♪ >> If the goal is that these individuals would have an appointment, higher education.

So they then would not be utilizing the SNAP benefits program.

>> You may think SNAP benefits are just at the checkout line, but there are workforce training opportunities that the Senate hopes to expand on.

If you give a kid a chance and there's some rational, they can sacrifice their time or for the good will of children.

>> Great things happen.

Louisville program could be turning today's kids and to tomorrow's doctors.

>> You call it destruction.

College destruction.

If you're a lab or a NOAA.

And Kentucky lawmakers talk about the right way and a wrong way to make government efficient.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday, February, the TWENTY-FIFTH.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

We thank you for spending some of your Tuesday night with us.

We begin this evening with an update on Kentucky's recent flooding.

Snow and cold Governor Andy Beshear now confirms a 23rd death.

The governor says there's now confirmation of a flood-related death in Graves County.

Now to Frankfort, news, a bill requiring a moment of silence at the start of each school.

Day is a step closer to becoming law.

Senate Bill 19 pass the full Senate today with bipartisan support currently in Kentucky.

Any public school teacher may choose to start the school day with a moment of silence or reflection.

But this bill makes it a requirement.

Republican state Senator Rick Girdler of Somerset sponsors the bill and he insists it has no connection to religion.

More about this as we lead off tonight's Legislative update.

>> This bill doesn't do Watt.

Some fear.

Does it don't have any connections to any religious organization, our it whether it's Muslim Christianity is Islam are the Jewish faith.

It basically just says it changes one word a little bit from.

May to shall.

>> Kentucky law already allows that of teachers or schools wish to have these moments of silence.

They can and the Constitution says that if students wish to engage in prayer or that sort of quiet speech that they can do that.

And so I worry here that we're doing is just placing another burden on our teachers in our school systems.

What do we do about if the kindergartners won't sit quietly for the 2 minutes or the teacher can't because of some logistical issue at the outset of the day.

>> Senate Bill, 19 past with 31.

Yes votes and 6, no votes.

It now heads to the House where a similar bill was passed during the previous 2 legislative sessions snap or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the official name of the program.

Most people refer to as food stamps but the snap Employment and training program also provides people with job training, education, even help in keeping a budget Senate resolution.

18 sponsored by Senator Gerald Neal, who's also the minority floor leader in the Senate, urges the Cabinet for health and family services to find ways to help Kentuckians get more out of the program.

McKenzie spank tells us more.

>> Snap employment and training or SNAP EMT as a federal initiative.

That's part of every state snap program in the country.

But even some members of the Senate Families and Children Committee hadn't heard of it before today, proponents of Senate resolution 18 say this program helps elevate Kentuckians on snap to a livable wage and therefore reduce its dependency on public assistance programs.

Senate resolution 18 or just at the Capitol for Health and family services.

Explore how to maximize the effectiveness of snappy NT in Kentucky.

Currently snappy and he is operated by 5 key partners across the state said they provide some limited supports.

And we think that with additional, you know, engage menton and really looking into additional partners in addressing barriers in the program.

We could see this program.

>> Be utilized more throughout the states for the SNAP participants that are able to access it.

The main concern expressed by committee members was where the funding for snap and he comes from earlier in committee.

Senator Shelley Funky from Meyer presented her make America Healthy Again, resolution, Senate concurrent resolution.

61 in the nutritional assistance arm of SNAP is an important player in improving Kentucky's health.

So >> I didn't realize that these workforce education opportunities would be part of snap.

And is that taking away from the dollars then that might be spent on nutrition?

>> There are a couple of other elements of the snap program and that the administrative side and one does not take from the other snap education and training is a fifty-fifty match.

So whatever or an employer may put up a kctcs may put up or UK about, you know, those are the kinds of groups that we go to, Wolf, will find a match with that.

And it doesn't take away, right?

They're all separate rockets that that's helpful.

>> The resolution indicates that the match portion of the funding is federal.

But there are still concerns regarding the burden that expanding snap and he could have on the state budget down the line.

>> So no general fund.

Appropriation.

I'm going to go back and give give that 100% answer to you.

I don't want to tell you I'm 100% on that until I'm 100% about 90.

But I just want to be sure.

>> Senator Stephen Meredith was the only pass vote on the resolution, the past favorably yes votes with her.

Yes, vote to Senator cut her hair and explained that she felt whatever potential costs could arise as a result of Senate resolution.

18 would be well worth it.

Whatever the costs is, it is for workforce.

>> for putting anything in the goal is that these individuals would have employment higher education.

So they then would not be utilizing the SNAP benefits program.

So I think that sometimes we do have to put a little when if there is a cost.

>> Senate resolution 18 now heads to the House floor for full consideration by the membership for Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie spank.

>> Thank you, McKenzie.

Senator funky from Myers, Senate concurrent resolution.

61 passed out of that committee as well.

It would create a task force to explore ways to align Kentucky with the National Make America Healthy Again.

Movement led by U.S., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Junior, according to the White House, the Make America Healthy Again, Commission prioritizes improving nutrition and preventing childhood chronic illness.

Medicaid, the second largest budgetary expense coming out of Kentucky's general fund.

It provides health coverage for 1.4 million Kentuckians.

Now some state lawmakers hope to find ways to reduce Kentucky's Medicaid costs.

Our June Leffler has more on why lawmakers are considering.

>> Lawmakers proposed setting up a Medicaid oversight, an advisory board to shape the state health program.

That's House Bill 9 lawmakers also propose immediate changes to the program and House Bill 695.

>> This bill was not intended to set Medicaid policy for the next 10 or 15 or 20 years.

It's not intended to do that.

It's not intended to fix all issues and Medicaid.

Even now.

But it is a type of tree yards bill that we can attempt to put a stasis.

>> On the program so that it doesn't grow uncontrollably.

>> State Representative Adam Bowling continues to shape that bill with stakeholder input.

But one change has mental-health advocates worried.

>> We've seen huge increases on behavioral health.

And this is something that we decide to go back.

Let's go back to where we were pre-pandemic, everything that was in place.

Then most states it away with Proffers Ation as they hit as the pandemic hit.

But most if not all, have gone back and put those prior authorizations back in place.

Kentucky has not.

>> Part out.

There is a shuns result in delays in patients receiving needed services and these delays often result and the patient giving up and leaving a facility without getting the care that they need that.

And that I'm kind of s********** into symptoms worsening because treatment was not provided at the appropriate time.

And in turn, there's a need for more intensive services at a later point.

And that is both to the patient's detriment, but also an increased cost to the patient to the system.

>> Kentucky Voices for Health and the left-leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy testified against work requirements for able-bodied single adult Medicaid recipients.

The leading Republican in the budget making process as those requirements falling under, quote, community engagement for now are not on the table.

>> We're not in a position with the triage bill to say this is what community engagement now most to be in all its facets.

That's going to be a Medicaid oversight advisory board question over time.

But we are highlighting the fact that that already exist in statute and the community engagement should be a renewed pursuit to see if there's something that can be leveraged.

To make the system better.

>> There was no vote on House Bill 695. today in the House appropriations and Revenue Committee for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Jen Leffler.

Thank you, Jim.

>> Kentuckians experiencing a mental health crisis could have gone to temporarily taken from them.

If a judge decides its best.

That's if what's called the car at becomes law car stands for a crisis of version and rights for tension.

It's similar to a red flag law.

It tries to balance gun ownership rights and personal or public safety supporters of the legislation met in Frankfort today to explain why they think the bill is needed.

That included Whitney Austin, a mass shooting survivor and activist and the creator of Whitney Strong, a group working for a non-partisan approach to ending gun violence.

>> They need to make sure that lawmakers understand what gun violence looks like in the state.

But I'm not looking forward to talking about how bad the reality is on the issue.

You know, we had more than 140 people die to gun violence in the state of Kentucky in 2023.

64 1% of those deaths.

We're suicide by firearm.

And we know that those suicides are happening in a rate.

That's almost 1.2, 5 times higher than our rural areas than in urban areas.

So that's not an exciting conversation.

It's the exact opposite.

There were a number of gun violence incidents that occurred in our state over the last year where car could have made a difference.

The first was the shooting on I-75.

There were 5 people injured and that person was exhibiting warning signs of violence for quite some time.

And that's where car works.

And then secondly, there was a double homicide in Elizabeth Town.

It was an interpersonal violence incidents, but car could have been used to transfer that fire along firearm.

But for the protection order was issued.

And so that stuff is so close to my heart.

And I don't want to see any more incidents like that happening, Kentucky, when we have a tool that can make a difference that can stop it from this piece of legislation is not for law abiding gun owners.

I'm a gun owner, chair.

This piece of legislation is for gun owners going through a mental health crisis whereby no other solutions work to stop them from killing themselves or killing other people.

So it is a very, very narrow tool that will help KET all of us safe and to not burden law abiding gun owners.

We know that it's a long road and that the issue of gun violence is not getting any better.

So we've got to KET showing up and eventually will 6 seats.

We will pass this bill.

>> The car act is outlined in Senate Bill 235.

And is sponsored by Democratic state senator and Minority Whip David Yates of Louisville.

It's currently waiting to be heard in the Judiciary Committee.

A similar bill filed last year never received a vote.

Sacrifices by our service.

Men and women aren't just felt by them, but their families as well.

>> An annual event at the state Capitol today honors those families from across the state during the military kids day at the Capitol event.

More than 150 children signed up to attend the all-day event.

We not only saw some military kids today.

We also heard from them.

>> And my my father is in the National Guard.

He's incorrect.

>> So today I'm here to learn about the capital.

No around a top.

Listen to the will talk about the cool things here.

And and just have fun.

>> The military looks like a cool option.

I went into the well little tipping.

I I looked in there and I saw that the like it.

a partially released even hard to get in.

So, yeah, it is.

I don't know how they do it.

The capital is a really cool place.

Not thank you of people should come calling visit.

Well, we agree there, Mac.

>> Thanks so much.

More on that tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

Some state lawmakers want Kentucky to do more to promote government efficiency.

House concurrent resolution 50 would create a Kentucky discipline of government efficiency task force Senate bill 257, would create an office of government efficiency.

This comes as the Trump administration dismisses federal workers and cut spending for many government programs on Kentucky tonight.

Last night our panelists said they favored government efficiency and principal, but some didn't like how is being carried out on the federal level.

For people trying to be >> efficient government.

Not new, right?

I think because I think we didn't go far back as well as Wilkerson some 40 years ago.

I think implemented one of the first to apartments and efficiency to go through but No of I was president the Metro Council.

And that was kind of my I want to do that.

I went through and I want to start from the very beginning.

What's necessary, what can be taken at what has changed, what type of technology improvement have we done and go through that?

And I think that's responsible.

You do it in a way, though.

The department heads know that you're working with them, not against them.

And so it's it's sinking.

Come in like we've seen federally and just take a chainsaw to it.

Just destroyed.

What you do is you work with your individual departments in you want to dive deep into the weeds.

I think that's important.

I think that department heads should be no more than money spent.

And I think at all times you want to have a room or form of efficiency.

But you don't want to be super for superficial political.

Before Dozier was cool.

Our Dozier is called Chairman Jason Petri, the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee.

>> I'm not a fan of a searching for efficiencies.

I'm not afraid of us trying to refine and do a little better job at that.

Now, do I want to politicize this?

Doing it?

I don't think that's right.

>> And some people when they hear that considering what is happening on the federal level instantly fear sets in because we hear about federal layoffs and pink slips and you may be some justification.

That seems a little murky about why some people are let go.

And so there is some concern that there's going to be a replication of what's happening in Washington with this efforts here in these efforts here in Kentucky.

So one brief thought and then you go to some I know you need to go to someone else.

But >> I don't think that's going to happen here.

What's happening in DC is driven by the executive branch.

This is the legislative branch.

We don't have the authority to do anything like what that executive branch is doing.

Nor would I promote us doing anything like the destruction that I think is going on right now in Washington, D.C., you call it destruction of college destruction.

Qatar, a lab or a no, I don't.

>> Well, we also elaborated on Kentucky's flooded response and what the General Assembly can do to help as well as the pros and cons of state employees working from home or not.

You can see and hear all of that online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

♪ ♪ >> It began as a response to increased violence in Louisville.

But quickly grew into an award-winning program serving hundreds of children.

Future healers is not only showing young people are healthier, way to live, but its also shaping the next generation of health care professionals.

>> Future healers started in during a time of particular.

>> A civil unrest with a violent year for Louisville.

And it really started when some medical students kind of look at their situation said, hey, we feel like we want to do more for our community, the medical students, the doctors.

>> Our organization to its game changers.

We thought it would be great for them to have this interaction with the first responders who deal with these kind of issues every month.

>> The team of 6 to 12 medical students.

Well, >> me and >> kind of just go through different ideas on how we can teach kids about her body in a fun and engaging way.

>> And I think just kind of taking an approach of >> education with like hands-on KET got a Corning and has been pivotal to the success of that program become the only was it a month.

So.

>> You do.

When you come here, you do things you like like moved to CPR or you learn how to stage people love.

>> I've been coming here for 4 years.

An I learned a lot about being a doctor in the Indian Ocean.

Be like a van near you.

like it gives me a lot.

It teaches me a lot.

>> I thought was just like, just go listen to some people talk.

But then like.

It was so much more like more experience and like hands on things.

And it was really amazing.

>> I learned about how to help people.

And what what to do when they >> I want to be a doctor in the future.

Some stuff would be easy for us all.

We learned that one of around one that if the Chandlers, I remember it really well learn and age.

It's where it's coming up.

These kids are so smart.

They're learning the retaining.

They're coming back in the ring.

That's a knowledge.

And we're adding on expanding to it.

>> It's really inspiring to see kids who might be coming from like underserved areas or express a certain situations and really come here with a bright smile on their face and they're eager to learn and you go to work with U.S. medical >> Have embrace this connection we'll for thrust way with expects the urban kids.

Let them now dead.

I want to sacrifice my tab to be with you with all my challenges with status, right?

And prepare to be become a position like that.

But I want to sacrifice my time because you're worth it.

And the kids feel that the parents feel that.

And that's why we've had this growth.

I mean, they're like really it.

>> Great trauma surgeons here, U of this amazing trauma center that she can go talk to just like and not only that would be very intimidating, like always, very fancy doctored or she is a very fancy Dr. How could we go talk to them?

But they're very down to Earth.

And you can ask takes an hour.

So we're coming from Radcliff, Kentucky, probably to the south.

>> We've really put a lot of effort and dedication to come to this program.

It is well worth coming if it wasn't for parents.

This program when a line, right, they are responsible for making sure that their kids show up and show out Saturday.

So I think the parents learn a lot to a 97%.

Other parents, the brain, the kids, the future healers, kiddos medical program stay and witness every bit of it.

That's a big part of our success.

One of the greatest things that I do love about this program is the diversity I was able to see doctors and able to see people who look like him as well to be in this program to say, listen, there's no excuses.

You don't let your environment the test your future.

I didn't realize how much these kids actually look up to us as medical students of people of color.

>> So it really makes a huge difference.

It's much more than I realized.

>> And so I think giving them the exposure to health care and being a cheerleader for them is hopefully going to help out in the future with getting folks more interested in health care and instilling the belief early in them that they can do it, but they set their mind to it.

I think she's kind of like I can do this.

>> This this is not some pie in the sky.

Think I can do this.

Really do it if none of them decide to go into health care at the end of the day, that's OK, it's that sense of.

>> Living within a community and helping those around you at the end of the day, if that's what the company needed to be difficult.

>> If you give a kid a chance.

And if there's some professionals that can sacrifice their time for putting goodwill of children.

Great things out.

>> Christopher 2 X says the program is impacting more than 400 kids and he expects that number to increase the program has also expanded into 3 Jefferson County Public schools and even into Tennessee through a partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

♪ And speaking of health care, students at Northern Kentucky University are getting hands-on medical practice without the risk of impacting patients.

We visited Nku Center for simulation education, which also gives local high schoolers a glimpse into the health care world.

>> And so our students are you first started right off the bat.

They get simulation their very first semester and they get it throughout the whole program.

We see things that happened in the hospital.

We face are simulations on that foreigners team.

>> The program has a nursing skills lab where they learn how to do all of the nursing skills, such as vital signs, putting an IV.

We have our radiology lab where students learn how to position patients for X-rays.

How did you see teens?

We have our labs for cardio vascular perfusion.

So those are the students who in the or and I'm going to specifically.

>> What's on hasn't on bypass mannequins.

Believe they swapped.

They cry.

>> Different fluids that can do any heart sounds long.

Sounds they have all pulses so we can mimic any disease process as well as being able to create any situation SOT of the students.

A lot of times by the mannequin doesn't seem real.

The situation is very real hate to say the word or use the word.

Make a mistake.

But it's far better to make that mistake on a man again and do it on a real patient.

>> So if the students given medication and it's the wrong dose or the wrong medication, then the U.S. would respond just as a patient to a hospital.

But obviously, if they're in a a clinical environment, such as a hospital.

We can't have them practice independent at the bedside.

But in a simulation, we can.

We're doing labor and delivery.

I can't promise that someone's going to deliver either.

There.

Here in simulation.

We have control over that environment can have our manna can deliver a baby every half hour.

We need to so we can guarantee that they'll get those experiences.

One thing that we do here in the college is we give tours are high school students in the area.

It's not just to tour its hands on so they get to see a lot of different things.

They go through all of the labs and the college.

>> And get to see what they do.

And so the class that's here today is our intro to bio med students.

And so they are getting an overall view of different health care careers.

I'm looking to go into Pre Med because that would be like the next step and following the journey because I want to be in there.

A surgeon.

>> I think that the lab is actually really cool because it shows like a bunch of different ways to help care for patients but shot.

And it is.

>> I think it's really cool that there's a whole roomful of it.

I've had students that have come that I've had in class that told me they were they came through as a high schooler to and that's what got them interested in our program.

>> You know, everyone's be a doctor or nurse.

And there so many different things you can do even with in those fields.

But this is allowing them to see about exercise science, radiology lab respiratory.

>> And all the different things because it's not a one size fits all healthcare Kerr.

Yes, doctors and nurses are critically important to the health care team.

>> However, it is a healthcare team made up of many different specialties and all of the specialties are very much needed for the care of the patient.

The bsn program here at NKU has 100% pass rate on the and cooks exam their national exam.

They take for licensing hospitals.

>> And places where students are working are noticing that our students are very well prepared when they get out into the field or even in the clinical setting.

There is still a gigantic need for health care workers in the area.

And so >> more students we can expose to health care and health professions.

I think that hopefully the better off we are in the future with our health care workforce.

>> The simulation center opened in 2018 and is split between 2 floors.

The outpatient center mimics a doctor's office and the impatient center simulates hospital.

Good work there.

Well, that'll do it for us tonight.

We hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition, we inform connect and inspire.

Connect with us all the ways you see on your screen, Facebook X and Instagram to stay loose and send us a story idea by email to public affairs at KET Dot Org.

>> More great stories coming at you tomorrow.

As we follow the legislative session and Rylan Barton will be with us.

Hope to see you tomorrow night.

Take good care.

♪