♪ >> This is a solid budget.

It is the best budget.

>> State budget deal reached the latest from Frankfort as lawmakers decide on how to spend your money.

>> This building is sanctimonious.

It's cruel.

It's harmful.

And it's possibly the very worst piece of legislation I've seen in my entire time here.

>> Sharp criticism from opponents of a massive anti crime bill that's headed to the governor's desk.

>> I just kind of see what he had to say.

I think there's a very loud majority that is saying we're not comfortable >> The man who gained national attention for a deadly shooting during civil unrest speaks at a Kentucky University.

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 28.

>> I'm Renee Shaw coming to you from the KU 2 studios in the Capitol.

Annex and Frankfort.

As we wind down this session.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

The Kentucky General Assembly is primary and constitutional responsibility.

Every 2 years is to fund the agency's operations and functions of state government and supported activities.

More than 100 billion dollar biennial state budget, which includes general restricted and federal funds is now en route to the governor's office.

Budget negotiators struck a deal and the session's waning days and a final vote was awarded on this 58th day of the 60 Day session.

Our Clayton Dalton has more on House Bill 6, the executive branch budget as we begin tonight's Legislative update.

>> The state budget is a big bill.

It's over 250 pages and funds a wide variety of projects and industries, public safety and law enforcement, social welfare services, infrastructure plans, mental and physical health programs.

The list goes on and on.

But the largest line item in the state budget is public education over 12 billion dollars will go toward schooling over 2 years.

Still, some state senators say Kentucky is missing out on an opportunity to do more.

>> We see more and more.

States moving toward e******* of getting 4 year-old in school.

I think we're missing a missing a real opportunity in this state.

To advance our education system and it based our children.

More importantly, by not funding universal PRE K. >> Another item missing from the budget mandated teacher pay raises.

>> It confounds me and confuses me that we can find the guy in the wheel and the way to fund those professionals who educate our children and grandchildren.

And I don't understand with the excess amount of money that we have.

>> Why we couldn't come close to or at least try.

Did she the 11% teacher's salary raise.

Asked for by the governor.

>> The funding formula for public education is called seek.

And the Senate president says the increases they've made to seek funding will help school districts across the state.

>> This is the effect of 9.1 8% increase in the seat.

>> By itself.

I rate by and we did several superintendents.

Now, I'm a good impression that say otherwise.

>> But the ones I know on what I would call a middle of the road school have told me I look, we think we can do a 5, 5, Well, that's in effect of 10 and a quarter percent increase in sobs.

Seek formula.

Plus, we increase.

The funding for transportation to 9% to 100%.

That's another factor that people are considering.

This is a solid budget.

It is the best budget.

>> That has been proposed.

>> It passed.

By the General Assembly.

>> Although Senate Democrats say they believe the budget should go further, they ultimately supported House Bill 6, the only dissent came from within the majority party.

The House was the next and final step for the budget and House Democrats were as fall and >> there is not enough investment in early childhood education to prevent achievement gaps at the kindergarten level that are almost impossible to undo.

There's not enough investment in childcare to KET our childcare centers from closing.

We'll see families from seeing massive tuition increases.

We don't have to vote for something because someone worked very h*** o* it.

If it is not worthy of our constituents.

And this budget is not worthy of my constituents.

>> Almost all Republicans like the budget.

They say it's balanced and appropriate and that makes the investments we need.

>> We've got 100 people in this chamber.

We could all sit down and write 100 different versions of the budget.

We're not here to get everything we might want were here to come up to compromise and work together for the good of the Commonwealth.

This is a budget.

The gets historic funding.

The K 12 education.

We're not going to always agree on the budget, but we have a constitutional responsibility.

The pass a balanced budget for the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Every 2 years.

I probably vote yes.

>> Even with opposition in the House, the state budget, final passage today and will be delivered to the governor for his signature or line item veto for Kentucky edition.

I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you, Clayton.

Earlier today, Governor Andy Beshear offered a mixed assessment of the state budget that's headed his way.

>> So it's a I am currently disappointed that there is not mandated teacher raises in universal Pre-K, but don't wait until I get House Bill one.

I'm hoping that it will filling a gap for Medicaid which could be an issue if it I meant a lot of a lot of things got better in this budget.

But still and we've got to get our educators be real rays if we're going to be competitive with other states.

>> A short time ago, the state Senate okayed the negotiated measure on one time, investments and body and House Bill.

One lawmakers are breaking for dinner and we'll get back to work later tonight for the House to act on that.

The Senate did give final passage to House concurrent resolution.

81, which is the task force to do a top to bottom examination of the Jefferson County Public School district deals on the revenue measure and Transportation Budget Road plan are also expected to be finalized tonight.

We'll have more on those measures on tomorrow night's broadcast.

Well, lawmakers are working with haste to beat the midnight deadline for passing bills before the veto recess period.

Several bills are hanging in the balance as the clock ticks on.

But several measures were finalized today including a massive anti-crime bill that's on its way to the governor's desk House Bill 5 billed as the Safer Kentucky Act stiffens penalties for repeat violent offenders, places limits on charitable bond organizations.

And that was camping on streets, sidewalks and other public grounds.

Anyone who sells and distributes fentanyl that causes a fatal overdose could be charged with manslaughter under the bill.

In addition, House Bill 5, a classified carjacking as a Class B felony and increase the penalties for fleeing or evading police among other changes while some minority party members applaud the restorative justice peace to help children referred by the courts and social service agencies.

Most Democrats blasted the measure is too costly and climate will make police less safe worsen.

Jail overcrowding and criminalize the poor and the homeless.

>> Fewer than half of Kentucky's counties even have a homeless shelter.

We are requiring the enforcement of the law that essentially criminalizes the act of being homeless.

The solution is not criminalization.

The solution is more housing to have greater urban infill to reduce zoning restrictions, to reduce property Hardin from those who seek not to rent or sell homes.

But instead simply to aggregate a larger portfolio.

>> Criminalizing sleeping in encampments and then allowing landlords to discriminate against Section 8 tenants as we've addressed in another bill that I will not speak about at this moment will not address the housing shortage.

What we really need to do is we need to figure out the root cause of violence.

>> And 2.

>> Increase the penalties may make us on paper.

>> Look likely feel safer.

I do not know that it will make us actually be more safe.

The State of Kentucky Act.

>> As it's called, doesn't build any football fields.

Basketball courts or soccer pitches.

No bike trails, hiking pads or rec center's.

It doesn't help shore up county or city budget so they can invest in quality of life, enhance months like clean waterways, fresh air public spaces.

Instead, it saddles many counties with ever increasing incarceration costs.

>> According to the National Institute of Justice, Increasing the Severity of Punishment does little to deter it turns a violent crime.

We're not getting at the root cause here, folks.

We're not solving the problem.

We need to bolster a system that blacks the circumstances of each crime and essentially re moose, the discretion.

I reviewed additional system.

We laughed.

Judges.

To decide that's their job.

And we're taking that discretion away from them.

>> House Bill 5 also contains what's called a shop keepers provision that allows business owners and employees to use a quote, reasonable amount of force to prevent suspected shoplifters from escaping.

Critics have decried the so-called 3 strikes provision that denies probation parole early release.

But those convicted of 3 violent felonies and denounce bloating.

The list of felonious crimes.

>> What we have is a both and approach in Kentucky.

We have more treatment beds than any other state per capita.

Any other state, something that our governor stood right there and said thankfully he did.

We all support House Bill, 6 House Bill, one double down on that.

We believe in treatment and protecting our people and getting our people back on their feet.

We believe in restorative justice for those who could get back to our communities and get back to their families.

And our budgets have said that.

But we also believe.

That when you commit crown in violence against our people, we are going to protect the rest of us against you.

2 of the things that the minority is screened about.

It's 3 strikes that the tree striker about violent provision.

How many times can you burn down the house?

How many people do you get the rate?

How many people you get to assault with deadly weapons.

How many people do you get to kill before we put you away forever?

3 is too many.

And that's what this bill allows.

>> House Bill 5, the Safer Kentucky Act was awarded final passage on a 75 to 23 House vote and will be sent to the governor for him to either sign veto or let it become law without his signature.

Today lawmakers gave final approval to a bill taking away a Kentucky governor's power to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy.

Currently if a seat becomes vacant, the governor can choose from 3 nominees selected by the departing Senators party before a special election.

The General Assembly made that law in 2021. before that, the governor had sole power to appoint someone to fill the vacancy under House Bill 6.22, this year.

The governor would have to call a special election to fill the seat.

Speaking on the Senate floor today, Senate President Robert Stivers said the winner of the special election would hold the seat for the remainder of the unexpired term.

>> So it would be a direct voice of the people.

Determining how the vacancy is field.

And appointment of any individual with any criteria set by the Legislature.

>> The full Senate voted 34 to 3 to send the bill to the governor's desk.

Governor Beshear has criticized the measure.

He said that should the governor vetoed the bill, though the GOP dominated Legislature could override the veto when lawmakers return for the final 2 days of the session in mid April.

Kentuckians would have fewer options when they try to buy a vape or e-cigarette set.

The House measure becomes law House Bill 11 would limit what brands, gas stations and smoke shops can sell as Kentucky Kentucky additions do Leffler reports.

Retailers say this could close them down while child advocacy voices say it's a missed opportunity to enforce underage sales to minors.

>> Western Kentucky Republican says many vapes on the market are harmful to adults in our getting in the hands of children.

The majority of it are these flavored disposable vapes that are being manufactured in China.

>> And they are illegal in China and they're only being made for sale in the U.S. for Bill says Shops can only sell vape brands that have been cleared or under review by the Food and Drug Administration.

And that Kentucky will take a larger role in monitoring for compliance.

So the FDA has once they became the regulatory authority over this in 2016 through Congress is direction.

They have set guidelines for what could stay on the market.

We're not making anything you legal.

We're simply following what the FDA has put in place.

Retailers that sell smokeless tobacco products spoke out and I would have to close my stores.

>> And closing my stores means I fire 50 people here in the state.

>> Simply can't compete.

Having vape stores have the exact same 15, 20 products as every gas station.

By far vape stores have the lowest number of selling to underage people as reported by the FDA in 2023.

>> That didn't sway the Senate Judiciary Committee which unanimously voted for House Bill 11.

>> This is an issue about China or children make your decision.

And then lastly, everyone, these products was purchased a vape store.

Here's the card.

>> But a leading voice for Kentucky's children says this bill fall short due to recent changes that reduce fines for those selling to minors.

In a statement, Kentucky youth advocates wrote, quote, We had hoped to celebrate House Bill 11 as a win for kids this legislative session.

But at this point, it looks as if adult special interests are winning the day for Kentucky edition of John Leffler.

Thank you.

June.

>> At the time we prepared tonight's broadcast and now the lawmakers are on dinner of the bill has not passed either chamber, but they very well could when they return to business very shortly.

The Senate also introduced a resolution today to confirm the appointment of Robbie Fletcher as Kentucky's next commissioner of education, the State Board of Education announced Fletcher has its choice to lead the Kentucky Department of Ed last week.

Fletcher is the superintendent of the Lawrence County School System.

Today's resolution was introduced by state Senator Phillip Wheeler who represents Lawrence County and still needs to be acted on by the full Senate.

This is the first time Senate confirmation has been required.

The general Assembly added the requirement to state law last year after the resignation of former education Commissioner Jason Glass, who left because of legislation he considered to be harmful to LGBTQ+.

students.

♪ Hundreds of shimmering blue Ken Wills or dancing with the breeze on the North lawn of the state Capitol and recognition of Child Abuse Prevention month in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear signed a proclamation for the designation in April.

He also signed House Bill 207, which seeks to protect children from online victimization.

Supporters gathered in the Rotunda and on the Capitol grounds to plant 10 wills and recognition of the cause.

>> You know, the Kentucky State Police, we prioritize the Texan site.

Kentucky's most vulnerable population are children.

And this means we must stop every child predator from accessing and producing child sexual abuse material.

Prevent child abuse, Kentucky has been a tremendous law enforcement partner and by working together on getting this bill passed, we cut off another way for child predators to capitalize on.

The harm.

Kentucky's children.

Everyday Ks Pay continues to be a later public site.

And we are focused on addressing curd and future public safety needs, particularly as technology advances ending child abuse takes all of us knowing abuse occurs daily in every corner of the Commonwealth to challenge the more courage in every Kentucky.

>> Soon we will look out and see thousands of pin wheels on the Capitol grounds in front of public buildings, offices and schools and every community.

They are a visual reminder of the abused and neglected children in our state.

>> Each of those pin wheels represent 12 live births recorded in Kentucky last year.

And we are their voice.

Each pinwheel.

We plant is a visual reminder of our shared commitment.

>> Our law enforcement officers and agencies know that children and the stories that these pinwheels represent.

I want to thank those who helped us pass House Bill 207.

We need to equip our officers and prosecutors with every available tool to protect our kids and pursue their abusers.

We must work to give every Kentucky child the chance to grow up in a safe, stable and loving environment.

And I look forward to continuing this fight with all of you.

Prevent child abuse.

Kentucky also worked with the Kentucky State Police to create a coloring book.

>> That teaches children online safety.

Cursive writing could be making a comeback in classrooms around the state.

The bill introduced this session would require cursive, writing be taught in elementary schools.

So why emphasize penned a paper with most students are doing their homework on laptops and tablets and occupational therapist who use his curse of in her work with students says connecting letters, help students make other connections to learning.

>> Well, actually got pushed out when Common came about it was because Common Core was really looking at reading and math, you know, and having that commonality throughout the states.

it it was one that kind of got pushed to the side handwriting did.

and so it wasn't a lot of the state standards across the United States.

And so that's why we started to see this decline in handwriting because of that.

We want children to be able to type on a laptop.

We know that's not going away in a technology is here to stay.

But we also know of the benefits of cursive handwriting.

Currently.

There's 23 states in the United States that are now handwriting in their state standards.

And so I think that's really because of the research there.

Seen it in their classrooms.

You know, if they're using handwriting, we have a lot of pilots studies that are out there that some classes will use a hand reading program and some will not.

And they can look at the differences at the end of the year.

When we look at the benefits of cursive there, there's neural activity in the brain that's happening.

And so both sides of the hemispheres of the brain are the activated.

When handwriting when that paper when that pencil is going to paper, I see cursive, beneficial for all students.

I see it beneficial for students have dyslexia to scrap this.

It's really when we think about cursive, it's all about the connections, connecting those letters within the words so that a child is picking up their pencil after the word.

They're not picking up their pencil after every letter.

Then when students are writing and they become more proficient and they have that Obama to city of writing.

Then based all they're thinking about is the content of what they want to write.

They don't have to think about the mechanics informing those connections.

Then when students are writing and they become more proficient and they have that Obama to city of writing.

Then based all they're thinking about is the content of what they want to write.

They don't have to think about the mechanics informing those connections I think is as we get older and grandparents are children letters and they say why can't read this and and then it starts to like, well, why can't they read They weren't taught her son.

So the conversation starts to begin kind of in that way.

And then, you know, we make it into high school will how many students in the high school classrooms are using curse of and maybe one or 2?

So I think that way we start to have those conversations of well, why are they teaching cursive anymore?

And then looking at the benefits of it and thinking, okay, this this needs to change because there are so many benefits with cursive.

Senate Bill.

One 67 has passed the Senate, but the House has yet to vote on.

It will provide an update tomorrow night on Kentucky Edition.

If it does pass.

♪ >> Hundreds gathered at Western Kentucky University to protest a guest.

Speaker.

The WKU chapter of Turning Point USA hosted Kyle Rittenhouse last night.

Rittenhouse you may recall was acquitted for shooting and killing 2 men during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, our Laura Rogers has more from Bowling Green.

>> Protests are erupting in response to Kyle Rittenhouse presenting what's billed as the Rittenhouse recap at WKU.

I think the biggest thing for me, there's his rhetoric and just his speech in general attracts a crowd that shouldn't be here on campus as a very loud majority.

That is saying we're not comfortable with this regardless of political affiliation.

I was here.

I was hurt.

Now 21 Rittenhouse was 17 when he shot and killed 2 people and wounded another during a Black Lives Matter He has since become a hero for some supporters of the Second Amendment.

>> I just want to support Kyle.

What he did was justified.

I feel that it was completely justified and there's a lot of misinformation surrounding it.

And I want to stand up for my Second Amendment rights and I think how prevented people from burning down a city but a different perspective from those who feel Rittenhouse has contributed and been complicit to systemic racism.

>> He's backed by a lot of white supremacist groups.

Needs somebody with that.

I believe that by the Ku Klux K*** and the proud boys has been shown to white nationalists and symbols.

>> During his address, Rittenhouse gave his account of what happened during those deadly shootings back in 2020 and expressed staunch support for campus carry >> That's why I love this country as we all have different backgrounds and beliefs.

And that's a beautiful thing that WKU chapter president of Turning Point USA says headquarters reached out to them to gauge interest in hosting right now.

So >> I thought about for a couple days and >> was America.

Everybody serves platforms.

Free speech.

If you want to talk to Montauk and start a conversation, it gets abuse from from the left from the right to work out.

>> But protesters say Rittenhouse's message goes too far.

>> People that those direct threats to our right and our safety.

We just don't want that here on fire.

The program did proceed as planned with heavy police and security presence.

We all see the precautions that the school is taking.

>> To protect the students here, however, they are unable to actually say that to you pose a danger to U.S.. Students WKU President Timothy Caboni did issue a lengthy statement prior to the event saying in part as Guardians of Free speech, universities have an obligation to establish an environment where a wide range of perspectives are exchanged.

>> Even if the ideas presented are different from our own offensive or even contemptible.

Furthermore, as a public university WKU is compelled by law to do so.

The Bony citing the campus Free Speech Protection Act signed into law in 2019.

>> I'm keeping an open mind.

I'm really just here to see what he has to say.

He will talk online all the time, but gets us nowhere.

Absolutely nowhere.

And it's good to be able to have those conversations in person.

And, you know, show your views and as far as a lot of people like to talk.

But I mean, people like to listen, even though with a chance.

>> KET up the energy.

And that's what I was.

the protests were also an opportunity to encourage civic engagement.

It was encouraging people to vote.

That was the first thing I said when I was that young to engage in your city.

That is how are heard on a larger following the program, protests continued into the evening outside the Downing student union.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

Last night's protests remained peaceful.

>> Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges claiming self-defense.

♪ >> Without a do it for us tonight from Frankfort will be back in Lexington tomorrow night where we hope you'll join us at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition.

>> We inform connect and inspire hope that you will connect with Oz.

All the ways you see on your screen there.

KET up with us on the email newsletters and video clips at KET Dot Org.

Follow KET on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

We've got inside Kentucky politics tomorrow.

A lot to break down as we continue our coverage of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for watching and have a great night.