Report: Farm bankruptcies rose 24% over past year, growers increasingly depend on federal aid, programs

The Rural Blog “U.S. farm bankruptcies in September surged 24 percent to the highest since 2011 amid strains from President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and a year of wild weather,” Mike Dorning reports for Bloomberg. “Growers are also becoming increasingly dependent on trade aid and other federal programs for income, figures showed in a report by the American Farm…

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Republican lawmaker Nemes proposing bill to legalize medical marijuana, has changed his mind

By Tom Latek Kentucky Today FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – A Republican lawmaker from Louisville is proposing legislation for the 2020 General Assembly that would legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky. Rep. Jason Nemes, whose district includes parts of eastern Jefferson County and Oldham County, introduced similar legislation during the 2019 session, which had 53 bipartisan co-sponsors.…

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Are restrictive voting laws one reason for Kentucky’s often low voter turnout?

Joe Sonka, Louisville Courier Journal Courier Journal’s Joe Gerth drove around the state (1,394 miles) to hear what people thought of the Kentucky governor’s race. Here’s what he found Louisville Courier Journal Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes predicts about 31% of the state’s 3,451,537 registered voters will turn out to cast a ballot on Tuesday. That’s almost identical to…

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Kentucky Distillers Set Modern-Era Record

By ASSOCIATED PRESS Bourbon production flowed at a record pace in Kentucky last year. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association says distilleries filled more than 2.1 million barrels of bourbon in 2018. The state’s inventory of aging spirits reached 9.1 million barrels, mostly bourbon. It’s the highest inventory in the 52 years that records have been kept. It’s…

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Bevin, Maddox Receive Award for Work on Gun Bill

BY MICHON LINDSTROM KENTUCKY FRANKFORT, Ky – Gov. Matt Bevin was recognized for signing a controversial gun law Wednesday. The National Association for Gun Rights presented Bevin and Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, the .50 Caliber Freedom Award for their work passing Senate Bill 150, which allowed constitutional carry in Kentucky. Constitutional carry means no separate permit or…

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