♪ >> With a 3 year 4 year-old child to send their child to 40 quality Pre K. >> It's a big step for Pre-K education and Kentucky's largest city.

Students are never going to learn math in English until they feel safe and they feel.

Called guardians and Kentucky schools.

Is it a good idea?

So when it became too difficult to my heart to pump blood, my heart stopped.

>> I die that day.

How some Kentucky lawmakers are trying to increase the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest for even more young.

Kentuckians.

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

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday March, the 12th.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

The 2024 Kentucky General Assembly is coming down to the wire with just 10 legislative days left.

>> A bill dealing with school choice is moving forward, especially called House Committee meeting late this afternoon, took up House Bill 2.

It's sponsored by state representative Suzanne Miles, a Republican from Owensboro and House GOP caucus chair.

The bill calls for adding a constitutional amendment to the ballot asking Kentucky voters if the General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside of public schools.

Miles says it's about making sure all Kentucky kids We're too nutty to receive the best education they can.

Opponents worry the bill will lead to public dollars being used for private schools.

More and tonight's legislative update.

>> Could we see public money going to private schools and for-profit schools?

It would depend on the legislation that would be passed.

That future legislation legislature, the General Assembly.

This has nothing to do with any enabling legislation.

There is no funding attached to this whatsoever.

It is solely to give the voters a choice if they want to enable us to have that opportunity.

If that time K. Would you like to see that happen?

What I like to see that happen?

I would like for every child in the commonwealth to have the best options possible for them to succeed.

House Bill 2 passed out of committee this afternoon on a vote of 11 to 4.

All 3 Democrats on the committee voted against the bill.

>> As did Republican State Representative Scott Lewis, a former school superintendent.

Louisville's mayor says his city will have free quality Pre-K for 3 and four-year-olds.

>> A new nonprofit thrive by 5 Louisville.

>> Plans to create a 5 year program rolled out in 3 phases.

Governor Andy Beshear is also pushing for universal Pre-K across the commonwealth.

But he's received pushback from Republicans in the General Assembly.

>> Most children today are sitting start kindergarten at 5 years old.

Research has clearly show the intellectual and social learning experience before age 5 is it hasn't worked what they are after age 5 children who attend high quality preschool are more likely to graduate from high school.

More.

or one of their careers and more why you live longer healthier lives.

Universal Pre-K will help more parents and caregivers get back into the workforce.

This happened in 3 phases.

Phase one will begin of the U and locust workforce without.

This thing is getting more early.

Learning professionals, fire, training, and compensated at a level that allows them to do it.

He credibly important work that we know we need them to do.

Phase 2 of the process is expected to begin giving yourself.

German-based, too.

It's what drives by school.

We'll begin to provide financial assistance so kids given 10 quality preschool for free.

This financial assistance will initially be provided for 40 rolls.

This less than 300%.

The federal poverty level right out of the earning $93,600 a year.

We're less.

Finally in of that work in the first 2 phases providing we're continuing to improve it and expand the program.

Let me be clear.

Is that every poll with a 3 year 4 year-old child.

To send their child to 40 quality Pre K what ever your car.

Everyone live in Jefferson County.

>> Mayer Greenberg says the initiative will cost about 35 million dollars a year.

He anticipates funding will come from the city, state and federal government and through philanthropic efforts.

Lawmakers in the Kentucky House heard a slew of education bills this morning addressing both K through 12 education and colleges and universities.

One bill tweaks, the state funding model for post-secondary education to better support, nontraditional college students.

Our Clayton Dalton has this update.

>> We haven't been successfully awarding incentives to a post-secondary degree institutions around.

Around those nontraditional students.

So this is us turning that down just a little a portion of state money given to Kentucky's public colleges is based on performance, encouraging them to meet goals like graduating a certain share of low-income students, Senate bill, one 91 would include the outcomes of nontraditional students defined as adult learners aged.

25 to 64 into the funding plan.

In 2015, lawmakers set a goal that 60% of Kentucky adults have a meaningful degree by the year 2030.

The bill sponsor says supporting our traditional students is crucial.

If we can have 60% of Kentucky citizens have a post-secondary credential that matters by the year 2030.

We're going to impact economic mobility.

We're going to impact revenues for the state.

We're going to impact incarceration rates will impact overall health.

And community vitality.

Lawmakers also heard a bill that would strengthen rules that ban weapons on school grounds House Bill 7.98.

Doesn't address firearms.

Instead, it helps to crack down on knives.

We've had cases where students are bringing these large fixed blade knives, KET him in backpacks, bring them on school property and there's nothing that law enforcement can do in order to charge them for bringing those knives.

Regardless of what purposes for the bill establishes a Class D felony charge for carrying a knife over 3 inches in length on school grounds.

Richmond chief of police, Rodney Richardson shared what he thinks the bill is necessary.

We specifically had a case in Richmond where a student did not have access to firearms, which is prohibited.

So what they did, they stole their parents car.

They drove to a pawn shop.

They're trying to break in a pond shop and access a weapon that couldn't get the weapon.

So they decided they would grab a knife, the largest not they could find go to the school and white for students to get off the school bus and they contemplated how many students they could attack before it could be ended.

Now, luckily that did not occur and it was stopped.

But these are the kind of things that we're facing as law enforcement.

When we talk about weapons on school property.

But some lawmakers expressed concern.

Do you know I've got a box cutter at home as a knife on the end and 3 inches is a much bigger than my finger.

>> And so, you know, I've got concerns about folks.

I'm accidentally walk in with a box cutter.

They had to work to a school game to watch that can play basketball now are axed in the charge him with a felony because it fell out of their pockets.

So I've got concerns with that.

The committee chairman ultimately decided not to hold a vote on House Bill 7.98.

To move forward.

It will need to be heard in committee again for a vote.

>> However, Senate bill, one anyone passed unanimously and now heads to the House floor for Kentucky edition.

I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you, Clayton.

Now moving from the classroom to the early childhood education room could less red tape main more childcare in Kentucky.

Some Kentucky lawmakers hope that allowing local governments to evaluate local zoning and land use plans will help Kentucky additions a June Leffler tells us about one approach gaining some traction.

>> From child development to economic development, lawmakers say more childcare options would offer Kentucky a lot House Republicans, Samara have run says House Bill 5.61.

Could help during our Tom and conversations that we've had.

A lot of people have talked about how one of the biggest impediments to opening child Care Center's is local zoning and land use policies.

>> Cabinet for economic development and the Council of Area Development districts that make a blueprint for local governments so they can address how the zoning may be impacting their child care market.

That could include approaches to land, use, permitting parking and playgrounds.

So House Bill 5.61 is an innovative approach, encouraging local governments to study land use roles with the goal of identifying barriers to childcare in implementing reforms.

>> Now they say se Senator Guard learned here.

This is not a mandate.

Senator this is just an encouragement to local governments.

And so the but the bill and poses no mandates local governments and fully upholds local control.

It creates opportunities for collaboration and economic development by making available a new voluntary certified child Care community designation.

The Senate Families and Children Committee unanimously supported the bill.

I just want to say thank you for your work on this.

It's really important bill to make sure that government isn't being a barrier to a lot of these businesses opening.

>> It's going help.

A lot of people get childcare near where they work and where they live.

So thank you.

I'm proud of it.

Yes.

Now heads to the full Senate after passing in the House last month.

Havard referenced other lawmakers approaches to bolster the childcare market, Mister Chair and we've both been working diligently on child care issues for the last 2 years.

And I think that our life experiences bring us to different ways to approach the issue.

And for that, I'm thankful because the Legislature brings is different life experiences and opportunities.

The chairman, Republican Senator Danny Carroll introduced the Horizons Act that would earmark 300 million dollars to pay for Kentuckians childcare.

That bill passed out of the same committee last month.

It has not been brought to the Senate floor.

Carol says Hebron solution is a good one.

>> We have talked often in much of this issue can be solved at the local level.

It's imperative that our cities and counties get involved in this in and find solutions for they're suitable for their areas.

>> House Bill 5.61 also makes the state employee Child Care Assistance, Partnership, a permanent program.

It's currently a pilot that offer state funds to match an employer's contribution to their employees.

Child care costs.

The bill calls for the state to better promote the program.

So ideally, more employers would take advantage of it for Kentucky John Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June Kentucky.

Youth advocates say the bill will improve parents, quote, access to quality affordable childcare and their communities and to recruiting and retaining a childcare work.

First force to serve these families and quote.

A law passed last year requiring portable automated external defibrillators or AED and all public middle and high schools in Kentucky could be getting an update.

Republican State Representative Kimberly Moser and Democratic State Representative Ruthanne Palumbo collaborated on this measure this session.

They introduced House Bill one 69.

It would put a deas and all public school buildings and establishes a trust fund provision to help schools purchase AED the trust would accept funds from the state or donations.

Among those voicing support for the bill in Frankfort Monday, a young heart attack survivor and a family whose teenage son died after going into sudden cardiac arrest.

Their message to lawmakers.

What can possibly be more important and saving a life?

>> A 14 year-old student sitting in math falls to the floor and respond 16 year-old high school basketball player collapses on the court.

>> After making the game winning shot 7 party and the rest is rare in young people.

It can happen.

>> Our older son, Matthew was a a junior in high school and on June 16th, 2020 past way of a sudden cardiac arrest.

Soccer practice.

Towards the end of practice for the sprint to collapse.

On campus that night.

We're finding he's the closest one was 250 feet away behind a locked door.

It was not brought to him.

Matthews, initial shock not come until 12 agonizing minutes for he collapsed in front of His mother cow.

Unfortunately, a man who did not survive that event.

Survival should hinge on luck and happenstance.

The presence of individuals trained in CPR and equipped with 80 knowledge can make the difference between life and death.

It's about being prepared, taking swift action and had the resources readily available.

>> My name Levine's and my story illustrates why does funding so important?

As I walked toward class, I began to feel my life slipping through my fingers.

My heart was pounding and indescribably uncomfortable rate.

And as I stumbled into Mike Foss who became dizzy and the world was black.

I went into sudden cardiac arrest.

I die that day.

What you don't know is that this happened to 2011 and I was 8 years old and it was my 3rd grade classroom.

>> My principal hero and a chill in her step.

Rivera came in and found the looking saved my life.

Just 3 pounds of C a R saving lives is not about lot.

It's about being here with hands-only CPR training in 80's.

We can all be the first response.

>> We worry about the safety of children in schools in every other way.

And it is time that we are prepare for this.

Very unfortunate.

Very sudden, it's not in the event that anyone can ever planned for knowing that this is going to happen.

But we can certainly plan to save someone's life in that situation.

What is the cost of a child's life?

>> We are advocating for the Kentucky AED on House Bill one.

69.

Not just as a budget line.

That is a lifeline.

One that could protect every child in our state, including yours.

I urge you to consider the gravity of what we discussed today.

It's about transforming our grief into action, ensuring that no other family endures, the pain we have faced.

Let's make our schools safer in our community is more prepared in our time.

Children were protected.

>> House bill one 69 pass the full House and he's moved on to the Senate for further consideration.

Proponents for making Kentucky schools safer are wanting to help schools that can't afford school resource officers or sro's.

Their plan would let military veterans or retired police serve as armed security.

That's if the General Assembly passes Senate Bill 2, we discuss the Bills, pros and cons last night on Kentucky tonight.

Backers say will make students and staff and faculty feel more safe.

But critics say the bill takes the wrong approach to school safety.

We we cannot in our opinion is moms Demand Action.

This is based on the evidence that we have.

>> But you can't protect yourself out of this problem that we have to focus on a different avenue, which to do things require secure storage of guns that gun owners need to securely store their guns.

We know that many of the school shooters on the school shooters actually in Kentucky got their guns at home at the home of relative and many times, those guns are not securely stored and that could prevent those guns from ever making it to the school of the adults.

Who actually have control of those guns.

We also think we could pass legislation that would help remove firearms from temporarily from people that we know are in danger to themselves or others.

>> Has an SRO.

I have seen thousands of students and I've never had a student tell me that they felt less safe because I was there with a weapon I know this and I've said this several several times to administrator Xun and people that I just come in contact with.

Students are never going to learn math in English until they feel safe and they feel loved.

Okay.

I've never again.

I've never had a student tell me he feels less in the room.

I think it's quite the opposite.

And I've had experience with students.

I think people feel safer when they know that there's somebody there that's willing and capable and committed to take taking an act of violence on themselves so that they can be protected.

>> And let's just for the record set it straight that you are favor in favor of guardians in schools.

Yes, on both sides.

That there were there was a time where I thought that the only people who could be in a school with the weapon is.

>> As a certified peace officer like myself.

And then we run into the situation where where hundreds of SRO shorten the state of Kentucky.

Where we can either get funding or we don't have enough qualified applicants.

And then I start thinking like with Senator was here.

I said, you know.

There is somebody who can there has to be people out there who are willing and committed to the mission and can enter cable doing his job.

>> The comment on this, you can hear more including comments from the bill sponsor state Senator Max Wise and a critic of the bill state Sen Reggie Thomas.

>> That program is online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

Some state lawmakers want to pump the brakes on self-driving vehicles and artificial intelligence in Kentucky.

Sawyer's Bill State Representative John Blanton is the sponsor of a House concurrent resolution that would establish a task force to look into both of those areas under the resolution.

The task force would consider the safety benefits and concerns of autonomous vehicles.

Questions of liability and the economic impact on the commercial driving industry.

A revised version of the resolution adds a eye to the discussion.

>> What the committee said does and now the bill will do.

It combines an autonomous vehicle task force along with an AI task force.

We had 2 separate resolutions, but we saw that these 2 are counting intertwined because dealing with technology, this establishes a task force to continue looking into this new up and coming technology whether to Thomas vehicles or I I so that we as members of the General Assembly can stay on top of these issues because they are very fluid and we want to make sure that we get it right.

>> Makers are once again considering a bill allowing for self-driving vehicles in Kentucky after a similar bill was vetoed by Governor Andy Beshear last year.

Several AI related bills have also been introduced this session, the task force would meet during the interim and submit its findings to the Legislative Research Commission before December.

Protecting against hair discrimination is the goal of what's called the Crown Act.

Now that's up again for consideration and Frankfort.

A large group gathered in the Capitol rotunda today in support of Senate Bill 2.30, that's known as the Crown Act.

If passed, the bill would protect people of color from discrimination based on their natural hairstyles ground laws have been passed in more than a dozen states and supporters say they hope Kentucky will be next.

>> There are people now because of the texture of your hair, you should be protected.

Because of their history.

You have your stores and big toe right now in this very building.

There are people who do not want his 3 to be told.

They don't want your life to sign.

So that's why you're here to sign your life anyway.

Because the Crown Act will pass.

It will become law.

And it's because of your leadership.

>> Doctor Martin Luther King Junior was said that there are.

Of justice for all.

But it bends toward freedom.

It is sort of justice.

We have to understand that this is just as white.

We don't need to give up the Crown Act bus become that we have to be persistent.

We could not take no for an answer because discrimination in any form is Raul.

And you all have to stand up and got to stand up for us.

Imports.

>> Having a student in the classroom ready to live is more important.

Then what they are reading and what they're doing that.

>> We want to see this bill passes come all.

And although.

We may not see that this year.

That stop you.

This stuff right here.

This is how we're going to change the minds of legislators.

We're going to bring about that change that we want to see.

There's a lot of money.

>> We're going to be just what we walk in the room, not character and I'm not here, but because of the color of our skin.

And so with that, I just want to say y'all.

So let's hold your hand on black girls workarounds to not be.

That was straight into the formal.

>> They could car was going to let it continue to demand the respect they deserve.

>> And celebrate our heritage and pave the way for generations going forward.

>> Senate Bill 2.30, faces, an uphill battle this session.

It has yet to be assigned to a committee.

And after today, there are just 10 working days left in the 2024 General Assembly session.

♪ >> Kentucky's attorney general joins a lawsuit against the EPA and what role will Western Kentucky University played during the April a solar eclipse?

Our Toby gives tells us in tonight's look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman is suing the Environmental Protection Agency to block too such pollution standards.

Louisville public Media reports the EPA change air quality standards for particulate matter, such as such to protect the health of America.

Coleman and 23.

Other attorneys general filed the suit saying it could drive out good paying jobs from Kentuckyian race costs on small businesses.

But an AP analysis says the revise standards will bolster public health, prevent thousands of premature deaths and save the country.

46 billion dollars by 2032.

A surprise donor paid for members of the Campbellsville University wrestling team to attend their slain teammates funeral in Montana.

The Central Kentucky News Journal reports father Jim said a Lexington based priest pay for the trip.

18 year-old Josiah Kilman was killed last month.

A fellow teammate has been charged in his death.

Western Kentucky University has partnered with NASA to capture images of the upcoming total solar eclipse with a new app.

Wk WHYY reports the photos of the April 8, the clips will be uploaded to the Sun Sketch or app and the data will make the most precise determination ever of the shape of the sun.

The eclipse will be visible in Paducah, Morganfield and Henderson data from the Sun Sketch or Apple have far-reaching implications, including testing theories of gravity.

And organization ranks.

The University of the Cumberland says the safest college campus, the best Christian College and best online college in Kentucky.

The Central Echo reports the data comes from the edge.

A site that connects users to information about colleges and universities.

The university also holds the number 2 spot for best College campus, best small college campus and tap the private university in the state.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm OB Gyn.

♪ >> We nearly 2 years after historic flooding almost wiped them out.

Apple shop continues to make a comeback tomorrow on Kentucky edition.

We'll show you how the Eastern Kentucky Cultural Center is introducing itself to an even bigger audience online.

You don't want to miss that story and so much more tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central on Kentucky.

Addition for we inform connect and inspire.

Connect with OSS.

All the ways you see on your screen by Facebook, X and Instagram.

Send us a story idea.

Public affairs at KET Dot Org.

>> And look for us on the PBS video app that you can download on your smart device and foam.

We thank you so much for watching us again tonight.

We've got some great legislative coverage Important anti-crime measure was being discussed as we prepared tonight's broadcast.

We'll bring you an update about where that stands tomorrow night.

Take good care of that.

We'll see you right back here again tomorrow night.

♪