Liam Niemeyer covers government and policy in Kentucky and its impacts throughout the Commonwealth for the Kentucky Lantern. He most recently spent four years reporting award-winning stories for WKMS Public Radio in Murray.
Kentucky poet laureate Silas House rejected proponents' argument that the bill would allow industry to pollute only ephemeral streams, or waterways that don’t have running water year round.
The minority of Democrats in the GOP-controlled chamber who opposed Senate Bill 89 echoed strong concerns from environmental groups that the legislation could open the door to more pollution of groundwater, wetlands and small headwater streams across the state.
Sen. Chris McDaniel said the Republican-controlled legislature should stick to the “very disciplined” process it has adopted for gradually reducing and ultimately eliminating Kentucky’s individual income tax.