Kentucky's longest-serving senator ever.

Mitch McConnell won't run again and it sets off a scramble, deadly and destructive flooding.

Then snow and bitterly cold weather hits Kentucky hard in Frankfort.

More bills are filed just under the deadline for the 2025 session.

Its other proposals are discussed.

KFC is moving its headquarters out of Louisville.

What the jobs heading to Texas.

Finally a chance to dry out and clean up this weekend.

And comment is next on KET.

♪ ♪ Good evening.

I'm Bill Bryant and we welcome you to comment on Kentucky.

A look back and and some analysis of the week's news in the Commonwealth.

And some of our panel of working Kentucky journalists tonight are.

>> Bill Lee Stepp Southern and eastern Kentucky reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader Sarah Ladd Health and policy reporter for the Kentucky Lantern and Mario Anderson anchor and host of in Focus, Kentucky Spectrum News one.

We begin our discussion tonight with Senator Mitch McConnell's decision to step aside after this term, McConnell is completing his 7th term in Washington.

He's Kentucky's longest serving senator ever.

>> Representing our Commonwealth's has been to they I will not see this on him.

They take on.

Well current term >> So, Mario, it really wasn't surprising, but maybe it's still jarring that to, you know, McConnell had stepped down as the longest-serving a party leader in the Senate ever just a few months ago.

We noted he is Kentucky's longest serving senator ever.

>> But it's a real political reality for Kentucky to adjust to right to stage without which McConnell sure is, especially since again, he's been in Washington, D.C., he was elected back in 19.

EIGHTY-FOUR took office in 1985.

It has been there consistently through multiple administrations to the White House's multiple governors here in Kentucky but has had a major impact with the securing federal funding to come to Kentucky.

But also, of course, other states across the country.

I was at a wide ranging impact and koreshan.

He started initially as a judge.

Kind of give you a second back in Jefferson County back in the day.

But many people who have come through the ranks in the political circles do tribute their rise and politics based off Mitch McConnell and what he had done for Kentuckyian their perspective.

And there's been a politicians that do credit their success in entry into politics because of his leadership and a lot of things have been able to be created, but also a careers have been started because of Mitch McConnell and his a time in Washington, D.C., advocating for Kentucky's benefit becomes legacy will be both in Washington and here in Kentucky where he the help shape history.

>> He also bill really help shape the Kentucky Republican Party and build it into the powerhouse.

It is.

>> Yeah, I mean, I looked up some numbers today when the year that Mitch McConnell was elected to U.S. 84.

There were 7 Easton in the Kentucky S representatives.

There were 77 Democrats and 23 Republicans and they've been that way for many years of a lopsided edge.

And he started working on building that of getting folks around those sorts of things.

But 2015, it was 54 Democrat.

46 course in 2016 when Trump was elected.

That was a big flip.

It flipped.

And in the 2017 session it was 36.

64, a Republican.

But Mitch McConnell got a party that point where they can start capitalizing on that.

Talk to Congressman And he said that the Kentucky GOP was put more in line with southern states under McConnell that that was kind of a strategy.

So.

>> That was the U.S. and McConnell got he in.

They worked on getting people to run, worked on, you know, positions and issues and just got the party to the point where it could begin building, especially in Western that, you know, Western Kentucky at one time was that was called a job.

All the Gibraltar of the Democrats main.

It was rock solid for the Democrats and now there's not a Republican is not a Democrat.

Representative.

Other than in Louisville, anywhere in the West and even the Western into the state west of Lexington.

>> Sarah McConnell talk about too many of the projects that he had a hand in in Kentucky.

A lot of the different things sustaining funding for the blue Grass, Army Depot.

Over the years.

The flood control things that he said he brought money to the state with, but he's also going to be remembered on the national landscape as well.

>> Yes, and what stands out to me as someone who's cover health for half a decade is there have been several key moments where there was this big intersection of politics and public health and McConnell usually was a voice in those times that I think back to when the COVID vaccines came out, they were there's a lot of misinformation floating around McConnell who survived polio, you know, was one of those voices who encourage people to get vaccinated.

Qantas build menace.

That came up and even recently with the confirmation of RFK Junior for Health and Human Services, he said in his statement saying while he wouldn't support that, I won't condone the re litigation of proving care.

So he's kind of been a public health voice in that way as well.

And I think it can't be lost that McConnell, part of his legacy is helping to shape the judiciary which overturned the constitutional right to abortion and is now tasked with figuring out what abortion access looks like in the future.

>> 10 till to the courts a much more concerted But yeah, I mean river, he held open easily, remember hope holding open that the the Supreme Court seat so Trump can make the nomination and then at the end of of Trump's term rushing through another nomination so that they can put another person on the court.

He's a guy, you know, he's campaign finance has been the cause of his in the beginning.

Then he's changed the way that we did in terms of the influence of money in politics.

A lot of where we are now paying for Mitch McConnell so, you know, if he was never a real show a >> But it would seem to have that that that line, that work just at the right time.

I remember asking a question one time.

And he said, well, it is much interest in land is there is state playing.

You know, he was always good at Fancy Farm.

Me get on the on the podium there giving speeches.

Mario also and Bill and I've been around long enough to remember that first campaign.

But I was just getting ready to go on air was working behind the scenes, awk it in 1984.

On election night and the was physically told to switch the cameras and the audio from Dee Huddleston headquarters in Louisville to Mitch McConnell.

>> It even to this day is a surprise to many that he pulled that off the Hound dog and and the.

>> Some of the fact that he had worked many years to get into positions it to be known across the state.

But it was still a feat and he's >> very known.

He's very calculated.

Every move that he makes every decision he's has been a part of the words that he's he says his team has been around.

Everything is I thought out to that.

He and that's kind of been he's one of the reason he's been able to be successful is because he's been able to KET a tight ship, if you will, and then also even leading up until he made that announcement, even as a team.

No, they wouldn't acknowledge that he wasn't even not considering running for reelection.

There's no discussion.

It was just he currently serving as his seat as is and that's that's a period on the conversation.

Thank you.

Made a very good point.

Very disciplined bill that he was in the required to staff to be.

>> Very disciplined.

>> And not written, not well liked among a lot of Kentucky Republicans these days, there's been some discussion about whether he would, you know, indoors, Daniel Cameron who used to work for him.

>> And some in if he does understand, that's not a good thing for Cameron.

So at the end, I mean, he's had a tremendous impact on the end is not well liked by a lot of people in his own party in Kentucky or let's go down.

The passage set off a scramble is no doubt about that.

And the Mario, we're hearing the Bill mentioned the former attorney General Daniel Cameron.

He jumped in minutes after McConnell announced that he was dropping out.

>> Congressman Andy Barr then took a swipe at Cameron.

There's been an interest group that took a swipe at Morrow this week and we hear other names in the in the mix as well.

>> Yeah, a lot of and again, the primary isn't until May of 2026, but we're talking in February of 2025 and already if things are buzzing pretty quickly.

But he had Daniel Cameron one minute after McConnell to deliver his speech on the Senate chamber during a Cameron had a social media post saying that it's time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate.

Any bar has continuing has been saying that because of encouraging from others he's seriously considering running for this office.

But then also at a Lexington, there's a businessman has been pretty successful through the years.

Nate Morris eyes also I've been very active on social media talking about how he is interested potentially running for U.S.. Senate would also be looking at the governor's race in 2027.

He has personal ties to Vice President JD Vance, but also he's a pretty frequent down and sort our law, though and hanging out with the Trump family and Donald Trump junior has posted on social media publicly saying that he supports Nate Morrison, whatever he looks in to do in the future, they all seem to be looking for a Trump endorsement crime.

That's something that at this point the other Republican Party's officially shifting.

>> It could do the Democrats.

Do they see themselves as having a realistic chance of winning their first U.S. Senate race in Kentucky since 1992 Bill, 1, 1, bill forward and won his last term.

>> Well, I mean, given the way the states trending, it's obviously going uphill battle.

But Andy Beshear showed you showed you can win twice statewide as governor and they are not running for the Senate is not running and it's intended.

Governor is not running blades of taking themselves out of the running.

But but I would note also mean so much in politics depends on timing and move move and your opponent, Andy Beshear benefited from having opponent is first time around who was?

Not well-liked and Matt Bevin.

Of and Cameron has been the last time around made some stumbles kind of Wofford on abortion.

It seemed like to some people so.

You know, that play that matters as well.

So but ensures so you can you can you can win statewide is a Democrat.

But you have to have some of the things that the lineup for you to do that with Stevenson is the candidate whose has files and papers file papers to start fundraising.

Now she's the House Minority Leader.

>> And the General Assembly.

So she's already said that she's she's and 2 the part of the primary.

But, you know, there's still interest on who may also want to join that race and well, they've also been mentioning a Rocky Adkins.

Will he consider going back into statewide politics and we'll see if he ends up a look into that any further.

All right.

Well, a reminder that Senator McConnell will remain in the Senate through.

>> This term.

Let's move on now and discuss the tragic whether the death toll from last weekend's flooding in Kentucky has reached 15, many Kentucky communities were under water.

Homes and businesses were washed away and there were more than 1000 rescues of people who are trapped in the flood.

And once again, Governor Beshear found himself leading Kentucky in a disaster and reaching out for federal help.

In fact, it was in Washington today and helping Kentucky's plea directly to the Trump administration.

>> We are grateful for the local, the state, the national and even the crews coming in from other places that are helping our people find safety and find shelter during what is continuing to be one of the most challenging weather events that we have faced.

>> And just as the rivers and creeks started going down, more tough weather rolled in snow and bitter cold bill.

Again, a very challenging time for eastern Kentuckyian beyond one of the flood victims you interviewed had the line them.

>> I wasn't in Hazard on Monday which got flooded and Pike Fulland Coal run village in other places.

Verjee on in on Tuesday and does a lot of damage, not as many deaths as in 2022.

In some ways then the river that replaces the came up very quickly and people to have time to get out.

There was no warning this time.

But the damage may be more widespread in more places.

>> This are a lot of the weather-related tragedies during this week.

You know, those who tried to drive through flood waters of that, you a man and a woman in Louisville who apparently froze to death.

>> Yeah, it really was this horrible situation where you had this really bad weather saying would you have all this flooding and before you can either or even really pick yourself up from the the temperatures plummeted.

And so of the 15 doesn't believe flood-related except the 2 who died of hypothermia in Louisville.

And so as those temperatures got really cold, I mean, the messaging was, if you can heat your house, you need to leave and get shelter somewhere else.

But then there were all these barriers of could you access somewhere else?

Because the roads were flooded and had barriers.

So so really bad, really bad situation.

>> Mario, President quickly approved the initial request for a federal disaster aid.

The governor is now seeking more funds, including individual assistance to victims.

>> He is.

And he's been talking this week.

The governor has that has been in contact with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and also the acting director of FEMA to request this additional assistance that would allow people to apply for further individual assistance worth up to $42,000 and and also, you know, Governor Beshear said that, hey, actually traveling to Washington, D.C., to the White House action to for the National Governors Association's meeting.

It was going to be talking directly with the federal leaders to be able to request this in person and hopefully get some quick decisions made so he could be able to sure that news here in Kentucky for Kentuckyian has been through so much in the last 5 years.

COVID the tornadoes.

>> 2 major rounds of flooding.

Now, do you get tougher or does this really take an emotional toll on people out there?

>> I think it's both of those things and it's also the 3rd item is needing actual physical resources to recover.

But, you know, you think about people will say repeatedly that if you've lived through a traumatic weather event, tornado flooding, whatever it is and then it starts to happen again.

I mean, there's some PTSD there.

There's anxiety.

Start.

It starts raining and you're having a dramatic response to that.

So there's definitely mental health crisis.

When you look at that and then you also Kentucky ends are resilient, but they also need help.

And there are so many nonprofits and organizations that are, you know, getting food, getting items, getting money to people who need it.

So you recommend people, you know, Google.

Yeah, Google Place where you can donate and you're right.

There's been a lot of good done by people as well.

>> Bill, a lot of schools had no choice but to close or go to more NTI days.

A lot of the schools are run out of NTI days have gone to the legislature.

The one bill is moving.

That appears to give them some relief.

>> I think the last count there were something like 40 districts have already run out there in 2 days for the year.

They've maxed out.

So there is a bill moving right now passed the House today that would give them 5 more.

Disaster days, 20 days.

It goes the Senate now.

So there's district that are hoping to get that kind of relief.

>> Let's move on.

Talk about the legislature was a busy week in Frankfort.

The deadline passed for new legislation to be filed.

Dozens of new bills are now proposed to bill.

It would require state universities and colleges to have a performance review and that could open the door.

Determination is under consideration Mario, the bill sponsor James Tipton says it is not about eliminating tenure, but some faculty members and others a fear that it could try.

And he's a Republican member in the House representatives.

And he said that his bill would require the public college and university professors to undergo performance.

>> And protect productivity reviews, at least every 4 years.

And he said also, you know, this bill actually passed the House committee along party lines, but it would allow institutions to dismiss talk of the faculty who fail to meet the performance standards that are established 1080 bills up for consideration of this 30 day session.

>> Mario of the so there was a flurry of bills this weekend.

Senate Bill one was finally revealed that the priority legislation would establish Kentucky film Office of Promote in the Courtenay Kentucky's film industry and the sponsor of that.

Senator Phillip Wheeler says Kentucky has the talent, the landscapes and the resources to me.

A top destination for film making.

That's right.

There's multiple parts of this particular legislation.

Senate Bill, one.

>> One and as you mentioned, it's tab Lish that sticky film Leadership Council.

They're being executive director who would oversee this process.

I would also they're looking to enhance the film industry as a whole that also provide funding and oversight to play $500,000 would be set aside initially for this particular a process to start.

But then also they want to position Kentucky for success in office to Kentucky through the years has been a part of various various cities using Kentucky's backdrops and the horse farms in green grass is part of various films and we'll see how that progress in the Legislature.

>> That may be where Saint Guillen.

Kentucky already has an incentive to try to attract filmmaking and movie productions to the state that Governor Bevin tried to kill off several years ago because he and other members of this racial said it wasn't worse at the because the snow didn't.

That wasn't a benefit from the calls.

So the legislature turned that down actually game.

I okay did more money back and that time.

But there are some folks are saying that these kind of incentives don't battle, don't bring a lot of economic benefit.

Okay, where we'll watch this.

He had goes Sarah Bill that would license businesses that sell tobacco and vaping products is sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon.

>> So there's been a lot of discussion over the last couple years about minors, vaping and use having access to vape son concerned that maybe there are some businesses that are bad actors as h***.

The sponsor will say it who are selling to minors and they should not be.

So basically he wants to license these facility.

Are these retail stop shop stores, whatever, and give the ABC's sort of the same kind of authority they would have over alcohol shops.

You could come and you could do inspections.

But a really key part of the bill is that it would find both the clerk that sold to a minor and the shop owner.

And there's like the vines get higher and higher as it goes along and then you lose your license for 2 years.

And so the money from those fines would half would go to enforcement and half would go to a youth prevention organization.

Someone doing work to KET us from vaping or recovery.

So it's been well received so far.

People have a really common and talked against to use, have spoke in favor of it and said that it's not anti-business because it's only targeting people who are breaking the law.

Already.

There were several bills filed aimed to vaccines and vaccine requirements.

Yeah.

The one that got the most attention I think was saying hospitals shouldn't be allowed to transfer use basically blood came from a donor who had gotten the COVID-19 vaccine and then the sponsor did come back later, though, and say that that was in the state didn't want to limit blood donations, which is important.

You know, Kentucky usually has uploaded shortage of needs blood donation.

So that could complicate that.

>> And there's a Senate bill.

111, it relates to juvenile justice.

You follow that?

>> Yes.

So the part of its that that's moving now is to design for 5 million dollars, a mental health facility that would basically House hi Cutie.

You so used to really are in the system and they need a higher level of care than what exists for them right now.

Next year, the senator Senator Danny Carroll wants to come back and spend 90 million building 2 different facilities for female juveniles.

But there doesn't look like they're going to open the budget for that this year, but it's still a goal of the legislation and they'll just look at that next year.

But one of the contentious debates of the week had to do with gender affirming care for those held in custody in Kentucky.

>> We are called to make sure that our taxpayer dollars are spent.

In ways that benefit the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

And in my opinion and I'm sure the opinion of many other folks.

In this commonwealth, those are not services that benefit the Commonwealth of Kentucky are the citizens of Kentucky.

>> We are spending more standing here.

>> On the floor talking about this subject that we did in the last year giving the 67 people their hormone replacement therapy.

We have lights in the state.

>> We have we'll serious issues.

>> And this is nothing.

>> But could she KET which >> They're obviously a very lively debate.

>> That was so what the bill does is says you can't use public funds so Medicaid or other whatever.

>> Public tax dollars, you can't use it to give incarcerated people hormone treatments for transgender treatments and you can't give the gender affirming care, including surgeries.

They're currently 67 inmates on hormone treatments in Kentuckyian part of the criticism was wife focus on such a small population when there are bigger populations to think about Senator Karen Berger who called it a witch hunt, her transgender son actually died 2 years ago.

And so she was obviously very critical of it as were other Democrats as well.

>> Our own amendment was added to a bill that would be a pretty much state employees from being able to work from home.

>> That's right.

It's I filed by Lindsay to share.

She's from Henry County in basically wanting to strip the ability of many state employees to work from home with limited exceptions and the others about 60,000 state employees, though, would be impacted the, you know, various forms of the or 60,000 employees that work for state government.

So we'll see how that progress.

The general public people watching the federal cuts of the Trump administration very closely.

The University of Louisville announced today they are implementing a hiring freeze until at least summer.

>> Bill, you know it at least there is that uncertainty out there across the state.

Well, meaning the Trump administration's a month and there's a lot of uncertainty about what they're going to the federal workforce mean.

We've heard talk about, you know, Forest Service employees and others being laid off in Kentucky or notify they be laid off.

But >> the fact is that the administration is not providing much information at all about what kind of cuts are being made in the federal workforce in Kentucky.

All right.

Another major headline of this week is it KFC which used to be Kentucky Fried Chicken and was started by Colonel Sanders in Corman has been headquartered in Louisville for decades.

>> And now it's moving out.

Mario, an economic blow, sort of a symbolic blow for Kentuckyian certainly for Louisville and given the Kentucky connection.

That's right.

And I even a governor at Greg Abbott out of Texas, he actually a chair on social media.

Welcome to Texas, colonel in company and maybe you'll consider name like Texas Fried Chicken may be changing the name.

I think you may have been joking, but you know, surely we'll see.

We'll see what happens.

>> They are.

But many companies from KFC.

Papa back in 2020 Brown-Forman most recently a is laying off of lot employees decreasing staff Humana in downtown The building there closing at that spot there.

So a lot of the transition happening in the Kentucky's largest city.

They're going to leave their foundation.

And I think some other employees as well build it.

KFC, though, moving its headquarters to Texas >> A long way from Colonel Sailors cafe there in Coeur.

But, yeah, I mean, you know where it all started with her husband and their mean, it's it.

It's become something that's symbolic of Kentucky.

I mean, it's got I mean, there's 30,000 some KFC restaurant around the world.

So it's been a it's been a symbol of Kentucky around the world for a long time.

And it just seems Huerta that even though it's no longer Kentucky Fried chicken, it's KFC.

We all know what really stood for that will be moving out of state.

So although it was a quarter one time in Nashville, John White Brown junior bought it, brought it to Kentucky.

So I guess is just another part of the evolution.

All right.

And should post on X from Senator Rand Paul this week says he didn't endorse President Trump during the campaign.

But this last Wednesday night he said he was wrong to withhold his support and now says he does endorsing Trump.

Mario.

>> Hey said he regrets not coming out sooner for that.

But he's all in on President Trump and also some of the efforts to look to downsize the federal government and says he supports the efforts by Doe's Show and Elon Musk in their efforts to continue re review.

Had a look at downsizing the federal government.

>> Georgetown is remembering a 3 term mayor who died this week and before he got into politics, Everett Varney was a standout basketball player at Berea College and then a coach and Scott County High School.

But as mayor of our Nia cast, the tie breaking vote for a smoking ban and then lost a reelection race after that.

But in 4 years later in 20 to anyone again and returned to the mayor's office and regarding was 86, that's comment on Kentucky.

Have a good week ahead.