Regional & State

The redistricting plans now head to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who can sign or veto them. But GOP lawmakers can easily override the governor’s veto with a majority vote in each legislative chamber.

Beshear is still scheduled to propose a new two-year budget during a televised address on Jan. 13, but Republican leaders of the House of Representatives unveiled their plan about a week early.

Under Senate Bill 1, School-Based Decision Making councils would become advisory groups. Important decisions would be finalized by district superintendents and, by extension, local school boards.

Lawmakers approved the measure because of how late they are tackling the once-per-decade redistricting process for seats in the legislature.

Gov. Andy Beshear called for unity during his State of the Commonwealth Address, saying Republicans and Democrats need to work together.

The congressional plan dramatically changes Kentucky’s 1st Congressional district, snaking from Fulton County in the westernmost tip of the state all the way to Frankfort, 300 miles away.

The Jan. 6 arrestees come from a broad cross-section of major cities, suburbs and small towns, a Daily Yonder analysis shows.

Mike Abate, a lawyer who worked on the case, said the change will give many Kentuckians a second chance and hope for moving on with their lives.

House Speaker David Osborne will also have the option to limit how much time lawmakers spend explaining their votes.

As Americans re-evaluate work and family priorities, author and entrepreneur Rory Groves thinks rural communities could benefit from supporting durable trades such as farming, carpentry, painting, cooking, and other hands-on activities like inn-keeping and brewing.

Western Kentucky University Professor Emerita Susan Jones and her colleagues are bringing the issue of farmer suicide into the public discussion with a training program for health professionals.

Lawmakers return to Frankfort on Tuesday to write a new state budget, redistrict Kentucky’s political boundaries and consider a slew of bills.