KyPolicy

NEW: Data shows ICE arrests are surging in Kentucky, and local jails are playing a key role.

Between inauguration day in January and the end of July, Kentucky saw 1,293 ICE arrests. That’s a 37.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

ICE Arrests Are Surging in Kentucky as Local Law Enforcement Joins Troubling Mass Deportation Effort - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy ICE has arrested nearly 1,300 people between January 20 and the end of July, a 37.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Find more info and an interactive version of the map here: kypolicy.org/ice-arrests-...

NEW: Data shows ICE arrests are surging in Kentucky, and local jails are playing a key role.

Between inauguration day in January and the end of July, Kentucky saw 1,293 ICE arrests. That’s a 37.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

'Modest but vital’ help for low-income Kentuckians takes a hit  • Kentucky Lantern Low-income Kentuckians getting assistance through the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program will get less help starting in November.

More about these cuts: kentuckylantern.com/2025/10/01/m...

This one-third cut to vital cash benefits for Kentucky’s poorest kids and families is unacceptable, especially in a time of spiking household costs.

'Modest but vital’ help for low-income Kentuckians takes a hit  • Kentucky Lantern Low-income Kentuckians getting assistance through the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program will get less help starting in November.

More details on these cuts here: kentuckylantern.com/2025/10/01/m...

Congressional health care fight is about making life affordable • Kentucky Lantern Health care costs keep many working families awake at night. Americans want their government to solve that problem, not make it worse.

Read about in our latest op-ed: kentuckylantern.com/2025/10/02/c...

The government shut down because Congress and the president refuse to cancel cuts that will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket for thousands of Kentuckians.

With families paying higher prices for groceries, housing and more, keeping health care costs down is essential.

The extension of enhanced premium tax credits, which make health coverage more affordable for millions of Americans, are at the center of the shutdown debate.

If they're allowed to expire, costs on kynect will explode. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Here's the @kff.org calculator these numbers come from: kff.org/interactive/how-much-more-would-people-pay-in-premiums-if-the-acas-enhanced-subsidies-expired

Life is expensive enough without health care costs exploding even more. Congress has a chance to stop this and it should.

The typical KY school district increased teacher pay by only 2% this year, with 40 districts providing no raise at all. Inadequate state funding kept districts from gaining ground on eroding teacher salaries, which are 20% below inflation-adjusted 2008 levels 1/2

NEW: In most Kentucky school districts, educators received little to no raise this year, despite everyone's cost of living going up.

Inadequate state funding is at the root of this problem, which is why lawmakers should reinvest in public education in the next budget.

Costs on Kentucky’s Health Insurance Marketplace Will Explode Without Quick Action From Congress - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy For the nearly 100,000 Kentuckians who signed up for plans on kynect this year, premium costs are on track to skyrocket.

NEW: Premium costs on kynect will skyrocket soon unless Congress acts.

Changes in the OBBBA and the failure to extend subsidies will double premiums for some Kentuckians and make marketplace coverage too expensive for 18K people. Most will become uninsured.

kypolicy.org/aca-marketpl...

Kentucky Is Now a Casino State: Slot Machine Gambling Surpasses $10 Billion Annually, But at What Cost? - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Kentucky has rapidly become a casino state as legalized slot machine gambling has proliferated across the bluegrass in recent years. With 13 facilities now operating thousands of slot machines, the am...

Very thorough(bred?) report on how Kentucky is now a big casino state, which are taxed very small.

Kentucky Is Now a Casino State: Slot Machine Gambling Surpasses $10 Billion Annually, But at What Cost? - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Kentucky has rapidly become a casino state as legalized slot machine gambling has proliferated across the bluegrass in recent years. With 13 facilities now operating thousands of slot machines, the am...

Read more about it: kypolicy.org/kentucky-is-...

Money bet on Kentucky slots each year is now more than quadruple the amount bet through the state’s lottery.

But the lottery returns significantly more funding to the state.

NEW: For the first time, wagering on Kentucky slot machines has topped $10 billion.

They're popping up everywhere and Churchill Downs now makes far more from slots than racing.

But the state isn't benefitting like it should due to a tax rate that's far lower than other states.

NEW: For the first time, wagering on Kentucky slot machines has topped $10 billion.

They're popping up everywhere and Churchill Downs now makes far more from slots than racing.

But the state isn't benefitting like it should due to a tax rate that's far lower than other states.

New Census Data Shows Slight Improvement in 2024 Poverty and Incomes In Kentucky, But Recent Federal Budget Law Threatens to Move State Backward  - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Census data shows slight improvements in poverty rates and median household income, but harmful federal legislation threatens that progress.

NEW: U.S. Census data shows slight improvements in poverty rates and median household income in Kentucky, but harmful federal legislation threatens that progress.

Our breakdown: kypolicy.org/new-census-d...

Kentuckians believe in taking care of each other, especially our kids.

One of the best ways to do that is by prioritizing our families by ensuring the success of our schools.

For the Same Cost as a Half-Point Income Tax Cut, Kentucky Could Meaningfully Reinvest in Public Education - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Investing $718 million into public education would allow Kentucky to make up for years of disinvestment and improve education across the commonwealth.

Tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the rich are a choice.

Instead, our leaders could choose to put $718m into public education and prioritize our kids.

Read the report here: kypolicy.org/kentucky-rei...

Our latest report makes the case for a new, robust commitment to public education in the next state budget.

For the same cost as income tax cuts passed 3 of the last 4 years, KY could begin making up for years of disinvestment and strengthen schools across the commonwealth.

Don’t listen to politicians who say Big Beautiful Bill will save Medicaid | Opinion OpEd: The Big Beautiful Bill weakens Medicaid, straining our healthcare infrastructure, reducing access, and driving up costs for everyone.

👏 Shoutout to @KyVoices4Health & @kypolicy for pushing back and making sure people know what’s at stake: our health care, our hospitals, and our communities. ✍️ Emily Beauregard @KyVoices4Health & Dustin Pugel @kypolicy.bsky.social

Read more ➡️ www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-e...

It is time to bring an end to the wrong-headed goal of eliminating the state’s income tax, a policy that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy.

The state missed the General Assembly’s revenue and spending hurdles for another income tax cut, despite the legislature moving the goalposts to make achieving it easier and an unexpected bump in notoriously volatile corporate tax receipts.

Our statement:

Medicaid cuts are a threat to moms and babies across Kentucky.

A @washingtonpost.com analysis finds that if our 35 at-risk hospitals close, the drive to the nearest birthing hospital would be increased by 30+ miles for residents of 22 rural counties.

Kevin Saltsman, a maintenance tech at BlueOval SK, is voting yes to secure a better future for his family. #StandUpBOSK

Do what you can to support these workers in the coming week, because their win is a win for all of us.

It happened in Kenutcky in 2023 when UAW workers at the Big 3 auto makers won a 25% increase in wages among other key improvements. Immediately, BOSK and Toyota bumped up wages. And that's just a taste of what would come if those workers had a union of their own.