♪ Well, abortion resume in Kentucky, at least for now.

>> A judge weighs how to rule on a lawsuit that challenges Kentucky's abortion ban.

>> That's we're finding cracks and crevices that we're safer when safe from predators say from rain and it created almost a cave like habitat.

>> The state fixes off a bridge to give backs a comfortable home.

You know, in a restaurant icon.

Here in Lexington, it's the longest lasting restaurant in Lexington.

>> But the 71 year run is over as Lexington's Parkhead Drive-In served its last meal >> production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part.

But the Kaye E T meant for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the Kaye E Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Wednesday, June 29th.

I'm Renee Shaw.

>> Welcome on into our program tonight, a Jefferson County judge says he could announce a decision today or tomorrow about whether to allow abortion services to resume in Kentucky.

>> Last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the Roe v Wade abortion decision and Kentucky.

It triggered a law from 2019 that required an immediate abortion ban.

As soon as the court overturned Roe.

That prompted protests in Louisville, Lexington, another Kentucky cities.

The ACLU Planned Parenthood and the Mw Women's Surgical Center sued saying the 2019 law violates Kentucky's constitutional right to privacy.

Judge Mitch perry heard arguments during the hearing today.

The Courier Journal quotes the judge is saying a decision to let abortion services resume would be, quote, a close call.

Mayor Linda Gorton of Lexington says she believes the abortion decision should be between a woman and her health care provider.

The mayor is also a registered nurse.

She released a statement about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade and the trigger law in Kentucky that made abortion illegal after the court's ruling.

The mayor said, quote, I have been frequently asked about the enforcement of the law.

I have asked our law department to look into it.

I'm concerned about the health and well-being of our residents who will be most affected by this decision.

We must be vigilant in our support of these people, unquote.

Senator Mitch McConnell backs the court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade last Friday.

He called the decision courageous.

Senator McConnell spoke to the Rotary Club in Florence earlier in the week.

He tell them, but even though Roe v Wade set a precedent, sometimes the courts eventually decide that legal precedents are wrong.

He also says he doubts Congress can do anything either way to change America's abortion laws.

>> Won 7 over par 6.

You know.

Those who want.

Neither side of this issue as we were close to 0. this one too.

You know, we do you do you know, the and the very first days.

Through their honor.

Are you?

>> Also, Russia has banned Senator McConnell, Forbes magazine reports that Russia has sanctioned.

Another group of Americans as retaliation for us actions against Russia over its continuing war in Ukraine.

In addition to McConnell, the sanctions hit President Biden's wife and daughter.

Plus other members of the U.S. Senate from both parties, McConnell and the others are barred from entering Russian territory.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky talked about the Roe v Wade decision as he visited Henderson yesterday.

A reporter for a W F I E an Evansville.

Indiana asked Senator Paul if he's pro choice approach to COVID vaccines is inconsistent with his opposition to women having a choice on abortion.

>> I'm always for choice for individual choice in medical affairs, the difficulty with the decision on abortion is if you believe that there are 2 lives is really about choice.

It's about 2 lives having rights and trying to figure that out with regard to vaccine.

I think that without question so in your life gets involved and so children with the help of their parents to talk to their doctor and make a decision on whether or not they should be vaccinated.

I think that with the disease like COVID were it's it can be very dangerous for older people.

And it's a very, very benign for younger people.

Why not tell them both the same advice?

I would think that if you're a good Doctor Council, a 15 year-old different than you would in 85.

>> Senator Paul also told W F I E that there are many ways for teenagers to avoid getting pregnant.

And that society should be encouraging.

Those methods.

We'll talk more about the court's Roe v Wade reversal and its impact on Kentucky.

Politics would Rylan Barton of Kentucky Public Radio and Ohio Valley resource.

That's coming up in just a few minutes.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports a man with Kentucky ties could testify before the House January 6 committee during testimony yesterday.

Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson mention Pat Cipollone a Covington Catholic graduate who once served as President Trump's top lawyer, Hutchinson said that Cipollone asked Trump to speak out about the rioters who attacked the Capitol.

The committee chair Congressman Bennie Thompson says there will be a serious discussion about calling Cipollone.

And Campbell County, a winning candidate could become the losing candidate because of a few Pence.

The Courier Journal reports a judge has kicked commissioner Brian Painter off the November ballot, even though he won in a Republican primary.

The newspaper says Painter left some campaign pens and leaflets at a table during a poll worker training session.

That session occurred as early voting was underway in the same building.

A judge says painters action violates Kentucky's early voting law and he kicked painter off the ballot.

Another candidate David Fisher will now be on the ballot.

Even though Painter won more votes.

Painter plans to appeal.

82 teachers quit and Jefferson County as the school year ended.

That's according to a person L report shared with the school board Tuesday as reported in the Courier Journal.

That's the largest number of resignations among certified teachers in 6 years.

Teachers told the Courier Journal they were leaving for a variety of reasons including fights over COVID masks and criticism of teachers for their hesitancy to reopen schools during the COVID pandemic.

Some teachers are switching to private schools.

Others are leaving teaching altogether.

Lexington's iconic park at Drive-In has shut its doors.

The restaurant on New Circle Road closed down yesterday.

It has been around since 1951 and was known for its 50's atmosphere and all American food.

We caught up with the founder, Joe Smiley son in law.

He told us that park it still has its longtime fans, but there's just not enough of them to keep the business going.

>> Over many decades, many people have come to park and in Love Park at and have great memories here.

But unfortunately, those generations don't come here as often.

So park it was failing as a business.

Now.

And it is a business it has to.

It has the night money.

So that's why.

We have decided to do what we've done.

>> Brian tempted told us it's not clear what will happen to the building.

Some customers who didn't know the park.

It was closed, showed up today expecting to eat there.

Hershel Woody Williams Award war 2 veteran with the Kentucky connection has died at the age of 98.

He was the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from the war.

Williams was a Marine corporal who are in the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle of the was and 1945.

He received his medal from President Harry S Truman Williams was from West Virginia but set up a nonprofit foundation based in Louisville to raise money for Gold Star Families.

Memorial Monument across America.

♪ Now for some Frankfurt news, the Kentucky General Assembly established the early Education childhood task force during this year's legislative session.

>> The group is looking at education for the state's youngest and will make recommendations to improve that system.

Our Casey Parker Bell reports on the task force.

First meeting.

>> You've got 2 kids that changes your life and it it in many cases, it does folks to leave the workforce.

The early childhood education task force laid the path for their work.

The rest of the interim legislative period.

>> They discussed issues with the current early education system from licensing requirements to the shortage of teachers.

>> Now during the Kentucky tried to motivate childcare programs to pay their teachers a little bit more with the federal funds in order to try and attract more providers to the field right now, wages are so low that the retail industry in the hospitality industry are much more attractive than working in the childcare program.

>> According to van over Kentucky, salary range for early childhood.

Educators is just over $15,500 and peaks at 31,000.

The median income is 22,000 a year and there are no males operating childcare centers in Kentucky.

Vanover says early education costs for parents can also be prohibitive.

>> Many people think at this point us stay in the workforce.

Or do I pay child care and stay in the workforce.

Those who do say in the workforce, a lot of times they're staying in for health insurance for their family, but they're not making money.

>> Wilder Senator Wil Schroder asked about how licensing for current early childhood educators works.

He was told the licensure system varies from state to state.

>> His arrest process easy from other states are tickets or is it not?

That's not really needed.

>> There is not.

And and unity among that throughout the states would be a huge improvement and also bearing a lot of pay parity.

But right now we have a different model almost everywhere.

The book.

>> To get more people interested in entering the early childhood education industry.

Benton Senator Danny Carroll, the task force is Co chair centers like his have raise pay.

He gave an early indication about one recommendation.

The task force could bake the state's going to supplement its some level childcare in the commonwealth.

>> In many states, they to pay and they have scales for if a teacher has a degree, you get this much.

It's like a quarterly or annual check for that comes from the state to help supplement salaries you know, that will help alleviate some of the the issues with the centers being able to sustain the task force will hear testimony on a number of topics in future meetings, including Universal Pre K how childcare impacts workforce development and parents satisfaction for Kentucky edition.

I'm Kasey Parker.

Bell.

>> Thank you, Casey.

Each Wednesday on Kentucky addition, we talk politics with dry Lynn Barton, managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio and Ohio Valley Resource.

The big political event of the week.

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

What kind of political impact will that happen?

Kentucky specifically a state Supreme Court race where one of the candidates played a key role in creating Kentucky's abortion trigger law.

Here's Barnes take on it all.

Ron Barton, thank you for being with us on this Wednesday.

Again, good to see you.

>> Thanks, Erin.

A lot has happened since last week's.

>> Well, could be abortion ruling from the Supreme Court United States that overturn Roe versus Wade.

There's been so much fallout.

So much reaction to this.

I'll let you first tell us what you've been hearing.

And of course, the lawsuit that's been filed in Jefferson Circuit Court by ACLU and Planned Parenthood.

When do we expect a verdict there?

>> Yeah, so I mean, first off just some of the lay of the land here, Kentucky pass some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country ahead of Roe V Wade, most notably the trigger law that essentially totally bans abortion in the state with the exception of in the case of basically the life of the mother involved and then the beyond just a slew of other abortion bills that are kind of hanging in the balance right now.

could you go now depending other legal challenges become law?

So there's this challenge that is now being filed in state court in Jefferson Circuit Court of in here in Louisville.

That is once again trying to block these laws.

But under state rules.

So now that this is settled at the federal level of the Supreme Court level, abortion rights advocates are trying to take this state level and there's been some success of the limited success in other parts of the country out of earlier this week, a judge in Louisiana similarly temporarily there, a trigger law from going into effect you know, while the lawsuit over that takes place, we'll see if we have a similar ruling in Kentucky.

But I do imagine that no matter what this is something that the appeal very quickly all the way up to the state Supreme Court.

>> And what do we know about the prosecutorial aspects of this?

I mean, we've heard some Lexington mayor just yesterday, Linda Gordon, she released a statement saying, quote, She's concerned about the health and well-being of our residents will be most affected by this decision.

And she's asked the city attorneys to look into it.

What are we hearing from you to prosecutors are those who are running to be prosecutors about their propensity to go after providers who provide abortions illegally in Kentucky.

>> Yeah.

Hearing pretty similar things in a Lexington and Louisville among, you know, other people who are running for mayor or running for those top prosecutor jobs and and local I mean, it's it's interesting and we are in a little bit of uncharted territory here after a Supreme Court ruling and especially now that this is being handled at the state.

And also just this very unique issue in Kentucky only has 2 abortion providers, both of whom are in Louisville.

And, you know, you do kind of see this growing movement among some elected you know, saying that, you know, one thing that's been floated in Louisville is a D prioritizing up prosecuting are charging for people who violate these abortion restrictions much like a Deprioritize is a prosecution of of marijuana.

Just low level marijuana possession.

So there is some kind novel thinking about how to approach this.

At this point.

We just don't really know exactly how that's going to shake out.

But then there's all these other issues.

Like, for example, one of the things that Kentucky's abortion law does is bans the mailing of abortion medication, that that is something that's been authorized at the federal level by the And there's some questions as to whether states can really do something to limit you know, regulating more less interstate commerce.

there's a lot of this that's going to be played out over the coming months, if not And also there's this whole political angle to where I think that we're all seeing there's a lot of people who are really kind of getting energized over this issue and we'll really see it the ballot box this year, especially in these midterm elections.

You know how many people go out to vote based on this very issue.

>> So speaking of which the Kentucky Supreme Court race, the 6th district could be more interesting than perhaps before because one of the challengers to our the Challenger to Justice Michelle Keller is the sponsor of the trigger law and the Constitutional Amendment that's being proposed on the November ballot.

And that state Representative Joe Fisher, what kind of Bowie or bounce does he get from this decision and does it put in a better position than before this court ruling to maybe on seat Justice Keller?

>> Yeah, I'm not really sure whether this is something benefits him or not.

I'm interested in finding out the answers to that.

I do think that no matter what this is something that elevates the profile of this race, a race you know, I hate to say a lot of Kentuckians are Kentucky voters may not have paid attention to other rice.

So this is something that is all of a sudden.

>> A very big state races, very has lots of implications of this big federal thing that happened.

>> So I don't know.

I don't know whether that's something that energizes some of the, you know, abortion rights people in northern Kentucky or otherwise a G-rated.

Northern Kentucky is very unique part of the increasingly And it's really been a hotbed of COVID.

The Tea Party movement over the last 10 years or so.

So, you know, if we kind of follow along those lines, it could definitely, you know, be something to to Fischer's candidacy.

But one of the thing I want to mention on this is so once again, the challenges to to portion right or abortion rights right now in Kentucky are trying to in trying them in Kentucky are at the state level.

So if Fisher were to be elected to the state Supreme Court is becoming a much more conservative version of the court.

Plus, with this constitutional amendment that he proposed, which what that does is it?

It says that nothing in the state constitution should be construed to guarantee the right to an abortion.

So those lawsuits on the state level would have a lot harder chance of succeeding with that combination of a more conservative court.

And then this big constitutional amendment that basically kind of precludes people from trying to, you know, say that the state constitution has abortion >> Ron Barton, good to see you again.

Thanks for your time.

>> Thanks for that.

>> And Kentucky Republicans are close to catching up to Democrats and voter registration.

Secretary of State Michael Adams says Republican registration increased by almost 8900 in may.

Democratic registration went down by 5700 Democrats are now just barely ahead with each party around 1 million, 600,000, 344,000 voters are members of other parties or our independence.

♪ ♪ When it came time to repair a crumbling highway bridge in the state.

Crews with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had to make special modifications, but not for the drivers who use it.

It was for the thousands of endangered bats that use the bridge has a home.

>> In the fall of 2018, the bridge in Kentucky team came out to assess this bridge for potential impacts to threaten endangered species.

Be utley upon.

Coming up to the bridge underneath, they noticed staining heavy stating from guano and easy sign that bats are using the bridge.

And what happened was when this bridge was built in the 80's, the original bridge.

Those expansion joints were no more than a half inch wide.

But over time with water creeping through the deck.

And just overall deterioration of the bridge.

The concrete begin to deteriorate in those gaps widened and you created the situation where?

Batts were finding cracks and crevices that we're safer when safe from predators say from rain and it created almost a cave like habitat.

We wanted to recreate those exact gaps but do it from the very first day that the bridge was built and not have to wait for 30 years of deterioration.

Several meetings were held with us Fish and Wildlife Service.

And the bridge in Kentucky team the KATC the a team.

>> Came up with some plans that were like, what can we do to replace this bridge in kind that doesn't really impact the bats adversely early on the design team came to us with a plan that they were willing to try to design, although it never been done in Kentucky before, which was to design the beans where an expansion joint was pre designed to be the width that the bats preferred.

What we decided on was putting those box beams right next to each other without tension rods.

So they would be set in place 3 quarter to a half inch gap that would remain and all time.

The engineers did a great job coming up with that design.

The contractors never batted an eye that they can complete that design and it was and they.

We're faster than their goal.

45 day.

So it's a really impressive feat on both engineering and construction sites.

We're going to come out 3 times a year for the next 5 years.

3 large commitment for the cabinet.

But we want to make sure that if this bridge is something we could be doing in the future, we'll monitor it.

Make sure that it's working.

I'm personally excited.

I know the cabinet is as well to see how well it is.

But right now early indications are better back.

It's the species that we were trying to protect.

So >> it's really good news.

>> Bats are back.

And the 1800 to the Ohio River was the lifeblood of industry for the state's located near it.

The river also meant a new life for tens of thousands of enslaved people who made their way to freedom by crossing it to get a free states.

The UN known project, a collaboration of organizations dedicated to raising awareness about racism and inequality gave people the chance to experience what the journey was like for those trying to escape slavery on the Ohio River.

>> We started unknown project in 2019, the planning for it in 2019 and it kind of built out of a lot of different collective experiences.

We've had working together over the years, going to Senegal, West Africa, working not just Mississippi, working here in Louisville, Kentucky, and U.S. trip to Alabama and the lynching museum and a conversation around the story of Lucy in Thorton, Blackburn who were enslaved couple here in Louisville.

And this kept him at the ready Canada.

And so all of that kind of coalesce to create the unknown project.

So using art installations and experiences to honor the names and tell the stories of black and saved people here in Louisville, Kentucky and beyond.

The attorneys to freedom, projects river, Cruz, its immersive.

Until you start your introducing characters as you're boarding about that, actually, the scene starts there and comes into the main ball.

Remember sitting right now.

We wanted an experience on the water because of >> a lot of people don't know that.

Ohio, the Ohio River still dividing line between of slaves state, which it's Kentucky and a free state would be Indiana and a Kentucky.

Sold about 80,000 people.

Down the river to other parts of the South.

To continue a life in slavery.

And so the water is very instrumental to the this story about 2 families that are seeking freedom.

Across the The play starts.

It's an issue.

In turn.

The Belle of Louisville and it happens all around.

You.

That's just the way it would have been It's not a board steamboats and tried to get to to freedom.

I believe a great representation of people kind of trying blend in with everybody else with the intention of trying to get to freedom.

>> It's been really cool to see how people have made the journey their own and the story, their own and had you there said I've never thought about.

I've never looked across the Ohio River and scene how close Indiana was and thought about.

That was where I would need to get to to start this journey to freedom.

Well, I've never thought about the history in Kentucky are my family's history and that way.

And for project in journeys to freedom we're calling on people who may have maybe their families and save people.

Maybe they have oral histories that were passed down their ledgers or >> wells are documents that have the names of insight.

People are have this history.

One of our goals with project in general and the journey to Freedom and Project River.

Cruz was to create jobs for artists in particular as many black creatives as we could support.

>> So thinking about how this could be an annual cultural heritage tourism offering is something we're exploring and also thinking about, are there other river bed time.

There are other venues are communities have of want to license this play or reproduce their own variation of it to see how they can create that type of immersive experience for their community and maybe tailor it to that history a little bit more.

I would hope >> that we would be able to offer probably yearly at least once a year.

I think it's a great start for conversations that are much needed some time.

>> Coming up tomorrow night, esports, they're more popular than you might think.

In fact, there are so popular they become a varsity sport in some schools.

And we'll take you to one of those schools tomorrow night on Kentucky edition.

We thank you so much for joining us tonight.

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

We hope you'll subscribe to our weekly Kentucky addition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes and clips at KETK Dot Org.

>> You can also find Kentucky addition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

And follow KETK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

And you can also follow me on Twitter at Renee K E T. Thank you so much for being with us tonight.

We hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night at 6.30, eastern.

Take good care.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪