♪ ♪ >> Invest 2 words in any language integrated are signing die.

>> What's happening in Frankfort as the Kentucky General Assembly session nears the finish line.

>> We're here to celebrate Transgene.

Why?

With the past couple of weeks have been anything but joyful for transgender.

Kentuckians.

>> It's called the Joint Party bought for many.

It comes at a time of worry and fear.

They're afraid to go out >> and defend their policies and public.

I think Andy is too.

>> And why has a retired congressional Democrats having a town hall meeting outside his old district?

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Thursday March, the 27th, I'm Renee Shaw coming to you from our KET bureau in the Capitol.

Annex in Frankfort.

Thank you for joining us.

A lot of news to get to today.

Kentucky lawmakers are back in Frankfort for the next to the last day of this year's legislative session.

We've got a roundup of some major actions as we begin tonight's Legislative update.

The Republican super majority spent much of today overriding many of Democratic Governor Andy Beshear's vetoes.

That includes Senate Bill 89 which scales back protections for Kentucky's shallow waterways by aligning state regulations with weaker federal ones.

Environmental and medical groups oppose this bill saying it would impact nearly one in 3 Kentuckians who rely on a water system supported by groundwater.

>> I just we should be having conversations during the enter.

On what this is actually done and what the compromise does and does not do it because it does not protect groundwater in the way that we need to do it and we can do it in a rational, responsible manner that is not onerous.

2 farmers are and history or individuals or municipalities.

So I don't support this measure now.

And I hope to continue the discussion and I'm willing to be part of that.

The governor >> and others have has led everyone to believe that we're not.

It will completely doing away with anything side of bill.

And we're not it just simply not true.

There's 5 different parish statutes that still governs the water.

The Safe Drinking Water Act is still part of this.

We've not good at this bill at all.

We just brought it back to the line with federal guidelines.

>> The Senate overrode the governor's veto around the party lines.

If the House does the same Senate bill 89 will become law.

Republicans say they did work with a large utility Louisville water company to add some more protections to the initial bill.

Lawmakers are working at a steady clip to override the governor's vetoes and are expected to continue late into the evening.

Among them a bill adding work requirements to the medical and health coverage program for the poor Medicaid House Bill 695 mandates adults age 18 to 60 without children and without a disability work, at least 20 hours a week or work with the state job placement agency to maintain their health coverage, close to a million and a half.

Kentuckians are covered by Medicaid and that includes 4 out of every 9 kids in his veto message.

Governor Beshear said the bill would create barriers and delay for more than one and a half million Kentuckians.

Several House Democrats echoed his concerns.

>> Want to remind the body that this bill was passed out of this chamber after limiting debate and calling previous question.

And the 11 o'clock hour on day.

28 of this 30 day legislative session.

Have been able to speak on it.

What I would have liked to have said is that an worked reporting requirements.

Our trip wires made out of bureaucracy and paperwork and do not help people find more employment.

But they do result in coverage losses in Georgia, which currently has a work reporting requirement in place only 4,231 of the estimated 240,000 plus uninsured adults are able to successfully navigate the requirements and become enrolled.

The state spent as much on technology improvements to implement the requirement as it did on the actual care of the enrollees.

This is government red tape.

It does not help the health of our population.

It is smoke and mirrors saying that it's going to reduce cost.

But in actually just harms our vulnerable populations in our state.

>> The House voted to override the governor's veto of House Bill 695.

Strictly along party lines and the Senate followed suit.

The measure has an emergency clause that makes it become law with this final passage.

Now, a bill that has academia worried about the future of tenure at higher Ed institutions in Kentucky is also on track to become law House Bill 424. would require state colleges and universities to evaluate faculty every 4 years, giving them the opportunity to fire under performing employees.

Governor Beshear vetoed this bill.

But today, both the House and Senate voted to override his veto.

Bill sponsor, Representative James Tipton says the bill has nothing to do with tenure, but opponents of the bill say it limits academic freedom and will scare away potential talent from our universities.

>> This bill will greatly restrict University of Kentucky's ability to recruit the best and brightest from across the country.

We want our children to grow up and go to UK to be taught by those who are the best in their field.

House Bill.

For 24.

What do the exact opposite?

It would restrict and repel those and a time a federal overreach into the public education system.

And I fear that we're going to long term hurt.

UK in our other universities, recruitment abilities with this legislation.

We have this talent that comes out of our universities.

They're already based here.

>> That is what other businesses are looking for when they decide where they're going to relocate, but that they have the strong workforce that they need.

That is because those students.

Had the best possible faculty.

They learned from the best.

And so by impeding our universities abilities to hire and attract the best professors and and educators.

We are ultimately shooting ourselves in the foot.

Because we are going to hurt the very workforce that we are dependent on.

>> The veto override vote in the House passed along party lines, 80 to 20 the Senate agreed and similar partisan fashion.

29 to 9 with 2 Republican siding with Democrats.

Lawmakers also agreed to override the governor's veto on House Bill 495, which would undo the governor's executive order banning conversion therapy on minors and prevent those on Medicaid from accessing gender affirming medical care.

The override passed along party lines.

Democrats voiced concern over the damage.

They say this will do to LGBTQ Kentucky hands, citing the opposition of conversion therapy by several major medical organizations.

A point brought up often during discussion on the bill.

>> I certainly hope.

We don't pick another group next session to go after.

To make us feel better about ourselves.

I hope it's not the disabled as a mentally ill that we just sad are less than us.

>> I think we've passed some good legislation last couple of years trying to improve mental health.

This bill, unfortunately will do the exact opposite thing that we've tried to address.

Conversion therapy has no basis and medicine or science and it causes significant, significant long-term damage to our kids, including increased rates of suicide, anxiety, depression.

Especially those who are suffering from mental health challenges.

>> To Jean and working with John.

>> Representative Ken Fleming, a Republican from Jefferson County, says the issue here isn't with the LGBTQ community, but with the governor will ding his power.

They say inappropriately.

>> Our Garza where somebody stands on and the underlying topic or issue, which I totally understand where I come from.

And I and I see what's going on.

But the governor overreached his boundary and I wish the governor would take note of that that he overreached his boundaries in terms of setting policy with its body has the obligation and the responsibility of doing that.

Thank you.

>> The Senate also voted to override the governor's veto largely along party lines.

Senator Karen Berg who lost a transgender child due to suicide, spoke passionately passionately in opposition to the override.

>> We note.

>> That kids who are forced to go through a conversion therapy twice as likely to attempt suicide.

Do we do this?

>> Over and over and over again.

Over your hate.

>> With today's action House Bill 495 will now become Kentucky law backers of transgender and LGBTQ+, communities rallied in the capital today for what was billed as a Trans Joy Party.

But for many that joy is mixed with fear.

>> The Nets as they are pushing throughout this building of us are wow.

>> It's the Americans that they are pushing throughout the are highly that I have been to this capital on countless times, spoken with many representatives.

And today today was the first day I was a costly in the female bathroom by the state of the Capitol Police officers.

They will weaponize.

Our ignorance to law.

They will weaponize ignorance to legislation that is being passed so much so that they told me Hv 30.

What happened this session, which is an act relating to employee benefits, keeps me from using the restroom here and that my friends is a lot.

We're here to celebrate Transgene alike.

>> But the past couple of weeks have been anything but joyful for transgender.

Kentuckians.

2 weeks ago under the cover of darkness in the last hour, they possibly could.

Are extremist Republican super majority band Medicaid coverage for gender affirming care for Trans Kentuckyian we and overturned governor hears executive order protecting our youth from conversion torture.

The.

Thankfully Governor Beshear kept his promise to us and be told that by a legislative assault and our community.

But today.

The legislature's reconvene and that same extremist super majority is likely to overturn his veto on a 16 years old.

I finally got my first Broughton.

Scary.

I put them on.

I felt something a sense of comforting sense again.

And sense of euphoria a sense I was right all along that these were the clothes that were made from a year later.

>> I'm at my best friend, my best friend of the same.

And first thing she ever said to me was.

I cried again.

This time there were tears of joy tears being thing for the first time.

My entire life in a way that I never had.

Tears because I exist.

And this is the joy are fighting for.

>> In the joy, we're here to celebrate today.

>> Margins with international transgender day of visibility on the 31st.

It was created in 20 0, 9, to bring awareness to the discrimination faced by many in that community.

With the session ending tomorrow.

Governor Andy Beshear talk today about the legislation he liked and what he didn't.

He talked about House Bill 241, in particular, a bill that he will allow to become law without his signature.

The bill gives options to school districts that use all of their non-traditional instruction or NTI days due to winter wellness, storms or illness.

The governor says he's letting the bill become law despite some concerns about it.

>> House bill 241, did one really important thing gave some school districts some extra days because they've been through a lot with weather.

What it also did is is virtual school program entirely online and virtual to expand the common.

This was the same group that during the pandemic said we've got to get all of our kids back in the classroom, some right way for kids to learn.

And now for some reason they're trying to give one group that runs an online school and the ability to add more and more and more students.

I don't know what happened between the end of the pandemic and now it's only been a couple years, but this is a pretty significant about I returned without signature because one one of our school districts to have those extra days.

But I'm worried about what this shift is and whether all of the children in that program are getting what they need.

>> During the governor's presser today, he also talked about the passage of House Bill 15, a bill to lower the driver's permit age to 15.

The governor says 15 year-olds will be able to schedule appointments for permit applications and testing starting April.

The second, also, the governor warned Kentuckians to be aware of the potential for storms this Sunday afternoon.

Now turning a little bit to national politics were saying it across the country.

Democratic politicians having town hall meetings and Republicans, congressional districts and now it's happened in Central Kentucky.

Former Congressman John Yarmouth, a Democrat who served in Louisville, hosted a town hall last night at the Lyric Theater in Lexington and Congressman Andy Barr's, 6 congressional district Bar has declined to appear in person at town halls himself, calling them, quote, manufactured outrage.

Instead opting to host town halls by telephone.

>> We are here tonight primarily because of the bar.

>> Because he's not.

Because he doesn't want to hear from the constituents.

Who elected him.

His leadership has told them not to do that.

That's one thing, which is I think indicative of the way.

The National Republican Party feels about their policies.

They're afraid to go out and defend their policies and public.

I think Andy is too.

>> I know he held a telephone town hall.

Well, Monday and I just did to telephone town halls to they are a great tool when done correctly.

What is an ego?

It forces you to register if you can.

He controlled every bit of it.

I think that there's a great deal of emotion not just in this room tonight, but in the country.

>> As people realize the unusual.

Unprecedented actions of if the Trump administration and how it's impacting our friends, new friends to impact their lives.

So, you know, we've got potential cuts to Medicaid, veterans benefits, too.

All sorts important programs not just in Kentucky but across the country.

Farm subsidies, snap benefits.

What they're doing to our veterans.

But they have done to our health care system.

>> As a whole we have to we have to mobilize around that as well because if not, we're going to continue to see.

This Trump administration roll back the progress that we have made, especially in places like Kentucky where under Democratic leadership.

We've begun to make progress in terms of of the health outcomes.

Communities that have been long devastated by not having access to quality affordable health care.

>> One of the things we need to do as a party is to get rid of a lot of people who have been running the party.

I love Nancy Pelosi and and Steny Hoyer and Jim Cliburn, their dear friends of mine.

They were great to me.

They're all 3 of them.

Are 84 right now.

They did.

And it is they published data around too long.

Their leadership positions, but at least a couple years ago, they they deferred to a younger group.

We need people who are thinking futuristic Lee in our party because the world is changing far more rapidly than most people can deal with.

And we need agile minds and younger mines.

You can think that way.

And I think will also engage a lot of different people in Democratic activities.

And and get get support for the Democratic agenda.

>> This was a Democratic seat for a while.

It hasn't been in Republican hands that long in the grand scheme of things since 2013.

So and this is a a district with a very strong Democratic base.

I think there's an opportunity for I get a quality Democratic candidate too, the rim and that I think the the National Democratic Party is recognize that that's why they're putting it on the target list.

>> Congressman Barr has expressed interest in running for Senator Mitch McConnell seat in 2026.

Senator McConnell recently announced he would not seek an 8th term.

Now the Republican Party of Kentucky offered a statement about the Yarmouth event in Lexington last night saying, quote, the KET peas display of fake outrage in political theater is embarrassing and that's a clear reflection of why Democratic approval nationally has time to 27%.

Kentucky Republicans are proud to stand with President Trump and his fight to make America great again, unquote.

More organizations are being empowered to help fight the opioid and drug epidemic in Kentucky today, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced nearly 20 million dollars will be going to 75 Kentucky organizations.

Some of the group's focus on treatment and recovery.

Others focus on prevention and the money comes from the opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.

>> This is not meet with a large check presentation.

This is not the attorney general's money.

This money passing through the mission is blood on.

This is one mind this is money.

Long ban from those that brought this prices and brought this devastation to we must treat this money as students.

>> Since 2021, the commission has invested more than 85 million dollars in drug prevention, treatment and recovery efforts in the state.

You can find a list of the most recent grant recipients online at a G DOT K y dot Gov.

♪ ♪ Kim shots all is out as president of the University of Louisville shots all resigned yesterday during a special meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees.

She's been president since February of 2023.

No specific reason was given for her resignation.

The trustees appointed Jerry Bradley as president effective immediately.

He's a former executive vice president and university Provost.

2 major Kentucky universities are joining forces yesterday.

Transylvania University joined the University of Kentucky's advancing Kentucky Together Network.

The goal is to help address workforce shortages in Kentucky, especially in the area of health care.

The agreement main undergraduates will be able to easily move into the master's degree program.

If the UK College of Public Health.

>> Transylvania is partnership with UK in this new network signifies a powerful step for Kentucky's educational future.

It builds on existing collaboration.

Ys in business.

Engineering and health care, education, for example, and early assurance program helps Transylvania students receive an early acceptance in the UK's College of Medicine.

But there's more we can do.

Educational experience will and collaborative opportunities open doors for our students and our employees.

I am confident that together we're going to develop the next generation of leaders ensuring that our students are ready to excel in vital fields.

This 2 more is critical to our institutions, but also >> to the Commonwealth.

We call home.

>> And we believe the communities and the state we serve are will be healthier.

Wealthier and wiser because of this collaboration and partnership.

Today's a new agreement strengthens in already very successful partnership.

But it also signals.

That we are just getting started.

Well, a lot more.

That we believe as the chair of our board of trustees recently said.

There is so much more that we can do together.

Then we can ever accomplish on her own.

Are apart from one another.

>> UK healthcare alone says it will need an additional 5,000 health professionals over the next decade to meet the expected demand.

♪ If you're planning a getaway this spring or summer, you could be flying out of Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport.

And chances are you'll notice some big changes under way right now.

Our Chris T-dot and takes us inside SDF on the next inside local.

>> From the ticket counter to take off.

>> And this whole system is built into the airport.

So you don't really see it.

>> Are they hidden inner workings that help you get from departure to destination?

>> At the Louisville International Airport, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you may not even think about.

For instance, when you check your bag and then starts this journey along a maze of conveyor belts and ramps that take it through the airport to hear the final conveyor belt where it is it loaded onto the airplane.

>> Making sure things run efficiently is VP of operations and customer engagement.

Megan, so bit.

But.

>> And the airline can use any bad bounce.

That's why you don't really know.

Maybe in to get down to baggage claim.

What's bad about your bags going to be on?

Because it's all going to be about which one is available.

We want to get your bag as soon as possible.

>> In fact, every new project, it's a construction team has a strategic goal.

We're making the building operate cheaper to cut energy costs.

The airport installed a geothermal heating and cooling system.

>> I called Medusa that pumps water through a network of pipes, deep underground in up into the airport, just makes it so much cheaper because we're not having to use.

>> Energy without you having to use electricity or gas to KET the water to cool the water.

We're just letting the air do rebutting the U.S. to all the work.

>> That saves the airport money and could help get more travelers into airplane mode.

>> So far cost to do.

Business is low here.

That makes us very competitive, very appealing to the air service providers.

The airlines don't want to say we're stuck with this flight.

I know I can serve these people.

I can serve these people back to do it from this airport for this airport.

>> Let's pick the one where the cost of war.

>> And just as important as the costs are the customers.

>> We have really taken a proactive approach to being in the game with them, especially when travelers encounter some turbulence.

>> A lot of the complaints in airports and travel is that a lot of times when when the ball get strong, passengers are looking for a guy who's going to help me next.

Who's going to?

Who's going to help me?

Find what my next move is.

That's where the Louisville Airport Operations center soars to new heights.

>> We take that passenger part probably a little further than most airports you'd see in an airport operations department.

>> The foundation, we are responsible for safety and security.

We put customer experience a passenger experience right up there with those things.

>> Even small details are designed to give passengers welcoming hints of home like the back lights in baggage claim.

This is supposed to be indicative of looking out over a over a Kentucky pastor at the sunrise.

Even the bathroom walls are designed to resemble Kentucky limestone.

And since Louisville is one of the world's largest producers of disco balls, that's to the disco.

A shining reminder that we're ever your travels take you.

There is no place like home.

That was Kristi done reporting.

And this Sunday you can learn more about the history of Louisville's airport and the vision for its future on inside Louisville this Sunday with Kelsey Starks at 12 noon Eastern.

11:00AM central right here on KET.

>> do it for us tonight.

We will see you right back here tomorrow from Frankfort to give you the latest.

It took a little basketball while we're at it.

Thanks so much for watching us tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw and I will see you right back here again tomorrow night.

Take good care.

♪ ♪ ♪