♪ ♪ Now.

This will be an additional safety feature when you read your license.

>> New year, new laws, including one that affects Kentucky drivers.

>> It was a ball to have President Carter here because we just get so into it.

It's like it's his job and he's going to do it.

He's going to help us do it.

>> A Kentuckyian remembers the life and work up.

President Jimmy Carter.

The point is to let people in eastern Kentucky now, if they're not forgotten.

And how artists across Kentucky are helping eastern Kentucky flood survivors.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and Happy New Year.

It is Thursday, January.

The second welcome to Kentucky Edition.

The first one of 2025.

I'm Renee Shaw and thank you for spending some of your Thursday night with us.

>> Ringing in the New Year means some new laws are now in effect in Kentucky.

That includes the state's medical cannabis program.

As of January.

First to qualified patients can now apply for medical cannabis card.

It's also now legal for licensed dispensaries to sell medical marijuana in the Commonwealth.

The law requires medical cannabis to be grown and processed in Kentucky and those licenses were granted late last year.

Governor Andy Beshear has said he hopes product will be available for purchase before the end of March.

Another new law means vape shops must start removing certain products from their store shelves.

House Bill 11 was passed last year with the intent to crack down on underage vaping.

It limits the sale of vaping products to a small number of brands approved by the FDA.

Retailers caught violating the law can be fined up to $2500 for each offense.

And lawmakers hope to make the roads safer by introducing a new requirement for renewing your driver's license in Kentucky.

Our Laura Rogers explains.

>> The past the only time you took a official screening when you got your driver's license or 16 years old.

>> And now that it's 2025, it's not just new drivers that will be tested on their vision.

Safe drivers see clearly Kentucky now joins several other states and having a vision screening requirements before you can renew your driver's license.

It's a great idea.

Optometrist doctor Alex Competencies about 30 to 40 patients a day at his Franklin practice.

You would be surprised that the brain can hide.

He says people often don't realize their eyesight is failing until they complete an example for his poor clearance.

Oftentimes vision loss is very slow, very progressive.

>> A national research shows that drivers with visual field loss in both eyes.

84% more likely to be involved in.

>> Officials hope this new requirement will make our highways safer.

Its AAA says in 2023, more than 800 people died on Kentucky roads.

Few things are more important than safe driving with good eyesight.

We assess their field recess.

They're cutie.

>> Color vision.

>> And we tell them, you know, hey, according the standard you may or may not be legal or safe to operate a motor vehicle.

>> Dr competence as an added benefit may be catching diseases of the eye like glaucoma before it's too late for treatment to patients far better.

>> If we find it before symptoms appear and then we can prevent vision loss going forward.

We believe the vision is one of the most important factors.

One being behind the wheel of a car.

The Kentucky Optometric Association has advised the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on how to best rollout.

The measure.

>> We go to Europe, Thomas or stop them all just or certified vision screener.

>> You can actually have a form feel about where you can skip the screening portion of the driver's vision.

Renewal will need to do that within 12 months of renewing your license.

This is about highway safety and keeping to himself.

>> Now, if you opt for the screening at a driver licensing regional office.

Little only take about a minute to complete with no additional costs or appointments.

If you fail that screening, you'll be referred to a vision specialist for corrective measures before you can get back behind the wheel for Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Lord, for that report.

Now, Kentucky State lawmakers return to the Capitol in Frankfort next Tuesday to begin the 30 day legislative session.

The Republican controlled General Assembly is standing firm in its quest to further slash the state income tax and policies related to education, workforce participation and artificial intelligence could see some traction.

And this abbreviated lawmaking term.

I spoke with incoming Senate majority Floor Leader Max Wise about the ideological shifts in the state Senate and what he hopes can be accomplished before lawmakers adjourn at the end of March.

When we did talk to outgoing Majority Leader Damon Thayer, he had mentioned that.

>> Given the outcome of the most recent election and the membership makeup in the Senate caucus that there was a right word movement.

Do you agree with that assessment?

>> I do.

I think that the voters spoke over women leave in the Trump election, not just in Kentucky, but when he was able to win by popular vote.

I think it really showed.

I do think that we're starting to see a members on different spectrums of an ideology.

And, you know, with that it brings also a little flair to a caucus that we've got members that are represent their districts and represent what they campaigned on.

For me, it's also managing relationships, personalities, expectations.

A lot of that comes into this.

But I will say right now, especially I think that the voters put up a mandate with President Trump is.

Here's what we want to say in terms of government.

And so I think a lot of its government efficiency.

I'll be very honest.

I think a lot of people just want to see red tape reduced taxpayers been able to see that.

We're cutting through a lot of this barriers and some of the ways that we can maybe prevent something from saying, well, that's an obstacle.

Let's move that to the side.

Let's make sure the government to working in a very, very smooth fashion.

>> It's hard to know to have a crystal ball and think about the session that hasn't even started.

But when you and on March 30th, which I think it actually happens before them, but the deadlines are March.

30th, what do you hope you can say that you helped accomplish during that 30 day session?

>> I think it's just to continue the path that we've currently been on and have.

No, I will say I'm going to be there also in the arena to the champion for from our caucus.

But it's also what are some areas that we're going to say from both chambers.

That is continuing to make Kentucky that beacon on the hill that we can look at and say, wow, Kentucky's doing some really good things right now.

We think about our road plan.

You think about a lot of infrastructure needs.

We're moving in a good direction.

We need to continue along that trajectory.

I'm excited.

Every session takes on its own identity.

And I don't yet know what this identity will look like you.

But I will say that if we continue to go down the path that I think we're currently on, we're making a lot of people happy you're seen as Republican Party.

A lot of members be able to be re elected in districts that maybe they thought there was a challenge there.

But I think it's the were also shown we're doing a good job.

They're sticking with us.

>> So a programming note on Monday night's Kentucky tonight, I'll talk with legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle.

As we preview the 2025 legislative session that starts Tuesday.

We'll hope you'll join us for that conversation Monday night at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET, Kentucky.

Tonight.

After the death of state Senator Johnny Turner last October, 11 write-in candidates ran for his 29th district seat.

Pikeville Mayor Scott made in one Madden has been in politics most of his life.

He was elected as the state's youngest mayor in the 1987 before running and being elected a second time in 2015, Kentucky edition caught up with the new state senator to talk about his unconventional election.

♪ >> I've been around politics a lot to follow.

Been my or my grandfather, my or so I was I guess it was kind of in my blood.

My James so authentic and a little taste of it become much more patient as an older mayor that I was when I was young and times of.

>> Have got to win one Macomb I got from the coach, Everett got money, got cut back on or community allows businesses and thanks for that.

But we've adjusted and we've learned to to be sufficient with fewer people and seems like this time around.

But to.

I had a better handle on things as as that was over and this time around it.

I know John, for a long time and it told a story, you know, Johnny was always proud to tell that he was from Bexar County here and little community coverage.

Berbers Little Mission, School player and my dad always kind of donut.

Johnny Redbird on John.

It was very proud that you're at, you know, what's cool Rydberg missionary schools.

So John was well obtain with everything that was was moving our district forward.

But Congressman Rogers and Senator Stivers and without the support of me and those are all great endorsement, you don't get me wrong.

But the up I say this, I probably wouldn't got in the race if I had not known to have that for a Labor Day race.

But when I got the family endorsement, it may not know how many people came up to me said I don't really know you, but you know, it's a family.

Thanks.

You who should be then, you know, that says a lot about to me.

It's but John, his character that people trusted the man they trusted his family to the, you know, the to just go off of their word earlier later that they put out for me and Orson me.

And in that race, it was so humbling but is also very emotional to Maine to to thank the you know, what kind of 11 people in the race.

They chose me.

It was so odd for me because I've never been around.

And, you know, for anybody, you know, so not only were we asking people to vote, we will do an education center.

You know, you've got to fill in the square.

You've got to write my name Certainly about any.

>> Lauren Levy taxes that we can.

Lauren making things more cost effective for, you people because, you know, it's been tough.

We've had some tough times here lately and the one of the I guess one of the things that I'm talking about that I want tackle is as this card packs.

I know it's been tried and I know the talk about it.

One of the things I want to look at it the way I want to look at it is trying to do it on the phase out.

Maybe a seven-year 10 year phase out.

Anything to that.

>> Positive for school A public school that would love to see it.

Teachers have more money to open sea.

You know, schools continue to get more feel like, you know, my past 10 years by what means successful.

One.

>> I just want to maybe take it to another level and sleep and bring the other counties into everything that, you know, I would gather hopefully we can have a >> great area to prove tourism.

The generals.

>> Madden says one of his first priorities in office is to pass legislation naming a road in honor of the late Senator Turner.

Flags at state and federal buildings will be at half-staff for almost all of January to honor former President Jimmy Carter who died Sunday at the age of 100.

The etiquette after a president's death is for flags to be lowered for one month.

Governor Andy Beshear ordered flags lowered until sunset on Tuesday January.

28, the governor praised President Carter as a true American who lived his faith and values.

The former president along with his wife, Rosalynn and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, built 50 homes and eastern Kentucky in just one week.

Back in 1997, we talked to people who work closely with Carter on the project, including one who captured the historic event on video.

>> This happening in the hills.

But this year we've got about 3100 volunteers.

I guarantee that all of will go back home.

It's a that was a glorious experience.

It's one of the nicest thing that ever happened to me.

>> We KET president kind of good where every year he spent a week building houses and we thought, wow, what if we could getting to Kentucky?

We KET that President Carter started the Appalachian Regional Commission when he was president and he cared about the area.

He understood the challenges they face.

So we thought if we could build their case, it's a big place of the biggest need in the state.

Anyway, what a great idea.

We're talking about building 50 houses in a week which he had never done.

That was it.

That would be a first we did a 15 has in a weekend.

92.

So we KET it could be done.

I volunteer the company to support some habitat projects.

We do little PR.

We do some documentation.

>> And I just like working with habitat.

I felt like this was going to be a historic event just because Jimmy Carter was going to be there.

I KET that Habitat Kentucky had gotten good at this and we had documented a number of occasions and habitat where Kentucky's habitat had built multiple houses a short period of time.

And so I KET that Kentucky's habitat, the organization KET how to do it.

There were a lot of people with Perry Hills Project probably way more than we needed to build those houses because people want to be a part of all kinds of people show up to work.

Some of them are professional.

Some of them are just wrong.

Tears in this case because President Carter and Rosalynn Carter, we're going to be there.

It was just an opportunity to get to know them captured a lot of video during the Jimmy Carter Project.

And so these are some shots of people working on President Carter's house.

>> And he is right there.

Look at that areas in with the red handkerchief on President Carter really worked on his house and Rosin worked on the first lady's house.

A new thing without her.

This is the first to the first lady's house.

My wife is got very involved habitat.

She said, why don't we do a first lady's house next door to President Carter's house?

So he didn't get all the attention, but want to look at that 2nd half of the year, this time because that hasn't being built by all run.

And I think >> What women can do and the reason I would point out is because I think the groups of women all across this country, they don't really believe they could get out and build a house, but they can and I want them to do it.

And that would just and a whole new dimension to habitat.

>> Because it wasn't pretty darn important.

So we actually invited first ladies from around the nation and one of them, the president's wife.

That would be Hillary Clinton came.

We had Newt Gingrich and Jimmy Carter working on the same house.

That's pretty cool.

It was a ball.

Have President Carter here because he just gets so into it.

It's like it's his job and he's going to do it.

He's going to help us do it.

He was so wonderful to work with Jimmy Carter was a very personable kind of guy and so was rising.

And they were willing to talk to anybody, but they were busy and they weren't for around.

They want to get to work.

They want to build a house.

It has strict schedule and want to get to from a to B every day.

And if you didn't quite finish a separate, I mean, you you have your supper brought him because it was time to finish that part of the bill.

So no nonsense, but very personable, very humble and very interested in what was going on with the local community.

One thing that happened on this particular habitat project or it was there were 7 sites throughout Appalachia and they were fairly remote is going to be impossible for President Carter to visit each one every day.

He wanted to he and his staff to be part of the debrief every day so they can kind of, you know, support emotionally and spiritually to a degree because it was hard.

So instead of having to try to drive through the mountains, we thought we could because KET have been doing interactive video conferencing.

The individual locations would create a little video snippet.

2 minutes long at it.

And whatever what, you know, whatever way they could and then be ready to play at our guests would come in like President Carter or Governor Pat and or whomever.

And then they be able to talk to the sites and give them some words of support have never seen such a wonderful.

Cooperation and planning an issue >> among all of the volunteers who >> it worked out and everybody felt great about it because they were able to see and hear each other's progress each day.

>> To do 50 houses in these communities and made a huge impact.

They didn't take a special credit for it or, you know, but he knows that it makes a bigger impact.

He put habitat on the map once he got involved, he really made a huge difference for habitat.

It means we can do thousands and thousands of homes a year.

Now.

>> Because of the foundation we've built with his help.

You know, years ago.

>> What a tremendous legacy.

A state funeral is planned for President Carter next Thursday, January 9th, a private service is also planned in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

♪ >> How artificial intelligence is used and how to KET it from being misused has been the topic of much debate in recent years.

>> Including here in Kentucky where a special legislative task force was created to study the issue and make recommendations to the Kentucky General Assembly.

While it's argued I will never replace human creativity.

A leading expert in AI the law and art and media production tells us it is reshaping the creative industries.

>> I wasn't planning to study this, but it just made sense to really try to understand the changing the the frameworks are on the AI and how that affects obvious.

I think it just drops both positive and negative positively.

It generates contents so quickly so easily an that's a good thing for a lot of people are.

And also you can use it as almost like brainstorming tour, right?

I at the time for that.

The negativity do like, you know, job displacement.

It's a real thing, especially the jobs that can be Don annually that are reckoned with padded days and soon put content generation and things like that.

Will they were placed in that?

Space incomes of your profession, then.

There are chances that there will be fewer chops.

But for so there are opportunities, right?

You can train your side of to use.

The 2 is better.

The more competitive like you hear this or the time like I?

Would not replace people but people who use AI would replace people who don't use AI base.

Use.

Isom donned.

But even if you don't use it, it's affecting your work because, you know, AI companies may use work to train.

The AI model is that's problematic.

And has ice.

You can be a pretty upset about that.

And ice will be under center their perspective.

The Toledo, we don't know if it's actually infringement on copyright or not, because the courts haven't really decided.

So the current stance of it of the copyright office east that you have to separate what part is done by AI and what part is done by U.S. human, then we can copyright the party.

You did as human.

It's complicated, right?

But I think that is just perception, right?

That AI is creating something, but it's simply not creating anything.

It's it's generating all book based on input and the in between does or data and relationships and patterns.

It's nanning.

All of those.

And then.

Getting something out.

That's new.

I doesn't have an intent to create anything on S a person, does it right.

I is a kind of a tool, the creativity has a distinctive human nature.

It it's it's see there the worse to be there.

For many years to come and take a cynical way.

But how we are thinking about creativity may be different because of the eye, right?

There are a lot of things that >> we used to do can be generated by AI then maybe will.

We can do is more, you like a high per.

>> Creativity.

>> John's advice to those in the creative industries when it comes I don't try to avoid it.

She says learn what AI is and try to use it.

Then you can decide whether to incorporate it into your work.

♪ Wolters across Kentucky, including members of the Louisville area.

Fiber and textile artists have partnered with the foundation for Appalachian Kentucky provide about 80 quilts to families who lost their homes and the 2022 floods.

Organizers say they hope the Appalachian quote, Project will remind these families.

They are not alone.

It quotes a part of the story.

Part of the story, of course, is the flooding in eastern Kentucky.

>> A favorite quote of mine from Arthur Ashe is.

Start where you are.

Use what you have do, what you can.

And so as fiber artist and quilters, what we have us, lots and lots of textiles.

We have our hands.

We have our machines or sewing.

Machines are quoting machines, and we just put them to work.

The point is to let people in eastern Kentucky now that they are not forgotten, they're in our hearts.

They're in their minds and we want to do what we can to get them into a safe, clean, permanent home.

What we've done with foundation for Appalachian, Kentucky with their new CEO is to make sure that everyone who gets a new home in the new development that's coming soon.

We'll get a quilt when they come into that home.

I grew up with quilts that my aunts that made.

And just representative love and family.

The warmth that quilt provides.

And then there's the artistry that.

The ability to be able to create from a variety of fabrics.

I like the art process.

The expression that you can have through fabrics, quilts are very personal thing and a lot of people have quilting in there history.

But at the same time, I have to tell you, some of the members of laughter who said, oh, I don't quilt.

DEP piecing are binding are stitching on quilts.

So each of the schools that you see, a lot of hands have touched somebody took the fabric out of what we call a stash and put it together.

Somebody cut it out.

Somebody piece to it.

Somebody put the batting behind it and quit to that.

And then somebody bound it.

So most of these quilts were not made by just one percent.

They were made by a lot of a lot of caring hands.

It is typically the top it's made by piecing the fabric or using an applicator process.

Sometimes it's prune, a tree.

Sometimes it's a combination of those skills.

But you get that top part of the quilt and then you layer it with a batting backing those 3 layers need to be stitched together.

And that's what is the quilting process.

And that can be done.

I guess, by hand or by machine.

That's the most important part of this project.

Is that the people in Appalachia know that we care and we're all Kentucky INS.

And and as as our governor said, when we were going through the pandemic, we'll get through this together.

There's a friend of mine says there's 2 traditions in America.

There's rugged individualists and I can do it on my own.

And then there's barn building where we all reach out to help our neighbors when they're in need.

Well, this quote, story is a little bit of a barn buildings story.

The quilts will be given to families when they move into their new homes in the chest.

Not Ridge neighborhood.

>> And not county.

♪ >> In the western Kentucky University, Big Red marching band had quite a good yesterday.

The ban was part of the New Year's Day Parade in London.

And that's not London.

Kentucky.

♪ ♪ >> We love my alma mater.

The band was in London.

And Glenn, this is the one 100th year for the western Kentucky University marching Band, which brags that it's the biggest college marching band in the Commonwealth Raven.

That big red towel, a western well, that'll do it for us tonight.

We hope to see you again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire.

We thank you for joining us on tonight show and you can watch all of our other previous shows online and see clips as well at KET Dot Org and look for us on the PBS video app that you can download on your mobile device and smart TV and you can follow KET on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop of all the happenings here at KET.

Thanks very much for watching.

See you tomorrow night.