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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s legislature has adopted rescue dogs and cats as the official pets of the Commonwealth, capping a remarkable seven-year advocacy campaign led by 13-year-old Frankfort resident Ethan Branscum. Senate Bill 37, which passed both chambers in the final hours of the 2026 legislative session, designates the Treeing Walker Coonhound as Kentucky’s…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Republican-controlled Kentucky General Assembly overrode nearly all of Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes Tuesday, clearing the way for controversial legislation including a statue of Sen. Mitch McConnell in the Capitol Rotunda and significant budget bills that the Democratic governor had opposed on constitutional and financial grounds. The Republican supermajority voted to…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky General Assembly passed a judicial branch budget that will force what Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert called “significant layoffs,” despite overall funding increases in the measure. The judicial branch will face underfunding of $12.6 million for fiscal 2027 and $17 million for fiscal 2028, according to the Kentucky Court…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s Republican-controlled General Assembly moved nearly 80 bills to final passage Wednesday, the deadline for legislation that could survive a gubernatorial veto, capping a marathon final day that sent more than 100 bills to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk. The Republican supermajority’s sweeping agenda included major overhauls of Medicaid, gambling regulations and…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The GOP-controlled Kentucky legislature gave final passage Wednesday to the state’s executive branch budget allocating more than $31 billion in General Fund revenues, sparking heated debate between Republicans and Democrats over spending priorities for education, Medicaid and government operations. Republicans voted 73-21 in the House to send House Bill 500 to…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert expressed deep disappointment with the judicial branch budget passed by the General Assembly, warning that the inadequate funding will force “significant layoffs” and threaten critical court services. The General Assembly approved House Bill 504 on Wednesday, allocating $344.4 million for court operations in…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky General Assembly passed a $31 billion two-year state budget on April 1, sending House Bill 500 to Gov. Andy Beshear’s desk after weeks of contentious negotiations over education, healthcare and spending priorities. The budget, which takes effect July 1, represents a compromise between the GOP-controlled House and Senate and…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The U.S. Senate voted down a measure Wednesday to require President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before continuing military operations in Iran, marking the fourth failed attempt to limit the commander-in-chief’s war powers in a conflict that has claimed 13 American lives and disrupted global energy supplies. The resolution failed…

LEXINGTON, Ky. — President Donald Trump’s latest budget proposal includes a plan that could dramatically reshape how states fund job training and employment programs, potentially reducing available funding for workers seeking skills and education. According to a report from the Kentucky Lantern, Trump’s budget would consolidate a dozen current workforce training programs into a…