"HB 182 sponsored by Representative Darryl Owens failed to pass the House Banking and Insurance Committee today. The bill would have capped the effective interest on payday loans at 36%. While we respect the votes of the members of the House Banking and Insurance Committee, we think the committee neglected their responsibility to protect Kentucky's most vulnerable citizens. Representative Johnny Bell's bill in the 2009 General Assembly to institute a database has been a strong [...]

 Statement by Lacey McNary, Deputy Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Jeffersontown, KY - “Today members of the House Education Committee took a simple yet profound step forward for children in Kentucky by supporting House Bill 89, voting to put key, aggregate data on body mass index to work and tackle rising levels of child obesity in the Commonwealth. We commend Representatives Tom Burch and Addia Wuchner for filing this important legislation. At this point, we [...]

Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates HJR 5, a bill relating to Economic Development Incentive Programs, directs the Legislative Research Commission to engage a consulting firm to study the effectiveness of economic development incentive programs and requires a report by Dec. 1, 2011. At a time when taxpayers are paying more attention to the responsible use of their tax dollars than ever before, this legislation is a solid step toward making sure [...]

Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates "Today the Kentucky House of Representatives stood up for kids across the Commonwealth by passing House Bill 225, which seeks to change the culture of our society and ensure that each child has a fair chance to graduate from high school. Today’s youth face an economy with daunting challenges and a highly competitive environment to find jobs. The best economic development tool is an educated workforce. [...]

Statement by Tara Grieshop-Goodwin, Deputy Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Jeffersontown, KY – “To bring Kentucky’s handling of our youth charged with status offenses in line with evidence-based best practices, HB 123 reduces the use of incarceration and ensures appropriate steps are taken prior to filing charges against the child.  We thank Representative Kelly Flood for championing this important legislation and Chairman John Tilley for his critical support. We commend the members of the House [...]

Jeffersontown, KY – More than 300,000 low-income children—including 7,000 children inKentucky—are at-risk of losing federally funded early childhood services if Congress does not protect current investments in families and the American economy. With lawmakers set to approve a long-delayed FY 2011 budget in the coming weeks, Kentucky Youth Advocates is calling on Congress to maintain current funding for cost-effective early learning programs that provide immediate and future economic and social returns for individuals, taxpayers, and [...]

Contacts: Lacey McNary, Kentucky Youth Advocates, 502-895-8167 ext. 121, lmcnary@kyyouth.org Anne Joseph, Covering Kentucky Kids and Families, 859-323-4747, anne.joseph@uky.edu Jodi Mitchell, Kentucky Voices for Health, 502-552-1406, kvhexec@kyvoicesforhealth.org   Frankfort, KY - Covering Kentucky Kids and Families, Kentucky Youth Advocates and Kentucky Voices for Health commend Kentucky’s efforts to maintain a lifeline to uninsured children during tough economic times. The three groups also called on the state to make the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) [...]

Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates on Governor Beshear’s Announcement of EITC Awareness Month After a whirlwind first week of the 2011 legislative session, the next few weeks serve as a good time for reflection on how good policy like the Earned Income Tax Credit can make a lasting impact on the well-being of families and children. Governor Beshear’s declaration of EITC awareness is an excellent reminder that establishing a state-level EITC [...]

Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today’s youth face an economy with daunting challenges and a highly competitive environment to find jobs. The best economic development tool is an educated workforce.  Many adolescents who leave school early are entrenched in poverty and unemployment.  HB 225 seeks to change the culture of our society and ensure that each child has a fair chance to graduate from high school. Raising the compulsory attendance [...]

Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates on SB 1  We commend Senate President David Williams for calling for a review of Kentucky's inadequate and outdated tax system. We agree that Kentucky needs real tax reform. However, real tax reform needs to take into account the needs of all Kentuckians, and any legislative proposal should undergo full review. While many details in Senate Bill 1, co-sponsored by Senate President Williams and Senator Bob [...]