State Government

Sen. Danny Carroll, who said he hated the tone of the legislation, filed a 30-page floor amendment that replaces much of the original bill.

The devices are common in many bars and gas stations across the state.

The bill gradually eliminates the property tax on bourbon barrels, which generated $40 million in local and state revenue in 2021.

The bill comfortably won bipartisan passage in the House by a 63-34 vote, but its prospects in the Senate are uncertain.

An addition to the bill states, "Students in grade five and below will not receive instruction about human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases. Students in sixth grade and above must have a parent’s consent to receive such instruction."

An opponent said the amendment would nullify four sections of the Kentucky constitution that relate to the legislature’s “obligations to the public schools.” 

Opponents of the legislation say it is a slippery slope to banning books.

Those who violate the rules in the bill would be subject to misdemeanors the first two violations and felonies on the third and thereafter.

"Gray machines,” or slot-style machines common in many bars and gas stations in Kentucky, derive their name from their murky legal status.

The bill is unanimously opposed by the presidents of Kentucky’s state universities and all campus police chiefs.

Advocates are optimistic medical marijuana could pass this year because more conservative leaders have been open to the idea.

A drag performer quoted scripture and told legislators that the bill threatens the ability of performers to earn a living.