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7 articles revealing Kentucky’s legislative shifts, transparency issues and social divides

Stories by Lexington Herald-Leader journalists, with AI summarization

Kentucky's political landscape is changing, marked by fraught debates and growing divides. Lawmakers fast-tracked big Medicaid changes and passed bills limiting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs without open discussion.

A series of articles highlighted that Kentucky universities violated open records laws 65% of the time, with cases like the University of Kentucky's disputes over access to sexual misconduct files showing reluctance for transparency. Some bills targeted transgender rights and curbed student speech, while others failed to address real child protection gaps, such as repeated inaction against teacher sexual abuse. These patterns reveal a focus by both legislators and institutions on secrecy and partisan priorities, eroding trust and deepening social rifts.

The Senate chamber was empty before gaveling in on the first day of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly in Frankfort, Ky. Jan. 2, 2024 By Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal

NO. 1: THANKS TO GOP LAWMAKERS, KENTUCKY IS NOW LESS SAFE, LESS HEALTHY AND LESS HUMANE | OPINION

Linda Blackford: What would it take to have the General Assembly listen to the voices of people other than lobbyists, corporations and national right-wing think tanks? Why don’t legislators want to hear?  | Published March 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

During a meeting of the House Postsecondary Education Committee March 11, 2025, Rep. Steven Bratcher (R-Elizabethtown) asked Logan Robertson (left), president of UK’s Students for Justice in Palestine, if he knew who else typically wears keffiyahs. This prompted an exchange where Bratcher alluded to the clothing to be synonymous with terrorists. By Kentucky Educational Television

NO. 2: A KENTUCKY LEGISLATOR BASICALLY CALLED A UK STUDENT A TERRORIST. IT’S A NEW LOW. | OPINION

Linda Blackford: It’s beyond a joke that Steve Bratcher insinuated a UK student was a terrorist for wearing a keffiyeh. But that’s part of a much deeper problem. | Published March 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

In 2016, UK redacted all billing details from 14 pages of a November 2015 invoice from Sheppard Mullin, a Washington, D.C. law firm that has helped UK with federal billing problems at a Hazard cardiology firm it acquired in 2013.

NO. 3: FROM MEDICAID CHANGES TO SEXUAL PREDATORS, KY’S PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE ADDICTED TO SECRECY | OPINION

Linda Blackford: In the General Assembly and our public universities, leaders are highly invested in keeping the government dealings for and by the people far away from the people themselves. | Published March 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington speaks to an audience about the economy, free markets, bourbon tariffs, and government oversight on March 19, 2025, during the Commerce Lexington policy luncheon at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington, Ky. By Tasha Poullard

NO. 4: REP. ANDY BARR WON’T FACE HIS CONSTITUENTS OR OPPOSE TRUMP. ALL FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. | OPINION

Linda Blackford: U.S. Rep. Garland Hale Barr IV won’t face his constituents in person to answer why he supports Trump policies that will hurt Kentuckians. | Published March 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

A Herald-Leader review of 194 teachers whose teaching license was voluntarily surrendered, suspended or revoked by the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board from 2016 to 2021 show the vast majority — 61% — trace back to sexual misconduct. By Courtroom photos by WKYT; Illustration by Brian Simms

NO. 5: KY LAWMAKERS WILL BAN TRANS FOLKS FROM THE BATHROOM BUT WON’T STOP REAL CHILD PREDATORS | OPINION

Linda Blackford: Once again, it is the height of hypocrisy to target a man wearing a dress in the Capitol while as we speak, a man wearing pants somewhere is sexting with one of his students. | Published April 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

Professional climber Amity Warme starred in the “I Shouldn’t Be Here” ad from UK HealthCare, narrating the story of a woman whose cancer was cured at UK. But Warme was not a patient.

NO. 6: A CLIMBER WITH CANCER WHOSE LIFE WAS SAVED BY UK HEALTHCARE? NOT EXACTLY. | OPINION

Linda Blackford: UK HealthCare made a dramatic, stirring ad about a young climber who said her cancer was cured by UK doctors. But the ad did not disclose that she was an actor, not a patient. | Published April 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

Students in Hindman Settlement School’s summer dyslexia program walk over Troublesome Creek as they return to a classroom building.

NO. 7: TEACHING KY KIDS TO READ IS WASTE AND FRAUD, ACCORDING TO TRUMP AND MUSK | OPINION

Linda Blackford: The cuts to the Americorps program hurt those who need the most help, whether it’s in Eastern Kentucky or the rest of the nation. | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Linda Blackford

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.