The legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary discussed the proposal during a meeting on Thursday as lawmakers consider what to take up in the next legislative session, which begins in January.
Juvenile Justice Commissioner Vicki Reed, who was appointed to the position in August, said the department is working to correct the issues, but defended staff using holds to defend themselves or control kids.
The Kentucky Department of Education has been holding roundtables to discuss mental health issues in recent weeks, with students also reporting heightened depression and anxiety.
During a legislative hearing on Monday, a University of Louisville professor said bumping up the tax on historical racing machines — like those at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming and Hotel — wouldn’t be the financial windfall some have hoped for.
Republicans who control the legislature, and a few Democratic lawmakers, have said they trust local school officials to make the right decisions, but Beshear countered that school districts across the country have not done that.
Democrats in both chambers said some districts wouldn't impose mask mandates, raising the threat of the coronavirus not only in schools but the general population, leading to more deaths from COVID-19.
Legislators are considering a controversial resolution that would require the state to recognize a positive COVID antibody test as the same as a COVID vaccination, even though people who naturally recover from the virus are more than twice as likely to contract it again compared to people who get vaccinated.
