Blueprint for Kentucky's Children |
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Legislators put forth a challenge to state child advocacy groups to develop a cohesive strategic agenda for child well-being. Kentucky Youth Advocates is leading the effort. Learn more.
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RECENT UPDATES
04/30/08
SpankOut Day: Raising Responsible Kids Without Hitting
April 30th is SpankOut Day, USA. It was initiated in 1998 to give widespread attention to the need to end corporal punishment of children and to promote non-violent ways of teaching children appropriate behavior. Did you know that two out of five schools in Kentucky still use corporal punishment? Find out more in the fact sheet below.
Fact Sheet on Corporal Punishment in Schools
04/29/08
Ensuring a Healthy Start: Prenatal Care and Birth Outcomes Among Newborn Kentuckians
A new issue brief finds that Kentucky mothers born outside the U.S. do not receive adequate care during pregnancy to ensure healthy outcomes. Despite this, Kentucky babies of mothers born outside the U.S. as a group are more likely to be born at a healthy birthweight and after a full-term pregnancy.
04/09/08
Income Inequality Growing in Kentucky and the Nation
Kentucky ranks sixth in the nation in the growth in inequality between the top and bottom fifth of income levels over the past twenty years. What’s more, Kentucky’s gap between the richest and poorest families is 10th largest in the nation.
Report | Press Release | Fact Sheet
04/08/08
The General Assembly Reaches a Budget Compromise
After several days of heated discussions Kentucky's House of Representatives and Senate finally reached a budget compromise. The compromise includes no additional taxes and makes cuts to a variety of agencies. The Governor has indicated he won't veto the entire budget, but he now has until the end of the day on April 14th to line-item veto any specific budget provisions.
Analysis of the General Assembly Budget Compromise
03/31/08
The Kentucky Senate's Budget
Kentucky's Senate made several changes to the budget proposal with the primary difference being a rejection of the new taxes proposed by the House. The Senate's budget relies in part on a larger portion of Kentucky Lottery receipts going to the General Fund. Now, the two chambers negotiate the differences with the hope of reaching an agreement before the Veto period begins.
Analysis of the Senate's Budget Proposal
03/20/08
The Kentucky House of Representatives' Budget
Kentucky's House of Representatives passsed their version of the budget. Find out about the key differences in the House's budget compared to Governor Beshear's proposed budget as the Senate begins reviewing and preparing a response.
Analysis of the House's Budget Proposal
03/16/08
Sunshine Week is March 16-22, 2008
Sunshine Week is a national initiative organized by the American Society of Newspaper Editors to highlight the importance of open government, transparency and freedom of information. For more information, click here.
03/14/08
Report: At Least 22 States Face a Budget Shortfall Including Ky
At least twenty-two states, including Kentucky, face budget shortfalls in fiscal year 2009 according to a report issued by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C. based policy organization.
03/06/08
Report: At Least One in Four Pregnant Women in Ky Smoke
Kentucky Youth Advocates released an issue brief today entitled, Tobacco Use Among Pregnant Women. The brief uses county by county data on smoking and pregnancy to shed light on Kentucky’s problem and posit solutions including raising the cigarette excise tax.
02/26/08
Kentucky Health Coalition Begins Ad Campaign in Support of Raising the Tobacco Tax
Kentucky Youth Adovcates joins a coalition of groups including the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association in supporting passage of House Bill 443 which would raise the cigarette tax to 70 cents. HB 443 is a win-win for Kentucky since it will raise money and save lives.
Radio Clip | Newspaper Ad | Report - The Price of Smoking
02/15/08
Governor Releases Expanded Gambling Proposal
Governor Steve Beshear released his legislative proposal to expand gambling yesterday and the corresponding legislation has been introduced. House Bill 550 is the Constitutional amendment that contains proposed ballot language and House Bill 537 is the enabling legislation should the referendum pass. If approved, the state would allow expanded gambling at twelve locations across the state.
Fact Sheet | Projected Revenues and Distributions
02/05/08
Payday Lending: Whittling Away at Working Families' Income
The number of payday lenders in Kentucky has more than doubled between 1999 and 2006. Working Kentuckians lose millions of dollars annually in fees paid for short-term payday loans. A newly released issue brief by Kentucky Youth Advocates calls for a clear and measured response to address the rise in payday lending, while preserving options for low-income families.
Issue Brief | Executive Summary | Press Release
01/31/08
A State Earned Income Tax Credit for Kentucky
Thursday, January 31, 2008 was National Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day, a nationwide effort to increase public awareness about EITC and free tax preparation sites. Kentucky Youth Advocates and dozens of other groups from across the Commonwealth have launched a a statewide coalition to build on the success of this successful federal anti-poverty measure and put in place a state earned income tax credit for Kentucky.
01/31/08
Kentucky Asset Success Initiative (KASI)
Kentucky Asset Success Initiative (KASI) is a broad-based collaborative effort dedicated to promoting financial stability for individuals and families
This year KASI’s seven partners are offering free tax-preparation and asset-building services at 48 sites across the state.
Visit KASI to find the free tax-preparation site nearest you.
01/22/08
Booster Seats: Securing the Safety of Our Children
Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death among children in Kentucky and the United States. Kentucky can close the gap in vehicle occupant protection laws by requiring children ages 4 up to their 8th birthday to ride in a booster seat.
01/16/08
Building the Foundation for Family Success
A new report by Kentucky Youth Advocates identifies specific policy solutions to improve Kentucky’s child care subsidy administration through the voices of families, child care providers, and caseworkers involved with child care subsidies on a regular basis.
Report | Executive Summary | Press Release
01/14/08
2008 General Assembly: Keeping You Informed
The 2008 Legislative Session is upon us! Kentucky Youth Advocates will be keeping close tabs on what’s happening in Frankfort.
- Join our e-mail list to receive weekly updates
- Keep track of legislation with our Kentucky Bill Tracker
11/29/07
Asset Building Coalitions Prepare for Tax Season
Asset-building projects are launching their free tax preparation services for low to moderate-income families throughout Kentucky. Learn more.