Jonathan Shell, a former Republican leader in the Kentucky legislature, formally filed to run for agriculture commissioner this week. Shell was the majority floor leader of the state House of Representatives from 2017 until 2019 before he was ousted during a primary election. He’s a fifth-generation farmer who will be running for the office which will be vacated by current Republican Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, who is term-limited. Quarles is a candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial race. During an interview, Shell said his legislative experience makes him a good candidate for the job ..read more

Democratic Rep. Pamela Stevenson filed to run for Kentucky attorney general last week, making her the first Black woman to run for the office in state history. Current Attorney General Daniel Cameron isn’t seeking reelection to the position next year, instead running in a crowded race of Republicans trying to unseat Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Stevenson announced her bid on Monday, though she filed paperwork to campaign for the post last week. She recently won reelection to House District 43, which includes parts of west and downtown Louisville and was first elected to the Legislature in 202 ..read more

Morgan McGarvey will replace longtime U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth as Kentucky’s lone Democrat in Congress and says he wants to use his experience to work across the aisle in Washington, D.C.. The outgoing minority leader of the Kentucky Senate will once again be in the minority party after Republicans won narrow control of the House this year. Yarmuth is not seeking reelection to the seat, which he has held since 2006. This year’s race was the first open election for the Louisville-area 3rd Congressional District since 1994. As the state Senate’s Democratic leader, McGarvey has touted his experienc ..read more

Republican State Sen. Ralph Alvarado of Winchester has been appointed commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Health.  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Alvarado’s appointment earlier this week. He will succeed Interim Commissioner Dr. Morgan McDonald and will begin his new position Jan. 16.  In a press release announcing his appointment, Lee called Alvarado “a dedicated public servant.” “Dr. Alvarado’s significant clinical and hospital management experience make him well-positioned to lead the Department of Health, and I appreciate his service to Tennesseans.” Alvarado released hi ..read more

John Y. Brown Jr., Kentucky’s Democratic governor from 1979 until 1983 and a prolific investor in fast food chains, died at age 88 on Thursday. He is known for catapulting the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain into an international brand.  His passing was confirmed in a statement by his family: “Every day was an exciting adventure for him. He was a true Kentucky original who beamed with pride for his home state and its people. He had many prominent accomplishments, but most of all he loved his family with all of his heart, and we in turn loved him with all of our hearts. We are heartbroken by ..read more

Following the defeat of an anti-abortion constitutional amendment in Kentucky, reproductive rights hang in the balance of the state Supreme Court and anti-abortion lawmakers are trying to figure out how to regulate abortion going forward. Some Republicans are mulling whether to introduce a new bill with exceptions to allow abortions in cases of rape and incest. Others aren’t willing to consider any exceptions. Rep. Nancy Tate, a Republican from Brandenburg, said it’s hard to predict what the next session will look like. But she said she wants voters to weigh in on another anti-abortion constit ..read more

A Democratic legislator said the state’s ongoing labor shortage can be relieved by making it easier for refugees to get jobs and transfer work experience from their home countries. Refugees often have to give up using their professional skills when resettling in the United States because of complicated licensure requirements. Several states have created pathways for refugees to continue their careers in the U.S. by transferring qualifications and even professional licenses. But Kentucky is behind, according to Louisville Democratic Rep. Nima Kulkarni, an immigration attorney. During a legislat ..read more

Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell — already the longest serving GOP leader in Senate history — will extend that run for at least another two years after winning against a longshot challenge by Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott to remove him from power. Thirty seven senators voted for McConnell. Scott picked up 10 votes and one senator voted present in a secret-ballot election, according to Indiana Sen. Mike Braun who was one of the senators who counted the final votes. Scott formally launched his bid a day earlier and placed the electoral blame of not gaining enough seats to control th ..read more

Kentucky is easing restrictions on residents who leave the state to access medical marijuana in places where it’s legal. Flanked by a doctor, military veteran and a former federal prosecutor, Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday signed two executive orders aimed at helping those struggling with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. The first would protect Kentuckians who travel to states where medical cannabis been decriminalized. Consumers would have to meet specific conditions like purchasing no more than eight ounces at a time, maintaining a receipt of purchase and having medical docum ..read more

Continued enforcement of Kentucky’s near-total ban on abortion now hangs in the balance of the state Supreme Court. On Tuesday, the high court heard arguments over the state’s “trigger law,” which outlaws abortion except in life-threatening cases, and a separate six-week ban. The American Civil Liberties Union and the state’s two abortion providers, EMW Women’s Surgical Center and Planned Parenthood, filed the lawsuit this summer, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision allowed abortion bans in states like Kentucky go into effect. Abortion rights advocates say the bans violate patients ..read more