My Old Kentucky Podcast

Jonathan Lowe Interview, Ryan Quarles Runs for Governor, and How To Vote For Judges

This week we welcomed Jonathan Lowe to the show. He is running for Kentucky House in District 34 in Louisville, and shared with us why he's running, what he thinks he can accomplish, and why he is so dedicated to a life of service.
Ryan Quarles announced a run for Governor, so Robert did a segment about his history in Kentucky politics and what led to this moment in Quarles's political career. Jazmin did a deep dive into our judicial system -- what the four levels of the court system are, how they are elected, and highlighting several important races across the state for seats throughout the judicial system.

Rep. Pamela Stevenson Interview, Checking in with Bruce Maples, KREF update, and more vetoes and court cases

This week, we welcomed Col. Pamela Stevenson to the show. She's the state representatives in District 43 in Louisville. She talked to us about her primary race, her service in the legislature, and talked to her about the West End TIF.
We also checked in with Bruce Maples to talk about new stuff on Forward KY, including a legislator scorecard and a new elections portal. Robert updated us about the most recent KREF report, and Jazmin talked about the final vetoes and a stay in an abortion court case.

Robert LeVertis Bell Interview + Legislature Sine Die

This week we spoke to Robert LeVertis Bell, a candidate for the Democratic nomination in House District 43. He's a Democratic Socialist who has a long history of social activism in Louisville. We talked to him about why he's running, his role as a "movement candidate", and the role he would play in Frankfort.
The legislature is finally done for the year, and Robert and Jazmin spoke about the last two days after the veto session, and the inevitable barrage of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the new laws.

All The Session’s Vetoes

Robert flies solo today and explains all of the Governor's vetoes since last Wednesday. There were a lot! Of course, they will all probably be overridden, but this is still a good overview of the legislation passed by the general assembly which Democrats oppose the most strongly. Plus, a quick hit about a big battery project in Warren County.

Sarah Stalker Interview, Vetoes, Public Defenders Win at SCOKY, and a Session Wrap Up

This week, Sarah Stalker joined us to talk about her run for the Democratic nomination in the 34th House District in East Central Louisville. She told us why she was running, about her experience with the foster care system, and how she hopes to advocate for her priorities in Frankfort.
During the first part of the show, Jazmin covered all the vetoes issued by Gov. Beshear so far, Robert caught us up on all the bills we've talked about during this session, and Jazmin covered a big win for public defenders at Kentucky's Supreme Court.

Jim Higdon Interview & Budget Wrap Up

Jim Higdon, one of the owners of Cornbread Hemp and one of the leaders in Kentucky's movement to legalize cannabis (and the author of several books) joined us today to talk about the different bills attempting to legalize marijuana during the 2022 session. In addition, he spoke to us about the current state of the hemp market and ways he thinks the crop could and should be regulated under the next farm bill.
The session is almost over. Before our interview with Jim, Jazmin and Robert discussed the final state of the budget as well as many of the major pieces of legislation that passed Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. We will do a final pre-veto-period wrap-up next week.
 
Check out Cornbread Hemp here: https://www.cornbreadhemp.com/product/full-spectrum-cbd-gummies/

Interview with Rep. Attica Scott + Legislative Update

Rep. Attica Scott joined us today to talk about her run for Congress -- why she wants to be in the US House, her thoughts about creating change, and her thoughts on recent legislation that's passed Congress. Please listen to learn how she would serve Louisville in DC if elected.
Before that, Robert and Jazmin talked about the legislature, especially the major education legislation that is advancing about charter schools and regarding the interaction between the JCPS school board and it's superintendent. The new student assignment plan from JCPS was also addressed.

Rep. Tina Bojanowski on HB9 & More

This week, Rep. Tina Bojanowski (D-Louisville) joined us to talk about HB 9, the bill which would fund charter schools. It's a bill with *a lot* of problems, and she laid them bare in this extensive conversation.
Before our interview, Jazmin talked about a few criminal justice bills making their way through the legislature, and Robert talked about COVID, maybe for the final time.

Marcus Jackson of the ACLU on Persistent Felony Offender Statues, A Weird Weekend for TRS, and Legislative Update

This week Marcus Jackson of the ACLU joined us to talk about Kentucky's Persistent Felony Offender statute. He's featured in a documentary called Persistent about that topic. Marcus told us about his experience with the criminal justice system and how he's working to change it, and what changes he would like to see.
Jazmin and Robert also talked about a strange weekend for the Teachers' Retirement System, when they were accused of holding a large amount of stock in a Russian bank. Robert talked about the truth and the context of the situation. Jazmin brought an update about the Name, Image, and Likeness law that was signed by Andy Beshear this week, and Robert covered some of the other legislation making it's way through Frankfort.

A New Tax Structure for Kentucky, A Funding Mechanism for Charter Schools, and Is Sports Betting Coming to Kentucky?

Robert and Jazmin talked about several bills making their way through the legislature this week, including a bill which would make significant changes to Kentucky's tax system, a bill to fund charter schools, several sports betting bills, bills about bail, and lots more.