♪ >> The governor here is here out here again television to speed it up responsible and thoughtful manner.

>> What the candidates said and their last face-to-face encounter before Election Day.

Plus, remembering legendary broadcaster and trailblazer Sue Wiley.

>> We've been told by teachers a lot of times these kids have never been on a farmer for really.

And made some students who really know their onions.

>> 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 Wednesday, October, the TWENTY-FIFTH, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Wednesday night with us.

Kentucky's gubernatorial candidates participated in their final debate last night before the 2023 general election, which is now less than 2 weeks away.

Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron did uncover any new ground.

Instead they use the debate to sharpen their arguments regarding education, abortion and other policy differences.

The debate was televised on W K Y T and moderated by Bill Bryant.

Taxes were an early topic discussed last night.

Specifically Kentucky's plan to phase out the individual state income tax.

The sheer who's seeking a second term said the phaseout should be done carefully to guarantee state revenues remained sufficient to support schools, public safety and health care programs.

Cameron who has vowed to eliminate the tax was asked if he wants to accelerate the process.

>> What my opponent has proposed promising in 4 years to eliminate the income tax and cut about 5 billion dollars of revenue.

When Kansas did it in whole to their economic growth and a stop on their infrastructure projects they got in public education and health care.

My opponent says that things cost too much with inflation.

What he's going to do is increase sales tax on everything and then apply to groceries and medicine.

Otherwise he's going to public safety is going to get health care and he's going to got public education.

You simply for the investments in those with his plan.

At the end of the day, there's a philosophical difference here.

I believe that you should have more of your hard-earned money in your pocket.

Andy Beshear, believing you just heard him say he wants more revenue to the government and I didn't say anything about raising any sales taxes.

The governor keeps talking about this with.

The fact of the matter is my plan is to eliminate Kentucky's income tax on what to do it smart and thoughtfully along with the members of our Legislature.

I appreciate Chairman McDaniel and Jason Petri and others in our General Assembly.

And here's the best part of that is that I have a relationship with our General Assembly to get these big things done for this Commonwealth of Kentucky led the end of the day.

This is a philosophical difference.

The governor believes that the government should have more of your money.

I want you to have more of your money out of the issues here this evening.

The gradual phaseout of the income tax was the cornerstone of a plan approved by the state's GOP dominated legislature in 2022.

>> To shift the tax burden from income to consumption.

However, the state's personal income tax rate is set to remain the same in 2025. after the state failed to meet certain fiscal conditions required to trigger another cut and they're closing remarks.

Cameron said he believed this election is about, quote, crazy versus normal.

Meanwhile, Beshear warned that his challenger embraces a hyper partisan approach that would hurt the state.

>> I think it's crazy to have a governor who openly endorses Joe Biden who shut down to churches to shut down your schools to shut down your small businesses who sell to protect women's sports from biological males whose veto tax cuts.

The ladies and gentlemen, we don't have to accept this crazy agenda any longer.

If you want to talk about normal versus crazy, it's crazy.

We have a candidate that doesn't have the empathy to look at the camera and say he supports victims of rape and incest.

Some as young as 9.

>> To have options.

I will always be the type of governor you might not agree with, but you'll know he's doing what he thinks is right out of the issues here this evening and into the candidates were asked some different questions a day earlier on KET Kentucky tonight.

You can see that full episode right now online on demand.

KET DOT org slash K Y.

>> Tonight and be sure to tune in to KET on election night.

Our live coverage begins at 7 East earn 06:00PM Central right here on KET.

>> With under 2 weeks left in the governor's race, we're going to check in on all things happening in this race with our good friend Roland Martin, managing editor >> of Kentucky Public Radio.

Good to you.

See to rename its governor's race all the time.

Isn't that?

I mean, that's where we are.

Our and the candidates have been out and they finish what their 5th or 6th debate on Tuesday.

And let's just start there and park there for a moment about the takeaways from these debates.

Did viewers voters learn anything new?

What did you take away from how these things went?

>> I mean, there were a lot of new policy platforms are policy differences that came out in the debate.

I think we got like a little bit one more of an understanding of it.

We're where they're not willing to so one example, one example of this is abortion has become very about the topic for a long time, especially the race in the last 2 in the last few weeks.

But you can really came to this point not ever saying whether he would personally support any exceptions to the state's abortion ban, but saying he would the legislature pass a law like you asked this question repeatedly on Monday and he repeatedly said, listen, I'm the pro life and that he wouldn't specifically answer that one part.

But just coming back to policies and saying that if the legislature did he work there on.

And Governor Beshear when he was asked during the W it today on on Tuesday night, what exactly his limits on on when he wouldn't allow or ban abortion.

When you can support that he would really go into specifics about that.

You know, returning to attacking camera for not supporting those exceptions.

This year due to state last week in the interview with the Herald leader you know, his his version of a limit on abortion would be similar to what role the way allow Roe v Wade allowed 4, which is allowing abortion up to the point of fetal viability, which is somewhere in the 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy.

But he has really been unwilling to like get a number on that.

And I think a lot of politicians as well there are other than that.

There's a lot of accusing each other of not answering questions.

While the candidates also we're going to cause she's themselves.

That was a big theme of these last couple of >> Yeah, I would love for us to talk to folks at maybe we'll do this some time and to see what they thought of these debates.

You know how they use to those in the presidential debates for the gauge your emotions as you're watching.

So just interesting to see how it's interpreted by just the average Kentucky voter.

Our viewer.

>> Yeah.

And one thing watching these debates that it I've really been seeking a lot about is just how I mean, how differently, how different these 2 candidates talk about reality of the reality that Kentucky's a right, not a soup say just on the school issue of the annual camera.

It's really, you know, talking a lot of kids are being indoctrinated by a leftist that it's getting very dark picture of what's going on in Kentucky schools.

Where a Sure is.

You're getting a bit more of a Pollyanna version of what's going on Kentucky schools right now.

And I think a lot of people admit there's there's plenty of problems going on in Kentucky schools as well.

Neither of these are honest representation of what's going on right now.

But this is what political realm rhetoric has gotten to.

This is what it reads, the commercials, the SWAT region, the base, the kind of striving for things to be noticed and I wonder to what extent can voters in Kentucky or otherwise engage with us?

Yeah.

>> All right.

If they think they're too many debates, right, and they're tired of that.

And the commercials.

So the other thing that the candidates artfully try to dodge are questions about Trump whether, you know, they believe that he is connected and responsible for the January 6th.

And Sir Elction or even Bashir, even having someone who was a Republican signed, why voted for Trump?

And I like how he puts Americans first by also like because he puts Kentuckyian Spurs like they are trying to tether themselves to Trump in odd ways and distance themselves at the same time.

>> Yeah, certainly neither of them are providing a condemnation of the former spent.

I think the question you're asking on Monday was specifically tied to January 6th insurrection and Daniel Cameron would not answer that question.

And has repeatedly refused to answer you know, he will to say that he's the Trump endorsed candidate in kind of refer to the broad.

And so to answer specific questions.

Similarly early with any this that you just mentioned, he has this.

That was playing for a while with Trump voters saying that he's going to vote for a vote for this year.

And, you know, he's not, you know, and what do you like?

How many will end up talking about that is I'm somebody above party.

I fought against a Democratic President, Joe Biden and Obama law along with him and him on some policies so kind of trying to have the best of both worlds all along, not an especially just trying to not just unsafe a potential part of the electorate.

>> Right.

And so that gets to the final point about undecideds, which we think there's about 10% according to some of these balls.

It's one that we believe that's accurate or write.

And do these debates give any kind of convincing argument for someone to go cast their ballot for one of these 2 men.

>> I don't know if anything, if there's anything of those debates provide for those undecided voters to see how those the candidates present themselves, how they talk to each and we don't.

We'll see.

We'll see how they decided And yeah, throughout this entire race is going to very much talk about the cited There is also a very large chunk independent and third-party voters.

About 10% of the Kentucky walked right now and, you know, we did this year won the 2018 race baiting just about 5,000 votes and I think everybody is predicting it's going to be another close race and it's going to be closed at that.

10% of undecideds is the really critical seed, you know, which way they go to the all all go in one direction or the other, more nuanced than that 10% and gets put in different ways that we just don't know at this But I think that that is points even more to.

We need to weigh in.

We can see what the ultimate call on November $0.7.

>> That's right.

That there are so many polls that have been conducting showing whether or not those support for Beshear is softer from depending on undecideds or even Republicans and vice versa with Cameron.

But the ultimate Paul, as you said, that matters is November 7th.

And you can early vote.

We should say started in November.

The second through the 4th 3rd.

Yeah, a week from Thursday.

So I know a lot of people take advantage of.

That's a good one.

So thank you.

Hear a good one to Rylan.

It's always good to see you.

>> It's here in a nice to see you.

>> The U.S. finally has a speaker of the House House Republicans in Washington, D.C., today elected Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

After 3 weeks without a speaker, every Republican voted for him, including the Kentucky Republican delegation.

So he won 2.20 to 208.

Some sad news.

Kentucky journalism has lost a legend and a woman in broadcasting have lost a pioneer.

Sue Wiley, longtime anchor and journalist at W Allie X TV and Lexington died in a car accident yesterday.

W Lex says she was the first woman to anchor a TV newscast in Kentucky when the station's noon newscast began in the late 1960's later, Wiley was the host of your government, a landmark public affairs show airing on that same station where she asked tough questions of political leaders, including governors and even presidential candidates.

Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1976. and there were times when Wiley also hosted our Friday Night.

Journalists Roundtable comment on Kentucky when Al Smith was away.

Sue Wiley was 90 years old.

Kentucky has a shortage of doctors and nurses.

You've heard this time and time again this morning in Frankfort, lawmakers heard from experts and roll health care about those shortages and how they're affecting small communities across the state.

>> When we look at the state of Kentucky, we have over 10,000 physicians practicing in Decatur and I broke this out by rule.

Delta and Appalachians.

Just to show you the percentage of physicians we have in the state can take time.

And if you notice the biggest number of positions are located in the urban can take.

>> A physician in that first one in urban.

I would say one to 3331 patients with the ratio of one to 1500.

When you drop down to Appalachia, you look at a physician has to say more patients at 1800 patients.

And so it is more of a burden when you have list physicians providing services, but the people, most families.

>> The Kentucky Office of Rural Health Overseas alone Relief program for graduates who work in regions of the state most impacted by healthcare.

Professional shortages.

State Senator Stephen Meredith, a Republican from Litchfield who chairs the Senate Health Services Committee, said he wants to see more, Don to address the shortage.

>> Quite were spent in the It's all Courts are not being aggressive enough with I don't know what the cause going to be addressed.

40% of our population rule, but only 25% of our primary care physicians are there.

What do you think that is?

Was there such a disparity in rule and urban?

>> I think a lot of that has to do with pay.

You know, you come to a rural area and the pay is not the same for physicians.

When you look at just in not being in a van and health care, the years that I was working that's a lot to do with it.

And then a lot of the amenities that are real didn't rule that you have access to be housing is a big issue.

Daycare school.

You know, there's there's all kinds of issues there.

>> Health care professionals working in private practices do not qualify for the loan relief program because of federal regulations.

In July, the Kentucky Cabinet for health and Family Services confirmed that some children and state custody had been sleeping and its office buildings.

Well, today Secretary Eric Friedlander gave legislators an update on finding homes or facilities for children from difficult situations.

>> We were we were primarily looking to our hospitals but was open to anybody that wanted to come in and offer these services to release specific sets of youth have are difficult to place.

>> developmental intellectual children on the autism spectrum disorder.

Those who are sexually active, those who are aggressive with staff.

Any time a child was it would be in a facility and actually injured a staff person that is like the scarlet letter.

It is very difficult to get them play.

So we were looking for some smaller units.

Where we basically we'll work out whatever we need to on.

Disappointed to tell you that we got no response 0.

>> Secretary Friedlander said that the cabinet usually has around 20 children that are difficult to assign to a foster home.

♪ Becoming an adult is hard and for young people with behavioral health struggles, learning the life skills they need to succeed can be even harder.

The drop in Ashland is a unique youth center focused on providing support and teaching life skills in a non-traditional space.

The drop is a youth center.

>> For ages 14 to 25. Who suffer or struggle with mental or behavioral health challenges to come and receive services in a non traditional said it was we are a drop-in center, which means no appointment necessary to just walk in.

We have the opportunity for Sunday services.

So if you come in and you want to see a therapist and you're not in across the situation, we can get to an appointment to be seen and open.

Within 24 hours.

It was.

>> As a CSA community supported.

So should we help build like daily living skills?

And so it could be anything from buying groceries to kicking those groceries to tune in financial literacy, working on applications.

We essentially wherever we see in the we try to meet whatever school they want to work on.

That's what we did.

>> We provide transportation mission scheduled to be picked up or, you know, we can take them back home if they come in.

We do usually a group.

>> Which can range from any profit from skill-building to a substance abuse prevention.

And then though, have a snack and then we'll have some free time where they get to utilize engagement tools, which is we have a PlayStation 5 off and >> and the 2 dose which we have to gaming computers, one is also set up for you to be able to feel it resumes on or proper jobs.

Do your schoolwork with?

I absolutely love Our consumers are the best today are so of everything we get to do.

And every day's front, even we're here.

>> We're always get to learn new skills and actually gives us a chance to freshen up on the skills and had their I always tell consumers, you know, whether it's Peekskill something like that, you know, where we're working on them as well.

So it's a great experience for everybody involved.

>> We're person centered so they get to decide what that goal is and that can be I want to be a better soccer player.

I want to be a better student for an adult.

It could be.

I want to get my driver's license.

The are the services that we can provide here.

So broad.

And that's why we're not traditional.

We have the ability to come out here and teach.

The kids to play soccer if they want to be a better soccer player.

And if this is if there's a service here that they need that we can provide will take them.

>> I can think off the top.

My head like to think consumers when I first met them, want comfortable even speaking group environment and they went from doing that to be able to give a to it because we actually know vote and nominate like our president and vice president.

All those things.

And so to see, you know, consumer go from not even comfortable, really being care was speaking to speaking in front of a group with authority.

I mean, it's just incredible that just being able to see people not just reach their potential but to 6.

I'll be on, you know, what they ever imagined was possible.

A just a it really gives me a great sense of purpose and fulfillment.

>> What a great program.

The drop will open an additional location in Montgomery County by the beginning of next year.

This is National Farm to school month across the country.

Students are getting an up close look at where their food comes from and a better understanding of how it gets to their plate.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to a family farm in Allen County.

That's welcome.

2500 kids this month.

♪ >> I need more acres farm in Scottsville.

The song Old McDonald had a farm.

This coming to light.

>> Most of the kids, they say this is their first time ever be on the farm.

She most kids are part of the sheet elementary students in Bowling Green.

Independent schools are getting a tour that really good question gives them a lot of introduction to different types of agricultural products that we grow in Kentucky, its hands on learning in agriculture, education.

We love seeing kids to be excited about being outdoors, about learning about farming, about eating healthy Our the Howe family operates the more acres and partners with the school district who supply produce for cafeterias throughout the school year and in the summer meals program >> I think that they're really an inspiration to a lot of other school systems across Kentuckyian even the country on how much locally sourced food that they have for students to write the great fun to be 4 years old from grapes to turnips.

Onions and even war.

Today's theme, all things purple for the Bowling Green purple.

>> I'm not cool that it's an annual excursion for the school kids to celebrate National Farm disharmony every October.

We survey the teachers and the school systems.

We talked to the principals and superintendents.

>> Try to get feedback on how we can make this better year after year.

And so a lot of the things we're doing this year based on that, the that we got last year >> was the most common way while also a learning opportunity for the farm's high school and college age staff like Alana, Los Camp, passionate about educating others on sustainable agriculture and why they should care about food production.

I think our food habits are really important and they're so closely tied to things like the environment, climate change where money is going in terms of are we supporting.

>> Local farmers.

The Howe family says they hope to inspire future local farmers finding a seat today that could pay off in generations to we think the inspiring kids at such a young age and getting them on the farm, giving them a day where they can just make the animals, they can pick their own vegetables.

They can learn about different fruits and vegetables.

>> Well, hopefully inspire some of them to become a farmer Sunday and for some of them, the inspirations starts now are not put a lot of kids saying like, oh, I should grow this at home or I should get the seeds for this or, you know, this could be my occupation when they all contributing to the end goal of helping families make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy.

For Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

>> Thank you.

Laura today wrapped up 6 days of visits at Needmore acres from students across 5 Bowling Green Elementary schools.

♪ Finally tonight, Darien Sanders grew up in Lexington, one of 8 kids and not much of a theater person.

Well, that all changed when someone heard him saying the national anthem at a basketball game a few years later, he finds himself as king of the Pride Lands.

8 shows a week hear his journey from the Bluegrass to Broadway and our weekly Arts and Culture segment.

We call Tapestry.

♪ >> I actually went to university on a trumpet scholarship when I was there, UK, I started seeing a few public spat.

And that's kind of what I found my voice and found my performance aspect of singing.

And it's just kind of snowballed from my current manager, Peggy Stamps, some me sing the national anthem at a basketball game and asked if I would like to join theater and what I thought about it.

And I said I don't dance, I don't act.

And I just sing in church and she was like perfect.

That's who are looking for it.

And she kind of get me started and get my foot in the door with.

He is a regional theater and that's what she connecting the 10th doctor McCorvey at the university to the green light for singing started seeing there on that.

>> Some great people in the Franklin Smith and Jimmy Smits with the LAX here company and Help Start a company with Hammer helped launch that company.

And then from >> Decided from doing that.

But that's this is what I really want to do.

So jumped in the theater world and started auditioning.

And but the Lion >> our turn everything.

Whether people want to believe it or not, they turn on a TV to watch a sporting event.

The music is playing in the background created by an artist.

The visual design, the graphics created by an artist.

And so just to know and understand the heartbeat of music in the heartbeat of artistry is in everything is something that we don't want to take lightly.

Also, the the creativity that comes and allows people to just dream and move forward in life.

It's something that you don't want to throw it away.

♪ You don't know what artistry will do to speak to kids.

You don't know what artists each of you to speak to adults.

I was a 30 year-old that decided that they wanted to be Broadway.

And so I started Broadway.

33, that was and that that that's unheard of.

It's a story that I hear time and time again.

People like you started when you're how Old Lake, how in the world you start so late?

Well, I got the bug when I was 33.

And so that that is something that I love to inspired and still and I mean, everybody doesn't matter what the age is.

It doesn't matter what time you think that you I can't starter can start because the best time to start minus yesterday is today.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> Yeah.

What a talent.

Darien just celebrated 2 years as Simba in The Lion King and recently signed on for another year.

Congrats to him.

We hope to see you again tomorrow night.

Same time.

Same channel.

>> To inform you connect to and inspire you.

Thanks for watching tonight.

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

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪