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Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Senator McConnell Federal Tobacco-21 Legislation Announcement

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Today, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced plans to introduce a “tobacco 21” bill in the U.S. Senate to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products nationwide from age 18 to 21. This proposal could prove to be a profound piece of legislation that makes a real difference in the health and well-being of not only Kentucky children [...]

By |2019-04-18T10:54:10-04:00April 18th, 2019|Health, News Room|
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A Celebration for Kids and Lighting the Way to 2020

Last week we, along with advocates from across Kentucky, celebrated both progress for kids during the 2019 legislative session and the courageous action of local heroes who are transforming how their communities care for kids. And what a celebration it was! The Cheers for Children 2019 Celebration lifted up four key Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priority bills that were passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor: Senate Bill 1 [...]

By |2019-04-18T16:49:57-04:00April 17th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Health, Kids Count|
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30 Days, Infinite Ripples

Sometimes 30 days can feel like way more than 30 days. And the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly felt like WAY more than 30 days! (OK, technically the session started in January and went through the end of March, and legislators were just in chambers for 30 days, but you get the idea. A lot happened during this legislative session, and Kentucky leaders didn’t even have a state budget to work on.) Better behavioral health services [...]

By |2019-04-03T14:42:27-04:00April 3rd, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health|
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What We Know About Recent Changes to Kentucky’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver Implementation

This week, a federal judge halted the April 1st implementation of the Bevin Administration’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver, also known as Kentucky HEALTH. We expect the Bevin Administration to announce next step decisions in the coming days, but as of right now, no plans have been unveiled yet. Though several vulnerable populations are exempt from the 1115 waiver, as it protects children, pregnant women, and transition-aged youth in foster care from the potential negative impacts of [...]

By |2019-03-28T17:48:29-04:00March 28th, 2019|Blog, Health, Medicaid|
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Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on Final Passage of HB 11

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Tobacco conversations in Kentucky are complex and bring lots of pressures on our elected leaders, and that is why House Bill 11 is such a profound win for Kentucky’s kids. We’re hearing cheers across the Commonwealth as it clears its final hurdle of the 2019 legislative session. HB 11 establishes a statewide tobacco-free school campus policy, and that [...]

By |2019-03-28T17:04:09-04:00March 28th, 2019|Education, Health, News Room|
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Gavel Comes Down, Party Decorations Go Up: Cheers for Children Celebration on April 11th

As the gavel falls on the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly, party decorations are going up! Kentucky kids—and the committed advocates, caregivers, and volunteers who support those kids every day—have a lot to celebrate. On April 11th you can join the celebration at Cheers for Children, Kentucky Youth Advocates’ annual fundraiser where we ask for your support as the independent voice for Kentucky kids in Frankfort. (Check out a recap of last year’s event, including photos, [...]

By |2019-03-28T16:29:40-04:00March 28th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice, Youth Justice|
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Guest Post: It’s Time to Make Kentucky Schools Tobacco Free

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Northern Kentucky Tribune on March 25, 2019.  By Ben Chandler, Terry Brooks, Kerri Shelling, Jack Hillard, David Adkisson Kentucky students need a statewide tobacco-free schools law to protect them from secondhand smoke, e-cigarette aerosol and tobacco product messaging at school. Nearly 60 percent of Kentucky kids attend schools that do not have such policies, so they smell, breathe and otherwise absorb tobacco emissions and messaging during the school [...]

By |2019-03-26T09:25:18-04:00March 25th, 2019|Blog, Education, Health|
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Kick Butts (and E-cigs) Day

Today is National Kick Butts Day, a nationally recognized day led by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids dating back to 1996, that empowers teachers, youth, and health advocates to stand up and speak out about the issues created by tobacco use in their community, to encourage youth to be tobacco-free, and to urge elected officials to protect youth from tobacco. There are many ways you can participate in Kick Butts Day. Check out the list of [...]

By |2019-03-20T09:22:48-04:00March 19th, 2019|Blog, Education, Health|
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Upset Wins for Kentucky Kids

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Herald Leader on March 15, 2019.  A high and holy season in the Bluegrass is upon us – March Madness. I will deeply dive into the metrics of winning basketball before completing my bracket. And my grandkids will consider elements like favorite mascots and team colors before completing theirs – and they will beat me. So, while I may be unable to accurately project winners, this I know: [...]

By |2019-09-05T12:57:28-04:00March 18th, 2019|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Justice|
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Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks on HB 11 Passing Senate Health and Welfare Committee

Contact: Mara Powell 502-895-8167 *122 mpowell@kyyouth.org Statement by Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates Kids win when their leaders prioritize them, and the Senate Health and Welfare Committee did just that today with their passage of House Bill 11. With more and more Kentucky middle and high school students using tobacco products like e-cigarettes, a statewide tobacco-free school campus policy is the step in the right direction to protect the next generation [...]

By |2019-03-14T09:53:40-04:00March 14th, 2019|Education, Health, News Room|
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