Bluegrass Politics: KY GOP want their own DOGE, DEI ban is back, reeling in vape retailers
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This is the Feb. 19 edition of the Bluegrass Politics newsletter. Sign up here to get the latest news from the Kentucky General Assembly delivered to your inbox for free.
It’s been a tough few days in the commonwealth as yet another natural disaster has taken the lives of several Kentuckians and walloped a region still recovering from a previous round of widespread flooding.
The recent flooding and winter weather has killed 14 people, including 11 from the flooding, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. Legislative leaders say there are several options on the table for providing aid to residents, but it’s too early to tell exactly how lawmakers will respond.
If you’re looking for a way to help folks in need, we’ve rounded up several ways to do so here.
Kentucky legislature ramps up
The bill-filing deadline for the 2025 General Assembly has come and gone. Tuesday marked the last day for new Senate bills, and the House’s last day for new legislation was Wednesday. We’ll have more on some of those bills on Kentucky.com between now and the next newsletter, but let’s take a look at a few other legislative developments.
Republicans in the House and Senate have filed efforts to establish a state version of the Department of Government Efficiency and create a Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force. Both have similar goals to DOGE, the efficiency-focused group led by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who helped catapult Trump to office, and the ‘MAHA’ movement behind newly-minted Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
- As expected for this session, there have been bills filed that would end diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programming in higher education, K-12 schools and state and local governments. As she did in 2024, Rep. Jennifer Decker of Waddy is leading the charge on the higher ed bill, while Sen. Lindsey Tichenor of Smithfield is the lawmaker behind the effort to rid other government entities of DEI.
- A bill from Sen. Jimmy Higdon would require businesses that sell tobacco, vapes or other nicotine products to be licensed by the state, much like the ABC licenses and inspects businesses that sell alcohol. It passed a Senate committee Tuesday.
- Kentucky schools could get anti-choking devices if a bill, sponsored by Rep. Candy Massaroni, that cleared the Kentucky House becomes law, but experts are skeptical of their effectiveness and warn against them.
- The House also OK’d driver’s permits for 15-year-olds last week, sending the bill from GOP Floor Leader Steven Rudy to the Senate for consideration.
- The coal industry is supporting a bill from freshman Sen. Scott Madon to narrow the definition of protected “waters of the commonwealth.” Environmentalists who wanted to speak in opposition of the bill at its Senate committee hearing had their time cut short.
- The Senate has passed a bill from Sen. Mike Wilson to ban transgender people in Kentucky’s jails and prisons from receiving gender-affirming care on the taxpayer dime. The state says it has never paid for such surgeries, so the bill would primarily restrict hormone therapy for about 67 people. A similar bill has been filed in the House by Rep. Kim Moser.
- Sen. Danny Carroll has revived his effort to improve mental health care for kids in Kentucky’s Department of Juvenile Justice. A similar bill passed last year, but went nowhere in the House.
All eyes on Mitch McConnell
The race to secure the GOP nomination for U.S. Senator in Kentucky in 2026 hasn’t officially started — but it’s definitely under way.
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, former attorney general Daniel Cameron and businessman Nate Morris are seen as the three leading contenders in the Republican primary. Though none of them has filed for a run as of writing this Tuesday afternoon, they’re making moves all the same.
“You’re talking about three people who are going to be strong allies of the president,” one GOP strategist told the Herald-Leader. “Is there enough fog of war here to keep the president neutral?”
Meanwhile, a conservative PAC has already launched an attack on Barr, saying he would be a “disaster in the Senate.” Barr countered by calling himself an “America First conservative” who delivers for his constituents.
Meanwhile, Sen. Mitch McConnell has not publicly announced his plans for 2026.
McConnell has, however, made a series of high-profile breaks with President Donald Trump by voting against three of his Cabinet picks. First, there was the “no” on Pete Hegseth in January. Then, there was the “no” on Tulsi Gabbard last Wednesday. And on Thursday, McConnell cast a “no” vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
If you’re wondering if Trump had thoughts on this, the answer is absolutely yes.
Other Kentucky politics & government headlines
A few more things before we part:
- The deputy manager at the Lexington juvenile detention center sexually harassed female subordinates for years, and complaints to the facility’s top leader did little, if anything, to stop it. It wasn’t until a lieutenant went directly to high-ranking officials in Frankfort last summer that an investigation was launched, resulting in the manager and deputy manager both being fired.
- Beshear, as well as Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, both joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration led by 22 Democratic state attorneys general. Notably, Kentucky and Pennsylvania both have Democratic governors and Republican attorneys general. Also notable: Beshear and Shapiro are both seen as contenders for the 2028 Democratic nomination for president. Interesting!
- Beshear also approved $14.7 million to help cover part of the $40.6 million shortfall in state funding for public schools.
- Kentucky kids in foster care are still sleeping in state office buildings after a January report highlighted the issue. State officials say there are foster and adoption facilities in Kentucky that have “tremendous difficulties in accepting some of these children.”
A funding cap from the National Institutes of Health under Trump would mean millions of dollars cut from health research in Kentucky.
It sure seems like Elon Musk may want to take a look-see at all the gold in Fort Knox. He might even live-stream it.
Thanks for reading, and stay warm out there.
