A lot has changed in Kentucky since 2009. It’s time for the minimum wage to change too.

A state sales tax break for data centers, once estimated to cost $15M a year, could soon cost Kentucky billions of dollars due to much larger new hyperscale data centers. No data center in Kentucky has qualified for these breaks yet, and other states are carefully reassessing similar incentives.

Medicaid services provided at home and in the community are crucial for many Kentuckians with an intellectual or developmental disability. These services are available through “Medicaid waivers,” but there are many more seeking these services than the legislature has funded.

From The Blowing Green Daily News, western Kentucky is seeing major challenges from federal SNAP cuts.

NEW: Kentucky had the nation's second highest rate of food insecurity and highest rate of very low food security between 2022 and 2024, according to USDA data. Due to expensive groceries and SNAP cuts, the problems has only gotten worse.

State and federal Medicaid cuts will harm Kentuckians everywhere, but areas in the top 20% of Medicaid enrollment and spending are at the highest risk. We've assigned a vulnerability rating to every Kentucky county and the 38 below are at most risk.

State and federal Medicaid cuts will harm Kentuckians everywhere, but as our new Medicaid Cut Vulnerability Index shows, areas in the top 20% of both Medicaid enrollment and Medicaid spending are at the highest risk of harm. Interactive version of this map linked below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

How did your county spend opioid settlement funds in fiscal year 2025? Of Kentucky's 120 counties, 50 reported zero expenditures of these funds, which are meant to address active needs related to the overdose crisis. Those counties are gray on this map. See the link below for an interactive map.

Support for the Lee Specialty Clinic serves as a reminder that public employees work hard every day on work that benefits others. Public employees keep us safe, teach our kids and build roads. In some cases, like the staff at Lee, they are heroes who transform lives.

“Talking to local partners, we knew that there was a concern that the local funds were not being spent, but we had no idea that it would be the 10 percent." www.wkyt.com/2026/07/03/k...

This Fourth of July, patriotism includes honoring our immigrant neighbors Check out our latest op-ed in the the Kentucky Lantern kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/03/t...

Opioid settlement funds are considered restitution for lives lost and are intended to address communities’ active needs related to the overdose crisis. But too many cities and counties are either sitting on their opioid settlement dollars or spending them ineffectively.

In addition, more than half of reporting local governments spent NONE of their opioid settlement funds in FY 2025.

NEW: Kentucky local governments are sitting on opioid settlement dollars, spending only 10% of the $122 million distributed to them through fiscal year 2025. This is restitution for lives lost and should be invested to address active needs related to the overdose crisis.

"We are struggling to keep the pantry stocked." Kentucky food banks are seeing a surge in demand as people lose SNAP due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Lawmakers made deep cuts in the new state budget. Now Kentuckians who rely on programs like Kindred Roots, which works with foster children in kinship care, are suffering the consequences.

Lawmakers made deep cuts in the new state budget. Now Kentuckians who rely on programs like Puzzle Pieces, which serves individuals with intellectual disabilities in Owensboro, are suffering the consequences.

Tens of thousands of Kentuckians have lost SNAP since federal changes were implemented last fall. These counties were hit hardest.

Kentuckians aren't losing food assistance because they no longer need help. Instead, they're being cut off from SNAP due to the Big Beautiful Bill's harsh eligibility restrictions.

NEW: 42,870 Kentuckians have lost SNAP benefits since the implementation of the Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) last fall. That includes 11,168 children.

Deep cuts in the new state budget are causing major service disruptions at the state-owned Lee Specialty Clinic, which provides medical care to 1,300 patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is just the latest example of how state budget cuts affect the lives of Kentuckians.

Here's a clear example of how the state budget impacts our lives. The legislature’s new budget makes deep cuts to departments that serve kids, foster families, seniors and more. Because of this, the executive branch must reduce critical services that help Kentuckians in need.

Some places get more attention, but all Kentucky school districts face growing financial challenges. Here's why:

Several hyperscale data centers are moving forward in KY, with many others proposed, but the long-term economic, social and environmental impacts remain to be understood. Among the uncertainties: Who will pay the significant financial costs? Our new primer digs into that question and more.

Two-thirds of Kentucky school districts will receive less from the state for core education funding in 2027, according to KDE projections. After adjusting for inflation, 95% of districts will see a cut. Use our tool linked below to see how your district fares:

Kentucky's population is getting older and we're not prepared for the challenges that come with that. But as our newest op-ed explains, we can get prepared by embracing a few key policies.

For more than 80 years, Kentuckians could claim unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks. But a recent state law cut the max to 16. Now, with hiring slow, nearly half of claimants are hitting the maximum number of weeks of UI and losing their sole source of income.

From committee testimony and TV interviews, to legislative advocacy and our annual conference, we stayed busy during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly. Thank you for following our work, and stay turned for more. And sign up for our newsletter: kypolicy.org/signup/

Some districts get more attention, but when the state underfunds public education, schools all across Kentucky struggle.

Life expectancy varies widely between Kentucky counties, census data shows. In Owsley County, one of the state’s poorest, life expectancy is 64.9 years. But in Oldham County, the state’s wealthiest, it’s 80.3 years. This is why protecting rural health care systems is so vital.