a lot of inaccuracies, medical inaccuracies by the weeks that are problematic to say the least that they are and they are unscientific.

Cobb has come out against the video videos like that should not be displayed to children to set them up for a cog is the America as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists this.

This bill should not be in front of children because this is the video that I should not be in front of children.

Only accurate information.

I'm fully in support of accurate information on fertilization and the week stages.

They just need to be accurate.

In fact, based and I can go week by week with you numbers on it of Tate on at least the video that is purported as an example is the video of a sweeter >> suggest or flat out say that fertilization happens at conception.

Yes.

>> But the video, at least that is put as like the gold standard to be mirrored by that.

It is the that when the s**** meets egg, this is the moment that life begins.

That is in the video.

There is no consensus among the scientific or religious community is about when life begins.

>> I think it's very important for us to acknowledge that there that I guess that is one of the debates.

But this video has actually been approved by accredited OBGYN.

And I know I had and that not the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, not the American Medical Association has been approved by a fringe group unknown French group that is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which should also say that, you know why it's called the baby.

Olivia acted doesn't necessarily require that this video be years.

Yes, but the allies for a video, a 3 minute video, they communicate >> The spectacular growth that the human in the weapon.

>> See the full hour.

Long discussion from last night online on demand by going to KET DOT org.

Slash K why tonight?

Unruly student behavior is cited as a big reason why Jefferson County Public Schools struggle to hire and KET school bus drivers as Kentucky additions.

June Leffler reports.

State lawmakers say drivers in Kentucky deserve a bigger voice on and off the bus.

>> Last fall, dozens of school bus drivers in Louisville organized a sickout to protest some of their working conditions.

>> What was the reason that they were calling what were they not hearing responses too.

And the answers were discipline.

The response to referrals.

Parents and guardians actions at the bus stops and lack of accountability by administrators and their voices aren't being heard just in the autumn semester.

JCPS.

We saw instances 366 of intentionally throwing objects 366 taunting baiting, inciting a fight was 224 just one semester.

Striking.

A student.

1226 instances.

4th degree assault.

We saw a 50 and says.

>> Republican state lawmakers from Jefferson County sponsored House Bill 4.46, but lawmakers from other school districts say this isn't just a Louisville issue.

>> I know walk in my district couple years ago.

We start having some issues on the buses and we decided to to install cameras in every bus you we have to hold kids accountable and then, you know, the flip side that we also have told parents accountable.

>> The bill would require school boards to adopt a transportation policy that students must behave on the bus.

Both students and their parents would have to agree to the terms.

And if a bus driver says a student has violated the policy, the driver could refuse to transport that student.

The driver could also turn that student over to a district official, a parent or guardian or even the police.

A Louisville Democrat says this bill needs to fall in line with federal protections for certain students.

The only students who are required in the special education.

Then to have transportation or those who end up on special needs transportation.

If passed, the bill go into effect during the next school year.

The committee also signed off on a resolution to let teachers teach the resolution would form the teacher or red tape Reduction Task Force, which would look for outdated redundant or unnecessary mandates imposed on teachers.

>> My wife is like many other teachers in the classroom.

Today she loves students.

She loves education.

She just doesn't like all the additional hope says yes to jump through each day to do a job.

>> The task force would begin meeting after the session and would have to submit recommendations by December for Kentucky EDITION.

I'm John Leffler.

>> Last week JCPS officials said they might not be able to bus all students to school, especially those attending traditional and magnet schools.

More on that in just a few minutes.

Our headlines around Kentucky segment.

We're on the right path and we're making progress.

That was the message from Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio during his annual state of the District address today in Louisville, polio reflected on what he learned in his 7 years as the superintendent of JCPS.

Among the highlights being nationally recognized as leader in learning loss recovery after the pandemic.

However, polio did acknowledge the student achievement gap as one of the big challenges facing the district.

Another student transportation, a problem he says has no easy solution.

>> 10 years we had over 950 bus drivers.

Right now.

We have approximately 550 bus drivers and we're providing the same services to families all across this district that we did with 950 bus drivers.

It is not a paradigm that can continue.

We're going to have to make tough choices and none of those choices have great dancers hard to do.

Now.

I might have unintended consequences with them.

We're going to have to make the tough decisions because there's only 2 things we can do.

Increase drivers or decrease routes.

That's what we can do.

And so we are working extremely h*** o* increasing drivers.

But at the same time, having to make some difficult decisions about routes so that we won't have kids missing school or getting late home at night.

>> Polio also used the address to take aim at state.

Lawmakers saying proposed anti diversity, equity inclusion legislation will only widen student achievement gaps.

He also says resolutions filed by Louisville area GOP legislators could split up the Jefferson County School district.

The cause long-term damage to the community.

>> Putting up the district and this is my opinion.

I believe this.

I've been in this district 27 years and whatever happens will be posed to me.

So it's not about my job.

It will be the most damaging decision made to this community in many, many years.

>> So not only will our teachers and our high need schools not be paid $8,000 more.

They will actually be paid $8,000 less to work in our high need schools.

We will not be able to do any of the things we've done.

Clearly we are on the right path.

We are walking that right path splitting up the district is not the answer.

I would challenge the legislators.

This if that is what you want them to have a commission to study JCPS, make sure it's well represented from the people that will have the impact of this decision.

>> Polio also responded to calls by some lawmakers for another audit of the district.

He says the district has undergone 6 audits since 2017, all with positive findings.

So he has plenty about its for those lawmakers to look.

Kentucky needs an education commissioner, the Kentucky Board of Education says 15 people have applied for the now open job.

The deadline to apply was last Friday.

The interview committee says it will review applications starting in early March, then start interviews in the middle of March.

The Board of Education says it hopes to have a new commissioner on the job by July.

1st, the new commissioner will replace Jason Glass who left to become associate vice president at Western Michigan University class said his decision to leave was connected to new laws passed by the Kentucky General Assembly.

He had publicly disagreed with the Republican backed plan affecting transgender students.

The U.S. House might not vote at all on the impeachment of President Joe Biden.

That's according to the man leading the investigation.

Congressman James Comer of Kentucky's first congressional district, the chair of the House Oversight Committee Comer told Spectrum News the math keeps getting worse for Republicans last week in New York, a Democrat won the Republican held seat of George Santos, reducing the Republican majority in the House and the Republican star witness, a man who claimed the president and his son sought bribes from a Ukrainian company.

He's now accused of lying to the FBI about those accusations.

A legal defeat today for Congressman Thomas Massie, Republican from Kentucky's 4th congressional district and 2 other Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor, Greene of Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court today rejected appeals from the 3 after they were fined $500 for not wearing face coverings on the House floor in 2021.

It was a requirement at the time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lower courts refused to block the funds saying the courts lacked authority to review Congress's mask policy.

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case from Kentucky involving felon voting rights in 2019.

Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order to restore voting rights to thousands of felons who served their time.

But it did not include people with out of state or federal convictions.

The Fair Election Center and Kentucky Equal Justice Center suit on behalf of felons who did not get their voting rights restored.

The court's decision not to review the case means those felons will have to petition the governor individually as the law currently requires.

♪ >> Richmond, you're getting a new electric vehicle charging station.

We have pictures from yesterday's groundbreaking at a Richmond Circle K according to Governor Andy Beshear.

This is the first electric vehicle charger in the southeast made possible by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.

The goal is to spend 5 billion dollars to build charging stations across the country.

It's part of the 2021 National Infrastructure Bill.

WKU says the charging station should be open to that public in April.

Some good news for Kentucky.

The state is drought free for the first time since last May.

Thanks to recent rain, the National Weather Service in Jackson says Kentucky experience long-term dry weather starting last fall.

It continued into the winter.

The recent rain is seen as helpful to farmers.

And it's good news for firefighters because it reduces the possibility of forest fires.

Jefferson County has a plan to ease its continuing school bus problems.

But not everyone likes the solution.

And Lexington's Minor League Baseball team has a new name with a familiar ring to it.

Our Toby Gibbs has the details on our Tuesday.

Look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Officials from Kentucky's largest school district say cutting transportation for 16,000 back to traditional students is the only solution to the bus driver shortage.

And the only way to ensure that students get to school on time.

Louisville public media reports that some students and citizens in Jefferson County are concerned that fewer low-income students and students of color will be able to attend magnet programs.

The JCPS chief operations officer told the Jefferson County Board of Education the district needs to reduce the number of routes to 474 or less to accommodate 562 drivers.

Kcps anticipates having next year.

The city of Hopkinsville and the Bell Hooks legacy Group?

Alright, failing a new street sign and hosting a ceremony for the acclaimed writer who is from the western Kentucky City.

The Hop Down Chronicle reports that in honor of the late writer who was born, Gloria Jean Watkins, a street will be renamed the Bell Hoax Way.

The unveiling will be March 1st after the dedication, attendees are invited to the Penny Royal Area Museum for the opening of the newly created Bell Hooks.

Legacy Room.

These events are part of Bell hopes, Legacy Day.

The president and matriarch of Kentucky's oldest outdoor theater died last week.

The Richmond Register reports Charlotte Hutchison Henson died at her home on the grounds of the Pioneer Playhouse and Dan Bowl on February 13, she was 93 and sent along with her late husband, Colonel, even Hanson brought many young actors to the Pioneer Playhouse stage, including John Travolta and Lee Majors.

The Lexington Legends are back after one year of the hour.

FOX Lane report says the Atlantic League team announced the new name and logo to fans of Red Mile.

This follows the announcement of the new ownership group Temerity baseball.

The new face of the Legends it lacks the legends 2024 season starts on April.

25th.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm told the Good.

♪ >> Adults can learn a thing or 2 from the teens and their community.

At least that's what officials from a new program at Kentucky State University says high school students will be teaching adults digital literacy through the university's 4 H Youth Development program which will give the tax change makers the resources to host workshops.

>> I think we've got to learn from each each other other.

The literacy is the issue that faces us.

We're going over those and also developing drones that deliver literacy skills.

The team's given them the leadership spill, the Bailey for the future job market that may learn some to some tricks and trades that the older adults have and by And then we think about the environment.

Everybody are different, different ages and come from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

And so I think help close the gap as well as you know, fraud and scam among the elderly groups because the big but definitely after school program, a kind of what we can establish specifically where we're going to community center's.

We're collaborating with churches that some of area that we may collaborate well also like nursing homes, nursing home retirement facilities.

So we could get that collaboration with the teams with the adults older.

I think it's a poor cast you to partner with a 10 seat because this helps us to expand our reach.

Right.

So if we didn't work with a 10 team, this program really would just be centrally located.

And frank for sponsoring us to deliver this program.

We're able to spam outreach to of the counties where users or another and where we have other volunteer located as well.

>> A TNT awarded the school's 4 H program $10,000 to implement tech changemakers in Kentucky.

♪ ♪ >> Jefferson County Central High School has its own courtroom.

It's not a real one, but it is giving students some real-life lessons and how the law works.

The goal is to get students of color involved in the legal process and it's working.

>> This program is the oldest magnet program in all of Jefferson County.

It was the first night in the program and we can in 1986.

>> One of one of the goals of the program was to help increase diversity in the legal field.

>> We have problems with our partners.

Brandeis School was one of our main partners to leave a bar association by meeting other lawyers meeting other judges.

We have that available.

So that the students get the message more than just me.

I've been able to do several things throughout the maggot in the judges and the go to different law >> I have been still currently doing illegal a society which involves be going to the courthouse of being a court runner for Once you get to know the criminal justice system and see how things work in the flow of things you're able to see the flaws.

Bush able to also see the good in the court system being a lot was a really be building me.

I see a lot of the injustices much community goes through.

>> So I feel like the best route to change the system is to be a part of the system and take it from the inside out.

>> I think it's really important for.

A lot to be in like a majority black high school because I feel like we have a board, very large disconnect between the black community and law.

When you look at the criminal justice system, whether from policing attorneys it is a lot of white people not saying that they are doing a good job, but it's it feels better when you're able to see someone that looks exactly like you because you're like, hey, I can do that to whether than just seeing another person sitting on the stand because when you see someone that looks like you, you are able to have that connection relate and they're able to understand more where you come from.

LA is involved in every aspect of your life.

And I feel like that's something that's really important for students and even adults to realize I know a lot of black people are kind of targeted by but car lot of and so if we can bridge that gap by helping people learn their rise like being a lot.

Maggie, let's you know, or lets you explore.

I guess the rise that we've had with that.

We have that people don't know that we have.

So we know more about the law than the average citizen would the way we're going to make a better system.

>> He's one student at a time.

The time.

When we a reader discuss cases of of wrongdoing within the justice system, whether it's up to police level or court level we want to reaffirm that this generation is going to have to fix the problems exist.

>> Since the law magnet program started about 45 students have graduated and gone on to become lawyers.

Judges or land some other kind of job in the legal field.

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

You can subscribe to our Kentucky Edition email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips a K E T Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and spark EV and send us a story idea.

Public affairs a K E T Dot Org one a shower turns tomorrow I'm Casey Parker Bell.

Have a great night.

♪