Altogether 26 legislators attended Council on State Governments conference Dec. 7-10 in Honolulu by Jack Brammer, Kentucky Lantern Seven lame-duck lawmakers were among 26 members of the Kentucky General Assembly who attended a conference last December in Hawaii. The trip cost taxpayers more than $86,000. The conference of the Council of State Governments in Honolulu,…
Lexington, Ky.–The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council heard a police disciplinary recommendation at their Thursday meeting. The Chief of Police, Lawrence Weathers, presented the case of Officer Wesley Watkins, who had violated the General Order 197302k Disciplinary Procedures Appendix B Operational Rule 1.40 on Preventable Collisions. According to the investigation, Officer Watkins was involved in…
Lexington, Ky.–Dutch Bros Coffee’s attempt to expand into the Fayette County market has hit another roadblock. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission voted against a zone change from a professional office zone to a business zone for a proposed drive-thru location on South Broadway and Virginia Avenue. This is the second time in two…
Lexington, Ky.–Lexington’s affordable housing fund could see a significant increase in funding. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee voted 8-1 Tuesday in favor of setting aside 1% of the city’s revenues for the program, as well as allocating $750,000 for homelessness. The fund, which has either preserved or created…
Lexington, Ky.–The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council will consider a request for authorization to accept a donation of land and property for Parks & Recreation. The land, located at 2490 Paris Pike, has been gifted to the LFUCG by the estate of Morris B. Floyd. The property, which is approximately 30 acres, requires future use…
Frankfort, Ky.–A former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council Member recently voted to concur on Senate Bill 150, an anti-trans bill, in the Kentucky legislature. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, voted in favor of passing the bill, which imposes new anti-LGBTQ restrictions on public schools. SB 150 has been criticized by Democrats, civil rights organizations, and LGBTQ…
UPDATE: The House passed the amended SB 150 by a vote of 75-22. The Senate concurred 30-7. The bill will likely become law. Frankfort, Ky.–Kentucky Republicans have revived an anti-LGBTQ bill, which includes a ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender youth in the state. Another version of the bill was scaled back last…
Frankfort, Ky.–The Kentucky Senate has approved a bill that sets a limit for impaired driving while under the influence of marijuana. Senate Bill 228 specifies that a person is too impaired to drive if their blood contains 5 nanograms or more of THC per millimeter. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Johnnie Turner, explained that the…
Lexington, Ky.–According to a departmental webpage, a new formal complaint against a police officer was filed with the Lexington Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit (PIU) on February 27, 2023. PIU Complaint #2023F-002 alleges a violation of “Adherence to Laws, Regulations, and Orders”. The officer in question is currently assigned to the Bureau of Investigations.…
Lexington’s Good Foods Co-op employees have announced their decision to unionize and have chosen the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 227 to represent them in future collective bargaining efforts. The Co-op employees’ say their unionization campaign is based on their need for a safe and healthy work environment and management’s prioritization…