My Old Kentucky Podcast

A School Choice Lawsuit

This week, Robert digs into a lawsuit about Kentucky's school choice law passed during the general assembly earlier this year. The lawsuit pits the Council for Better Education, which argues that the plan equates to public financing for private education, against the Attorney General and the Institute for Justice, which argues that the tax credits envisioned by the law are not public expenditures. There are a lot of moving parts to this lawsuit, and MOKP covered them.
Jazmin brought an update about Louisville policing, which is facing several issues, including a failed vote on a union contract, a shooting at a bus stop, and a failure by the LMPD to protect the buffer zone at EMW, one of Louisville's only abortion clinics.  In addition, there is a COVID update and some QUICK HITS.

Woodford County Judge Executive James Kay

This week, we welcome James Kay, the Judge Executive in Woodford County, to the show. Woodford County has consistently had a very high COVID-19 vaccination rate and a relatively low COVID-19 infection rate, and we asked Judge Kay about it.  Judge Kay is also a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, so we spoke a bit about his transition to an executive position, about running for office as a Democrat outside of an urban area, and about serving as an elected official while being a father of young children.
During the show, Jazmin and Robert discussed the special session, which wrapped up last Thursday.

The Special Session Is Here

Andy Beshear has called a special session to deal with COVID-19 restrictions, which were about to expire due to limits placed during the regular session of the general assembly. The Republican led legislature has put forth five bills -- Jazmin and Robert go through each and discuss what's good, and what's bad in each of them.

Stephon Moore of Kentucky Young Democrats

This week we welcomed Stephon Moore, President of Kentucky Young Democrats, to the show to discuss what's been going on with that organization lately.  He talked to us about organizing youth during a pandemic, the difference between working with young and not-so-young Democrats, and how to start a chapter in your county.
Also this week, we checked in on COVID (including the possibility a special session, record hospitalizations and ICU numbers, and multiple school closures), as well as criminal justice, and Louisville Mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg's idea for a Louisville Department of Education.

COVID Lawsuit Fallout

Governor Beshear suffered a loss in court and the implications could be far reaching. Jazmin and Robert discuss the current (very bad) COVID situation, recap the COVID lawsuits the Supreme Court ruled on this week, and discuss the next steps taken by both Democrats and Republicans. Plus, some quick hits.

Chris Preece Interview, COVID Update, and Rand Paul's Bad Week

This week Chris Preece joins Robert and Jazmin to talk about his run for US Congress. He told us about why he's running, how he will approach running against Andy Barr, and what kind of Congressperson he would be.
Prior to the interview, Robert brings a big COVID update about the state of the pandemic and the beginning of school, and Jazmin tells us about a few rough stories for Rand Paul over the past few weeks.

The Eviction Moratorium in Kentucky

This week Robert and Jazmin talk about the situation with the CDC's eviction moratorium in Kentucky, the increased spread of COVID-19 in Kentucky, and several quick hits.

Rep. Rachel Roberts On Her Plan to Legalize Marijuana

This week, Rep. Rachel Roberts joined us to talk about her new plan to legalize marijuana and expunge the criminal records for the people who have been convicted of marijuana crimes in the past. She told us about how she became a leader on this issue and talked to us about how she hopes this legislation can make a big impact -- even if it cannot pass the legislature as it's being written right now.
Before the interview, Robert and Jazmin talked about a big scandal at Kentucky State University and their plan to get back on the right track, a big hullabaloo at the most recent JCPS School Board meeting, and Kentucky's rising COVID case count.

A New Candidate in the Louisville Mayor's Race

This week on MOKP, Jazmin and Robert discussed the entrance of David Nicholson into the Louisville mayor's race, as well as other developments including a big endorsement for Craig Greenberg. Then, Jazmin updated several issues about policing in Louisville, and the two discussed COVID in more detail than usual as the delta variant sweeps through the state.

Josie Raymond Talks About Get UP Louisville

Josie Raymond joined Robert and Jazmin in the second half of the show to talk about a new effort called Get UP Louisville, which is working to ensure universal pre-k for all 3 and 4 year olds in Kentucky's largest county. It's a big effort and a lot of work has been done already!
Earlier in the show, Jazmin and Robert talked about Mike Harmon's new campaign for Governor, Michael Adams' big week (testifying in front of a US House committee and getting a subpoena), Kentucky's $1.1 billion surplus, and the worst COVID week in a long time.