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Seeking ‘healing justice’ for Black women who have substance use disorder
LOUISVILLE — The Volunteers of America chapter that includes Kentucky will spend $123,000 over the next nine months to make sure more Black women get access to treatment for substance use disorder. Volunteers of America Mid-States is using this grant money, which came from the Kentucky Association of Health Plans, to fund a new initiative […]
Kentucky ranks low in women’s health and reproductive care
As the worst of COVID-19 subsided in 2022 and a trigger law banning most abortions went into effect upon the fall of Roe v. Wade, Kentucky was already among the worst-performing states for women’s health. This insight comes from The Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care, a first-of-its kind ranking […]
Beshear says federal government should reclassify marijuana to recognize its medical uses
In a Wednesday letter sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he supports reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III. That would move marijuana from a DEA designation that says it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” to having “a moderate […]
In a win for dogs like Ethan, first offense animal torture now a felony in Kentucky
Legislators and advocates who pushed for years to make dog and cat torture a felony on first offense gathered in the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday to celebrate a new Kentucky law that does just that. House Bill 258, also called Ethan’s Law, allows a person to be charged with a Class D felony the first and […]
Kentucky panel that reviews child deaths has full board for first time in several years
If you suspect child abuse or neglect, call the Cabinet for Health and Family Services Child Abuse Reporting Hotline at 1-800-752-6200. Kentucky’s Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel has a full complement of members for the first time in several years, analysts told members of the Legislative Oversight & Investigations Committee Thursday. For […]
Kentuckians give blood for chance to see Taylor Swift. Ticket giveaway credited with donor surge.
FRANKFORT — A Taylor Swift ticket giveaway worth thousands of dollars and aimed at incentivizing more people to donate blood worked, Kentucky Blood Center donor numbers show. From May 28 through June 29, anyone who donated at any Kentucky Blood Center location was entered to win two Eras Tour tickets for Nov. 3 in Indianapolis. […]
Judge hears arguments on Kentucky law banning some vaping products
FRANKFORT — Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate heard arguments Monday in a case challenging the constitutionality of a 2024 law banning the sale of some vaping products. This comes as the defendants — Allyson Taylor, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Secretary of State Michael Adams — filed a motion to […]
Kentucky attorney general names members to opioid advisory commission
The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, tasked with distributing opioid settlement dollars, has new members, Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office announced Tuesday. The commission was created by the state legislature in 2021 and has nine voting and two non-voting members. Kentucky receives installments toward $900 million in settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. So […]
‘Tip of the iceberg:’ Kentucky releases domestic violence data report
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. You can also contact any of Kentucky’s 15 domestic violence programs. Over a seven-month period last year, there were nearly 27,000 alleged cases of child abuse with a […]
Applications now open for Kentucky cannabis business licenses
Kentuckians can now begin applying for a cannabis business license, and medical providers can apply to Kentucky’s Board of Medical Licensure and Board of Nursing for permission to write cannabis prescriptions. This is thanks to a bipartisan House Bill 829 that became law during this year’s legislative session and moved up the medical cannabis timeline […]
Judge rules against Jewish women challenging Kentucky’s abortion ban
Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards has ruled against a motion made by three Jewish women seeking to challenge Kentucky’s abortion ban on religious grounds. In a 9-page Friday night opinion, Edwards wrote the women do not have standing and that their concerns are “hypothetical.” Citing several precedential cases, the judge said the issue was […]
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky announces leadership succession
After nearly a decade at the helm of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Ben Chandler is set to retire at the end of 2024. The foundation announced his plan Thursday and said its current chief operating officer, Allison Adams, will take his place. She will serve as president and CEO starting Jan. 1. Chandler […]