♪ >> we know that these laws are designed to be a deliberate barriers to voting.

>> Hear from both sides about constitutional amendment.

One.

>> It is a game changer.

There is no other way to put it.

It is made students much more engaged.

>> And to Kentucky high schools, students are putting down their phones and picking up more books.

>> They're going to get a hotel room for the winner.

They'll be able to stay there for as long as they need to.

>> And how Lexington's Unhoused can get a hotel room for the winter.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday, October, the 15th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Tuesday night with U.S.. Election Day is in 3 weeks and Kentuckians will decide on more than just candidates.

Voters will have the chance to approve or reject 2 proposed constitutional amendments.

Constitutional amendment 2 is getting lots of noise with rallies across the state and high-dollar advocacy organized by supporters and opponents alike.

But a group in northern Kentucky is taking a different approach to educating voters more and this election, 2024 update from Kentucky additions Clayton Dalton.

>> In northern Kentucky's Kenton County voters poured into a library community room for a discussion on constitutional amendment.

2.

But this wasn't a debate or a rally.

It was a civic forum hosted by Linkin K Y a regional news outlet.

>> We don't care how you vote on amendment 2 and we don't care who you vote for.

We just care that you vote.

>> If passed amendment 2 would enable the General Assembly to allocate public funds to private schools.

Panelist for and against the amendment.

Share their perspective on the issue.

>> This amendment simply says that our Constitution cannot be interpreted as preventing the legislature from passing those programs and we see him in 45 other states.

If this was going to harm public education, we would have seen it by now in 30 years, over 30 years of school choice.

The education systems and other states that have lots of choices would have imploded.

Instead, their public education systems are getting better and more parents are taking advantage of those choices.

It's a win win, win and by the way, teachers get more options as well in those states as well.

So it's a win win, win, win for students when for teachers when for the state, it's a it's a positive thing.

>> Amendment 2 would amend Kentucky's constitution.

Our founding documents in 7 areas.

That's a significant number of changes to basically removed the project protections and open the door to public dollars going to private schools for education, private and parochial schools.

It would be a significant change in the way that Kentucky is providing education and we believe would compromise the state's ability to improve education outcomes writ large.

>> We spoke with voters at the forum to get their reaction.

>> This was really helpful tonight.

I'm still I still a lot of questions, but I want to do some research on, but it was helpful to understand for me, the basics of this is if we vote yes.

>> We're giving all power to our legislators to make decisions for education of our children in the future.

And I'm not sure I'm comfortable with giving them all that power quite yet.

Will I wanted to hear there were some things that I had not considered that maybe I'm wrong.

You know, I could be wrong.

Maybe amendment 2 would be a solution.

But as I listened to the people who work in the panel and listen to people in my well, >> I I just can't I didn't change my mind at all.

>> We weren't able to speak with anyone who expressed support for amendment 2, but they were in attendance and at times during the forum cheered, why is there such opposition?

>> Against allowing parents to have a say in where their children go to school wearing >> With less than a month until Election Day, the clock is ticking for Kentuckians to decide how they will vote on constitutional amendment.

2.

>> Thank you all for your time being present.

Thank you for watching.

Watch for Kentucky edition.

I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you so much, Clayton.

It's not just amendment to.

Kentuckians will also be asked to pick a side on amendment one, which if passed would add language to the state constitution about who is allowed to vote in Kentucky.

Critics of that amendment call it, quote, redundant and divisive.

>> It has proposed to section one, 45 of the Constitution of Kentucky.

It amended to read as follows every citizen of the United States at the age of 18 years, who has resided in the state one year in the country, 6 months and in the county, 6 months in the precinct in which people she offers to vote 60 days next preceding the election.

Shabby boater in set the scene and not elsewhere.

No person who is not a citizen of the United States should be allowed to vote in this state.

So constitutional amendment one is weed and it is for necessarily repetitive.

>> This amendment is more and that's stirring fear.

It is about improving election security.

This amendment addresses a problem that doesn't exist.

Federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections and no city or county in Kentucky currently allows non-citizens voting at a little bit 11 to make things even clear.

Our secretary of state, our Board of elections officers and county clerks have all testified in front of the community in Frankfort that no cases of noncitizen voting had ever been reported in a common love.

This is voter intimidation.

There's no need for any of the language that the men one has.

There are many parking lot and things that are cause for Kentucky Constitution that nice this time in detention.

>> This is not one of those newly naturalized citizens who have legally earned the right to vote.

>> We'll feel intimidating.

We're faced greater scrutiny and polling location simply because of how they look where they come from.

We'll experts and civil rights advocates including the ACLU techie have warned that fear mongering played this will discourage eligible voters from participating in our elections.

All of us standing here want people to have access to participatory democracy.

>> We don't want things to move from people.

The shirt I says change the south.

It changed this nation.

Many believe the 42 in everything that we believe in starts right here in the gateway to the South.

Kentucky's actions are pivotal.

Cool to the way our nation is going and we must not stand in the way of people participating in a democracy that we have earned the right to vote in participating.

That intent is not fuller, right?

We election lies in state.

Respect their state board of elections is fatally undertaking its sacred duty.

Our elections are safe and transparent.

My ancestors know what it meant to be excluded from this democracy in treated as less than human.

We know that these laws are designed to create delivery barriers to voting.

>> The forward Justice Action Network partnered with various organizations, organizations to host the event.

The nonprofit uses education and advocacy to increase community support for laws that focus on racial social and economic justice in the South.

Well, a panel of young Democrats and Republicans talked about amendment one last night on KET Kentucky tonight.

>> I asked them if they think the amendment is necessary.

>> It's a push back.

2, frankly, liberal city mayors who with Liberal Sioux City Commissions Councils have decided.

Let's go ahead and include non citizens to be able to vote on specifically city races.

I have not personally aware of this extending to the state, but I say if it's occurring in major U.S. cities, the next step is going to be at the upcoming in Kentucky at this point.

It's not my understanding that it is occurring here in Kentucky.

But that being said, we should be ahead of the curve on these things.

And again, if we're seen it in some very large cities.

That that there's a push to allow non-citizens to vote.

Frankly, I think this is up for discussion.

In Kentucky.

We take our election seriously and Kentuckyian only one, Kentuckyian voting and Kentucky elections.

>> So I think all this amendment does is solidifies that in our Constitution.

We have a law that already states that only Kentucky citizens can vote in Kentucky elections and all this does is put it in our Constitution.

>> It is a political issue by Republicans.

They think the border is a strong issue for them in this presidential election cycle.

There's another Amendment Amendment 2, which I'm sure we'll talk about very soon that they want a lot of conservative voters come out to vote against.

So they use this amendment one as a as an effort to.

That's a non-issue in Kentucky as we just heard to bring the voters out.

And they think that they will.

That will translate to the Second Amendment.

We'll see if that's successful or not.

But you're right.

It's not occurring in Kentucky.

It's not an issue right now.

But it's an unnecessary and.

>> You are you can't vote in an election if you are not United States citizen.

That's just the law.

And I agree with what Rick is saying.

It is a fear mongering tactic to get their base to come out and vote for that amendment while also trying to vote yes on amendment 2.

They're together.

That's all it is is just a fear-mongering amendment to get people to come out from their base.

So the panel talked about amendment 2, which is stored and like all the school Choice Amendment, the presidential race and state legislative races.

You can see all of that discussion online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

>> The school year is well underway.

But 3500 teacher administrator and staff positions remain vacant in schools across the state today, the Kentucky Department of Education presented findings about those shortages from a recent statewide survey.

Our June Leffler has more.

>> The Kentucky Department of Education surveyed every school district and found that only one was fully staffed as of September.

1st.

And we selected September first because >> there's you've done all your air, France trying to make sure you have all the positions in place before school started.

>> So by September, 1st.

You more than likely that this is what you're looking at for a long period of time.

Hopefully the field districts say they need 1200 more teachers.

They also need 1700 more bus drivers, teacher aides and other classified staff.

So as of September first, were still looking at 354 elementary school teachers.

Please don't think that there's an open classroom there.

Want to talk to you a little bit about how districts are are taking care of that.

When you look at all these openings, you have most of them are utilizing substitute teachers while others are utilizing retired teachers.

Then also to increasing class size.

We've talked to some sales that are covering classes themselves and teaching classes.

Kudos to administrators are taking that on to because been ministers tough enough, but also to teach classes is phenomenal.

And also you have the reducing or eliminating teacher planning.

That happens a lot, especially when you have absences.

There's a lot of times when that teacher placed is is utilized because we need to have make sure students are covered.

But also to this is another mitigation strategy just been used by districts to compensate for all those missing teachers that we have in the classroom.

Those fixes are ideal says a former educator representing parts of bullet and Jefferson counties.

The planning period being used with the expectation for that teacher has to give and planning period.

>> When that is he or she expected to than planned because I think that's an essential part of the job.

So I have I have real problem with that being.

>> Given that.

>> In some cases, you know, some districts will say that's part of the work day.

And your planning can be done afterwards.

Out flee.

There's some opportunities for compensation to happen.

But again, that's handled differently in different districts.

The best opportunity is to make sure that we don't take that planning pay period away from teachers.

That's what I would promote.

But then you're also balance with how you make sure those to those students are supervised.

But again, the and there's no easy answer for that.

One.

>> Those 3500 vacancies are up for grabs.

Some might have already been filled.

But the survey also found that last school year more than 1500 vacancies were never filled by the last day of school for Kentucky edition.

I'm Jen Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June.

Those vacancies are listed online at education DOT K Y dot Gov.

Slash jobs.

Fayette County now has a new interim commissioner of health.

He's doctor Steve Davis, the board of Health appointed Doctor Davis yesterday.

He's currently medical director of the Lexington, Fayette County Health Department.

The previous interim commissioner recently resigned as the search continues for a permanent leader after Doctor Sheila Owens Collins was fired in April of last year after just 3 months on the job.

Louisville's new police Chief Paul Humphrey spoke to the Louisville Forum last week.

You touched on several topics, including an aide for the community to help young people avoid a life of crime.

>> Its end.

>> You walk into these houses and you see these kids that are 6, 7, 8, 10 and you just want to hug them.

But then in a certain Tom, in their life.

The script flips and you and you KET it was going to happen.

And now they're 15 and you're Chasen was a gun.

And we have to get to them before they get to that age 2.

And so there has to be more community involvement in dealing with juveniles because the police are not going to solve the euro problem because once they're old enough for us to deal with them, they are really beyond our capabilities of going back.

>> Chief Humphrey has spent his entire career with the Louisville Metro police.

He says when there's a crime in a Louisville neighborhood, he doesn't have to look it up on a map.

♪ ♪ >> Many say cell phones are the number one distraction for students in school this year to Kentucky.

High schools have banned cell phones out right now.

8 weeks into the school year.

We talked to administrators and teachers to see if scroll patrols are paying off.

>> A new policy is in place at both Jefferson County's Fern Creek High School and Bourbon County High school phones must not be seen or heard in the classroom.

>> I will get on the morning announcements.

It's a welcome everybody.

It's going to be a beautiful Tuesday.

It's time to patch up your devices.

>> We've got a lock box and every one of the classrooms are going in the library saw anywhere we hold students.

We have those this expectation to come in and put those up once classes MS they go get it and they go into the next class.

>> Although the 2 schools use different approaches to KET phones out of students, hands.

They both seen success is a game-changer.

There is no other way to put it.

It is made students much more engaged.

I would say it has improved our discussions tenfold and I've even seen a academic improvement.

So one of the first I couldn't make tests that we did.

Was the same test as last year, the previous year.

And there was a 10 point jump.

So that's pretty phenomenal.

>> Are librarian report in the first 2 weeks that she checked out more books in the first 2 weeks.

Then she had the entire semester at any previous year as a former English teacher.

That's probably my favorite part is walk into the cafeteria.

Seen kids reading books.

>> One of the biggest things that I've seen.

You actually decreasing behavior because of this.

I think it's 8 hours West Town where kids can communicate via social media and so much, John, a startup on social media that if you remove that.

Well, now you take it away from the behaviors in the classrooms and school, like I think we are down, I think in the month of September last year we were at 130 some referrals and the last time I checked, we were somewhere around 50 to 60.

>> The principal say parents have been largely supportive of the policy change their main concerns contacting their children during the school day and safety.

>> We have a table in the cafeteria that has and it's kind of a phone safe zone on the first day that we had 2 or 3 kids ask.

And then since then, almost nobody we've also put in some other systems where parents can contact them.

We have a direct line so parents can call with messages for students.

So a lot of the reason that they were using their phones to communicate with home.

We've provided other options for families.

The feedback from parents was.

>> Was was a little bit on both sides, but it was a concern of safety.

What if there's something goes on in the school?

How can my student communicate with me while that's happening?

Bergen County in general, especially burned county high school.

It's very advanced in the safety side of it.

Every classroom has panic buttons that go directly to the office and Central Office and to law enforcement.

We're not banning cell phones during transitions in the hallway and it launch time and then the class of 2 action where communication was a concern for parents.

We've got that covered with our panic button system.

Those boxes are easily portable.

So if we do have a lot down there, some kind of emergency situation, you can grab those and distribute those phones and we can have those if needed.

>> The schools have been testing grounds for their districts.

And the hope is that more schools in Jefferson and Bourbon counties will also adopt a cell phone ban.

>> The middle school are already in conversations about how they can match what the school is done.

that's that's fine with me.

Anything that we do to make our kids more successful.

Our teachers feel better.

I would support that if you feel like your school needs that it's absolutely worth it.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> Thank you again.

Collate and the educators at Bourbon County will be testifying at the interim Joint Committee on Education next month, voicing their support for a statewide cell phone ban in schools.

House bill 383. last Sessions phone ban Bill successfully passed out of committee but never received a vote on the House floor.

2 Kentucky counties are getting hundreds of trees.

>> And Kentucky is suing over a nursing home staffing rule.

Our Toby Gibbs has that and more in tonight's look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Kentucky is one of 20 states suing the Biden administration over its nursing home staffing requirements.

The administration requires homes that receive Medicare or Medicaid to provide 3 and a half hours of direct care to each patient every day.

According to the Kentucky Lantern Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman and 19 other attorneys general argue it's impossible to do that with the current workforce shortage.

They argue the rule will drive nursing homes out of business.

The state is opening up 60,000 acres of new public hunting land in eastern Kentucky.

WKU radio says the Pocahontas Wildlife Management area will include landed Martin Pike and Harlan counties.

The state says the land will include deer Turkey and fair.

Kentucky today says the Kentucky Division of Forestry will donate 690 trees to graves and Caldwell counties.

2 counties hit hard by the 2021.

Tornado outbreak.

State Forester.

Brandon House as planting trees is a simple and cost-effective way of improving communities.

Before the blue Oval SK plant opens in Elizabeth Town.

Some workers spent time working in the warm blessings, community kitchen.

The news enterprise says Blue Oval workers served more than a quarter million pounds of food before wrapping up the volunteer effort last Thursday.

♪ Covington is getting a new interactive mural.

That's more than just a payday in Northern Kentucky Tribune says the Wenzel House will be an immersive experience but interactive doors and 3 D elements that could take hours even days to fully explore the display is headed to both sides of tobacco alley off Madison Avenue, starting October 19.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm told the Good News.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> With Winter, about 2 months away, Lexington is taking steps to KET roofs over the heads of its homeless starting November.

First, the city is leasing nearly 100 hotel rooms for the unhoused community.

Kentucky Edition caught up with city officials for a closer look at this plan to protect one of Lexington's most vulnerable populations.

>> We have shelter beds.

You know, the 50600 range.

We we have hundreds of people in shelters.

Obviously we don't have enough or we wouldn't have people who are saying on the streets.

All of the shelters are currently operating at the city, pays for our full.

So it's it can be a challenge to get into those shelters, especially for certain populations, which would be women, women with children, for families that want to stay together.

You know, there's there's a lot of options for like a single man and the hope Center.

But once you get into other populations, the community can be difficult for many of the people who can't go to shelter.

Those are the ones we try to focus on in the winter and so what we're going to do in the coming season starting November first is we have master lease about 95 hotel rooms.

We're going to place people who otherwise couldn't go to a shelter like the hope Center.

That's how we Sharm e they're going to get a hotel room for the winner.

They'll be able to stay there for as long as they need to.

So, you know, we would like to help it before the winners over we can.

We're able to work with them and help get them into something more permanent.

And that'll be the goal.

But just to make sure they're safe and they have somewhere to go on the cold nights and I have to go in and out in and out every time the weather changes.

Our goal is to get as many people as possible into those hotels and whether we are using a super 8 motel 6, both of which are off of Winchester Road near.

I-75 this isn't something where you can just walk up to us and get a hotel where there's a vetting process.

Folks will go through our street outreach teams.

They will identify the people who they believe are eligible, people who they're, you know, they're going to work first and see if they can get into one of our existing shelters.

That's part of the reason they'll have to go through them.

It won't just be anybody who walks in town can get a hotel room because there's a limited number.

So we're also going to prioritize based on illnesses and age and mobility of those kinds of things to make sure that the most vulnerable people get the first chance of the group's.

You just have to be homeless, have nowhere else to go.

And then not be able to go to any of our traditional shelters.

And that could just being has their full.

But it could also be maybe because, you know, for sure restriction from behavior there or you have a mental health issue that prevents you from being in a big congregate setting.

The lot of people, every case is a little different.

And so we'll just evaluate that case and see which program is the best fit.

In addition to this winter temporary hotel program have other programs like we have a small program for families that uses hotel rooms throughout the year for people who like I said, a family that wants to stay together.

They don't want to separate.

It gives us some options for them.

It says it's limiting pressey.

We need more and then so we do use hotels throughout the year.

Just not always at this scale will use them for this winter.

>> The city first use hotel rooms to house the homeless during the COVID pandemic.

♪ ♪ >> A Kentucky high school get high marks for preparing teens for college.

More in tonight's Education Matters segment.

Bowling Green High School earned bronze on the AP Honor.

Roll College Board's Advanced Placement program allows students to earn college credit while still in high school.

The recognition is based on the percentage of students who take AP exams, get a score of 3 or higher and take 5 or more AP exams, Bowling Green High School offers 20 advanced placement courses.

Lexington has an annual art celebration with an unusual name.

It's pronounced prohibition, but it isn't spelled that way.

>> Prohibition is always been formed as kind of our love letter to Lexington as well.

>> Hear about prohibitions 13th annual art gallery and how everyone's are is welcome.

Mat.

That story and much more tomorrow on Kentucky EDITION, which we hope you'll join us for at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

You can subscribe to Kentucky Edition, e-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

>> Look for us on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

And you're always welcome to send us a story idea.

And public affairs at KET Dot Org and make sure you follow KET on Facebook, X and Instagram to stay in the loop about what's happening in public affairs and our other services and programs here at KU T I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for watching tonight.

We really appreciate your company until I see you again.

Take really good care.

Have a good night.

♪ ♪