House health committee chair opposes Thayer’s bill to restrict local syringe exchanges

By JOE SONKA The Republican chair of the House Health and Family Services Committee is speaking out against a billproposed by Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, which would force local health departments with syringe exchanges to operate with a one-for-one model — only dispensing one clean needle for each used needle returned by a patient. Rep. Kim…

KDE to help cover teachers’ college loans

By OLIVIA KRAUTH The Kentucky Department of Education wants to attract more diverse teachers into the field with a new renewable loan forgiveness program. Kentucky residents enrolled in one of the state public universities’ education programs beginning this semester are eligible to apply, department and higher education officials said in a Thursday afternoon announcement. A $1…

Whistleblower Asks Appeals Court To Keep Ky. Lawmakers Out Of Lawsuit

By RYLAND BARTON Lawyers representing two former legislative staffers have asked an appeals court to prevent lawmakers accused of harassment from intervening in their whistleblower lawsuits. Attorney Shane Sidebottom asked the Kentucky Court of Appeals in a motion filed Wednesday to vacate a decision allowing Republican Reps. Jeff Hoover, Michael Meredith and Jim DeCesare to intervene in the…

Kentucky school boards may lose one charter oversight under proposal

By OLIVIA KRAUTH A state advisory council signaled Wednesday that it favored a slight but potentially significant change in charter school oversight. The Charter Schools Advisory Council, which operates under the state department of education, said that it supported a change that, if adopted, would mean that Kentucky school boards might lose approval power over a charter school’s decision…