>> ahead >> parts of Kentucky needs doctors the campaign to bring health care to the hauler.

Want to hire veterans?

Just don't know how and we're giving them that road map for creating the pipeline.

>> Helping the men and women who serve our country to find work after their service.

♪ >> Plus, a central Kentucky band director gets his marching orders for a long time holiday tradition.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Friday, November.

The 17th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for kicking off your weekend with U.S.. Federal prosecutors haven't decided whether they will retry Brett Hankison, the former Louisville police officer accused of violating Breonna Taylor civil rights and the civil rights of her boyfriend and 3 neighbors.

As we told you last night, the judge declared a mistrial after jurors couldn't reach a verdict and March of 2020 police raided Taylor's apartment.

Her boyfriend fired shots.

He says he didn't know the people entering the apartment.

Were cops.

Police including Hankison fired back killing Taylor.

Prosecutors argued that Hankison couldn't see his target as he fired shots.

According to the Courier Journal, the attorney for the Taylor family said, quote, a mistrial isn't an acquittal.

And so we live another day to fight for justice for breonna, end quote.

Kentucky's hospitals are facing critical workforce challenges that are expected to worsen in the coming years.

That's according to new reports by the Kentucky Hospital Association.

But the group said it has formed partnerships that will hopefully move the needle in the other direction.

Kentucky is suffering from an acute shortage of health care workers.

>> And while this is a national problem, it has hit our state, particularly hard.

These reports show this is a serious issue that is going to require immediate but ongoing attention we surveyed every hospital in the state and the new study indicates there were nearly 13,000 job vacancies in hospitals across the state.

At the end of 2022.

Although there was a slight reduction in nursing vacancies from the prior year.

Nearly 5,000 of these openings for for registered nurses or Ahrens.

And there were over 300 vacancies for LP answer licensed practical nurses.

Job turnover remains a concern.

Nearly 23% of our INS left their hospital position last year and had to be replaced and that's about the same percent is in the prior year.

As you can see, a shortage of providers is not limited to nurses.

It's being felt throughout the entire hospital.

Other key positions and hospitals, particularly laboratory imaging and respiratory therapy.

Also continue to have very high vacancies.

For patients.

These vacancies mean longer wait times for treatment.

For caregivers that can lead to burnout and for hospitals, it means higher expenses for labor.

The current situation is serious.

So we wanted to know what does the future look like?

The study also evaluated whether the nursing live will be adequate to me.

Kentuckyian health care needs.

The study found no appreciable improvement in 13 years.

I think 2035, we will only have 90% of the Ahrens needed for patient care.

And only 76% of the LP ends that are needed.

Kentucky would need to increase the number runs by about 21% each year.

An increasing number of lpn spy 63% each year to fill the gap.

This will be a challenge because the number of younger people of working age in Kentucky is shrinking.

We need to be sure that we have an adequate supply of health care workers, not just for today, but in the future to meet our needs.

We and our partners are addressing this challenge.

We formed the Cage and Workforce Committee to work in conjunction with our allies and nursing higher education in the Kentucky Chamber.

Our goals are to create additional pathway is for people to join the health care workforce.

To enable hospitals to retire.

Retain and grow clinical staff and ensure the families have the medical care they need to thrive.

So to do this, we're focused on 3 areas.

Expanding Kentucky's health care workforce pipeline.

Removing barriers to healthcare, education.

Retaining the health care workforce and redesigning models of care.

Even with all of us working together.

And if we do everything the right way, they're still going to be a challenge as the number show.

We're committed to taking all the steps necessary to serve our patients.

>> As we reported small towns and rural parts of Kentucky face a shortage of doctors yesterday and more head on national rural Health Day.

The University of Kentuckyian Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid announced new scholarships for UK's Rule physician leadership program which works to place doctors and underserved rural areas.

>> We're excited to announce today that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has graciously donated $100,000 scholarship to his to care to medical school costs for students in a real position leadership program pieces in their first 2 years in Lexington and they it can be an initial faces.

Look at that.

He integrated curriculum and they join their colleagues here in Morehead.

They're connected to top positions.

>> For the staff and the fact that position as Saint Claire Healthcare, regional health care partner and there are certain small town community practice, it can do what they have to do in practice one day Sharp Eastern time, a heart for rural communities and going up in small towns in Kentuckyian elsewhere.

When you train for future physicians with this important mission in mind here, helping increase healthcare to rural communities.

And that's that's fine.

We know that our rural communities have a greater burden of disease.

They have a reduced life expectancy.

Some have to travel miles and miles and miles, which is very difficult just to receive care.

There's a lot to the conditions is everywhere.

Camps.

>> I think I've learned more about serving this population and the people.

I think that's my favorite part about starting a clinical rotations here in Lexington.

And you're not for 2 years of medical school and we received, you know, great training in Lexington.

I was so excited to come back and help provide the care for the same area and that the patience of the population.

We We can't replicate what it's like to practice in rural areas in Lexington.

>> Well, it's not just a rural area there and for students to get a sense of what it's like to practice real medicine.

So they eventually returned.

They there's no substitute for Ashley learning and training in a rural area here.

So they get to be a part of this community.

They all of our students are involved in community engagement projects.

They adopt this community, the community.

That's him.

And so the biggest since what it's really like to be a world physician leader.

And this is attracted to them.

If they're trained at a urban sort of area that they never get to see this.

And then I was like, it's just mythological.

>> A lot of us in our program is for generation medical The financial burden of medical school is just so Don when we get into medical school, that was my biggest fear.

Like how am I going to pay for Anyone to ask, you know, how did how long did it take you to doubt that?

How long did it take, you know, for you to feel comfortable?

You know, after you graduate medical school.

So having this, you know, very you're a little bit is is so much better when you actually get into medical school because, you know, are you know, the medical school, you know that I'm part of that.

That is going to alleviate it.

So I think that is an incorrect, incredible opportunity for the people that access.

Our average medical student debt to us to get the College of Medicine is over $200,000.

>> So you're finishing medical school with essentially a second mortgage.

And salaries are often higher in bigger cities.

There are often higher if you're a specialist and we need more primary care doctors, many more psychiatrist anymore.

General surgeon general practice falls and rural areas there.

But coming out with large debt, you're disincentivize right there to If you want to.

So by providing scholarship fight this, this will reduce that, that that that worry that second word is no longer needed to have a new scholarships here.

And this result nice to be able to chase their dreams.

>> You can make a huge difference in these communities and it's so important because >> I mean, don't know how many lives you look back on that journey is late.

>> The first round of recipients for the anthem.

Rural Medicine scholarship will be announced in March of 2024.

>> Time now for an end of Rick review of some major political news this week with 2 of our favorites, former Kentucky secretaries of state Bob Babbage on screen left and Trey Grayson on screen, right.

You'll notice that trades got the cool car video going on here he is attending his and he is and a wedding of his daughters.

And so we appreciate him taking time to speak with us.

Let's start with you, Bob, to talk about this week.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce have their legislative preview day.

Usually the big foot's come out for Who was there and what they say and what can we expect January second, when the session begins.

>> A terrific about leadership there.

Speaker.

I'm not President Stivers the majority leader's committee sure said a number of others.

There's exceedingly well done.

I think you take away that we're in an accidential position is a stay.

But the majority especially wants to hit the triggers or benchmarks to KET the tax cut.

In place and are moving in the right direction, which is toward 0.

That's the state income tax there is a service that will be allocated for different purposes.

Some of the ordinary, some of those extraordinary when we watch as the the pool that will be created to match that over at serving turning to energy impacted communities and Kentuckyian several other energy states in the country.

>> But a whole lot out of.

>> Very good Very good.

Give and take.

>> And a lot >> prediction that the session will be a significant one in many ways.

>> Right.

And Trey, we know this is a budget year and a re-elected Democratic governor.

So any insight about how all of this is going to shake out when they start to the lawmaking session in January.

>> Well, the Republicans talked about how they plan to introduce their own budget very early in the session, which they did 2 years ago.

They surprised us all by doing that 2 years ago.

This time that are much out in the open traditionally here is watching us.

Remember that the governor would choose a budget first.

Then the House would modify the Senate with modified.

They would go to committee.

And now the House is going to get some budgets.

It's more like Washington, D.C., You know what building up above said the financial picture is pretty good.

However, I got the sense that they don't want to spend a much more money.

They do want to focus on a decent income tax.

We also heard about some issues that may be the federal government hasn't should work on, but it doesn't Michael Thomas vehicles, artificial intelligence data privacy.

So there's it was a fast because you could hear that a deep dives on discrete topics like that.

But the budget, he said it's a budget year and that's the big topic.

>> So want to pick up on that income tax trigger because we know that we did not meet both of the conditions necessary for a trigger to happen in 2025, there will be one that will happen in 2024.

So is their conversation that they would bypass their own rules to have income tax cut happen quicker then is already laid out to do.

Is that what you are getting from that conversation?

Bob?

>> I did hear that directly.

Did you train?

>> I think they're pretty committed to the trigger is that we always hear that they want to avoid what happened in Kansas where there was an attempt to cut the income tax to dramatically without regard to revenues and then they credit the big deficit.

So I think they're going to stick with these triggers.

>> Where they are.

>> And just maybe craft a budget so that there could be the kind of surplus that a truck could be met at the end of this fiscal year.

>> And did they talk to me about educator or teacher pay raises or teacher pay was at a topic of discussion.

>> The education is on.

It's the biggest part of the budget.

So it is something that was talked there seemed to be consensus that teacher sellers need to go up.

There's a reference to the fact that other states are seeing their salaries groups of there's a competitiveness, keeping talent and also just keeping teachers in general.

There was also some conversation about the potential for a constitutional amendment to address some of the school choice legislation that's either been challenged in court or has been struck down by courts.

That is the opportunity accounts or charter schools or even vouchers.

There's interest in doing that.

Although it's not clear the politics will allow that.

But I think you're going to see higher salaries for teachers.

It just might be funded by the more money through seek formula as opposed to straight up salaries.

But that did seem something there was consensus among Republicans to do.

>> Which is what they've done in the previous budget cycle.

Go ahead, Bob.

>> Right.

It's a with a point made by Chairman Tipton.

That will mean more money in both years for teacher retirement.

Also the eligibility for Pell Grants is going to grow dramatically.

That's been read it 5 so more receive Pell Grants.

That is a budget impact that he's playing very well potentially of 60 million dollars.

So those are significant The state will have to make a a new budget with a good economy.

Just said 14 in a row over a billion dollars and come to the state from tax revenues.

That's a promising picture.

We do have a surplus.

But as straight points out that surplus, in part, we get a cage, making sure the triggers get ahead.

Allocated in a way that the tax cut and get back on track.

>> Well, more to watch as January 2nd just gets closer and closer.

Let's talk about one other topic real quickly in a minute and change.

We have remaining the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a national group is embarking on a seven-figure strategy to weaken the GOP supermajorities and states that have a Democratic Governor, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Wisconsin what do we expect when have you heard about this, Bob?

And and do you think we'll see some type of effort in 2024?

On in Kentucky on the state legislative races here?

>> Everybody so reading all they can and maybe even a little extra last week's results in Ohio on amendments.

The other places for particular where Youngkin who was a presidential prospect, a 3rd of the office when Democrats took the legislature.

So what were those messages that matter?

And how can put together now a conversation that will resonate with voters immediately for next year.

Republicans and Democrats There was some conversation this around that legislative preview and other moments Kentucky Republicans might change their messaging a little bit next year based on the governor's results and the research that we just saw.

It's always about the next election.

There were getting ready for 2024, even though it's 2023 candidates are already moving out.

I'm raising money as they must, particularly for incumbents because they do raise money during the session itself.

You know?

>> Well, we'll have to leave it there.

Sorry, Tray.

You didn't get the last word this time, even though it's a big celebratory Rican for you for the next time.

We'll let you get back to the occasion at Hand.

Thank you for being with us.

Both of you and have a great weekend.

>> Thank you to read.

♪ ♪ >> Veterans may jobs.

Companies need workers.

So how does Kentucky put the 2 together?

The Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board hope symposiums like one this weekend for cells will help make it easier for vets to make the sometimes sometimes tricky transition to the civilian workplace.

>> We're hosting our second annual Veterans employment and training symposium with partners at the Kentucky Commission on military affairs, Kentucky Department of veteran Affairs, The Chamber Foundation and also Department of that program and all these partners came together and said we need to figure out a way to promote the idea of veterans in the workplace and make sure employers have an avenue to hire and grow their talent.

The first one that we did last year, it was a very spontaneous event where a couple of us were together talking about what the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board could do to highlight veterans and the transitioning service members.

Let's put them all in one room, bring in employers to share with them how they can use these different resources to engaged with veterans and transitioning service members to get them employed so that we can attract more people back to Kentuckyian KET those that we have.

We understand that a lot of companies are in great need of employees.

They're growing.

We see that as a great positive for the common law.

But we also need to find out at venues that have been traditionally source.

And when companies are thinking, what can I hire from?

We often want to point them to what we call untapped talent pools.

One of those on teh town pools are veterans and their the cultural diversity of the military is very unique.

We are one of the most diverse cultures because of the nature of our business.

And then as we leave the military, we take those skills that we've learned and appreciating the value of each team member and how they work together and do different into the workplace where they can continue that using us to we need to get to the people.

I was shared with someone else earlier that the most important thing here is that this is what we have to learn and understand and get through to get in front of the people to serve them better and the people being the veterans now.

>> I think the bears are way the cultural understanding what it takes to hire and develop and grow its not just easy of to post on the indeed and hope that someone shows up to your door to apply and then work.

>> It's about being able to reach out and find solutions through the resources available.

The feedback that I've it's been incredible.

The players are going.

Are you kidding?

We can really do this.

We want to hire veterans.

We just don't know how and we're giving them that roadmap.

We're creating the pipeline.

We're looking for people who come in and add to our culture and we can and to them as well.

So that's what I would tell anybody, especially the veterans we we want you to be a part of our team because we value menu is a member who can bring something to us and we can get something to eat.

>> This is the second of these training symposiums, the Kentucky Careers Center has a special section dedicated to helping veterans and service members find jobs and opportunities.

♪ ♪ It's a holiday tradition.

Millions of people tune in every year for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade next week.

Kentucky will be well represented in the All-Star celebration with larger than life balloon characters.

Clown crews floats and musical performances.

4 of the 400 band Directors whole March are from the Commonwealth.

Our Laura Rogers introduces us to one of them.

>> Gable's Bill University assistant band director at Johnson was raised with a lot of music.

>> I grew up with music in my house with my mom singing >> Johnson's introduction to performing in a band began with a music educator.

>> My band director gave me an instrument in 7th grade and said here.

>> That was the beginning of an education that would lead to a 35 year careers as a band director at the high School and now college level where he now inspires the next generation of music.

Educators.

>> Here are the big influence I want to like give the students the have interest in music and the arts and other things like that.

Want to give them the opportunities.

I was given it's something you can take with you.

Music never dies.

It's always with you.

No matter where you go, there's music playing.

>> And soon his musical talents will take him to New York City.

>> I grew up watching the Macy's parade very few.

Have I missed.

We still watch it every Thanksgiving morning at my mom's house.

>> But this year, Johnson won't be watching.

He'll be performing and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with the band Directors marching band following their performance in last year's iconic.

>> Rose Parade in Pasadena Parade was just unreal.

I'm one of them and directors and has always loved the parade.

Yeah, I've always enjoyed doing parades with my group of Hart County and with the group here to university.

It's a different excitement.

It's a different energy.

He's been preparing and rehearsing since this 5 pages of music that must all be memorized with a special walking regimen around campus.

We will meet for the first time at 07:00PM on Sunday night.

>> In Times Square for our first rehearsal.

And then we will reverse in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

And then where often the parade I think it's a really cool opportunity and for them to us like someone that's so close to me and so close to the people around, you really, really special.

>> What makes it even more special?

The performances wanted Herald Square.

>> The other at the 9.11 memorial.

>> We're doing a wreath laying ceremony at Ground 0 for the first responders.

And we're the first band to ever perform on that Memorial site.

My daughter, Cynthia, is going to be holding the Kentucky flag during that ceremony and it will be the first time all 50 states flags will be flown at Ground 0.

Will be a very solemn service, but it's >> something very dear.

Very, very important to me.

>> For Kentucky Edition.

>> It's just a chance of a lifetime.

I'm Laura Rogers.

I couldn't turn it down.

Had to do it.

>> Chance of a lifetime, indeed.

Thank you.

Laura Rogers, there are 3 other Kentucky band directors marching in the historic parade from Pulaski County.

Murray and Paducah, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is next Thursday morning.

November 23rd starting at 8, 37, 30 central.

♪ ♪ While you're getting that Thanksgiving menu together for next week, some Christmas activities are also on the calendar.

Our Toby Gibbs has more in this.

Look at what's happening around the Commonwealth.

♪ >> With colder weather setting and most farmers markets have closed for the season.

But tomorrow in Madisonville, the Hopkins County Farmers Market is opening back up for a special Thanksgiving market stock up on local produce for your Thanksgiving table or by handmade goods for Christmas.

This is a great way to support local farmers as well as stock up before the Thanksgiving grocery frenzy.

Tomorrow the North Pole is coming to the Wayne County Extension Office in Monticello.

Check out their Christmas village.

Complete with artisan crafted items.

Tasty treats and hot lunch items at 10:00AM.

There will be a children's village and pictures with Santa.

So bring your camera non-perishable, food donation and the whole family to the Christmas village.

Christmas Magic will be in no short supply and Munfordville.

Tomorrow.

Christmas on main kicks off at 04:00PM.

We'll be Santa the Grand Cholla Day shopping and ice skating.

Most magical of all.

There will be snow started the welcome center to get a bracelet and then explore the town to get different charms to go with it.

It's going to be a very merry time in Munfordville this weekend.

Sunday is the official kickoff to the Christmas season in carbon with the downtown Christmas Open House.

They will be holiday shopping train rides, face, painting, crafts and more.

Not to mention Santa will be there to hear your Christmas wishes.

Christmas is coming to carbon.

You don't want to miss it.

For those of you who like to work up an appetite on Thanksgiving.

Consider running the Louisville, Hungary, Turkey, 5 K this year.

Not only will you get the satisfaction of completing a turkey truck tradition, but you'll also get some sweet merge, a delicious donuts and you'll be supporting the WHA S crusade for children dress up as a turkey or come as you are.

Either way you'll be one hungry Turkey by the end of the race.

And that's what's happening around the Commonwealth.

I'm too big.

It is.

>> We always thank.

Youto begins.

Well, we hope you have a great weekend to come and come back here Monday night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky edition where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips it KET Dot Org.

You can also connect with us all the ways you see on your screen there, Facebook, X and Instagram.

>> To stay in the loop.

And of course, you can send a story idea to Austin public affairs at KET Dot Org.

Thank you so much for watching us this week.

Comment on Kentucky is coming up at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

Have a great weekend.

Good night.

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