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Secretary of State meetings gathering input on election laws

Posted by: Dave Newton on May 9, 2013

35421_1360070120623_1197630007_30870127_3370161_nThe Kentucky Secretary of State's office is setting up a series of town meetings across the state to review and recommend improvements to Kentucky’s election laws.

A few have already happened, but four upcoming meetings are:

• Wednesday, May 22 – Kenton County - 5:30pm at Dixie Heights Highschool

• Monday, June 3 – McCracken County - 12:30pm.  Robert Cherry Civic Center, 2701 Park Avenue, Paducah, KY

• Thursday, June 6th – Jefferson County - 12:30pm.  Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. 6th Street, Louisville, KY

• Thursday, June 20 – Madison County - 5:30pm.  Madison County Extension Office, 230 Duncannon Lane, Richmond, KY

*blog updated on 5/9,  5/20, and 5/30 to reflect shifting times and locations.  See the bottom of the blog entry for more information. 

This could be an excellent time for KFTC members and allies to make the case for changes we would like to see in our democracy - from expanding voting rights to former felons, lengthening voting hours, or limiting the power of corporations and large donors.

As three of these 4 meetings are in KFTC chapter areas, we'd like to encourage our members to come out to them and speak their minds. 

You can say anything you want, but we created a template (adapted from the earlier blue ribbon tax commission hearings) that might help you think through what to say:

Voting Rights featured on Constitution USA on PBS - May 21st

Posted by: Dave Newton on May 9, 2013

gDSC_0448PBS is running a dynamic, interesting, and accessible series about the US Constitution entitled Constitution USA. with new episodes in the series every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. central).  Locally, the program is on KET.

Coming up on May 21st, their episode will include a focus on voting rights for former felons and will include footage from one our last year's Singing For Democracy Gospel Festivals and interviews with KFTC leader Tayna Fogle and others. 

We're excited to see this story reaching a national audience. 

We've not yet gotten to see any footage of the episode, but we encourage you all to tune in on May 21st!

56th District Special Election coming up June 25th

Posted by: Dave Newton on May 9, 2013

IMG_0574Representative Carl Rollins (D) stepped down from his legislative seat a few weeks ago, which covers Woodford County, parts of Franklin County, and a small piece of western Fayette County.   There will be a special election to fill the vacancy. 

The election is set for Tuesday, June 25th and polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  The deadline to register to vote for this election for people who live in the district but are not yet registered is May 28th. 

On the ballot are:

Great resources and videos from Appalachia's Bright Future conference now online

Posted by: KFTC Staff on May 8, 2013

The Appalachia’s Bright Future conference, held in Harlan, KY April 19-22, brought together more than 200 people for conversations about shaping a just transition in eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia.

Appalachia's Bright Future

KFTC is pleased to now make available a large number of videos, presentations, notes, media coverage about the event, suggested next steps, and other documents that were shared or created during the weekend.

The collected information can be found here.

We appreciate all of the speakers, workshop presenters, artists and conference participants who shared stories and provided important information and perspectives. Even a brief review of the conference web pages makes it clear that this was a pretty extraordinary gathering and conversation.

As KFTC chairperson Sue Tallichet said during her opening remarks, “…it is difficult to envision more than a coal-based economy in our region. But I believe we have the opportunity, today, to build a diverse and healthy economy here in the mountains. Eastern Kentucky has many assets. We have a rich culture, an abundance of natural resources, and innovative, serious-minded, hard working people. Those things give us a foundation on which we can build.”

Justin Maxson, president of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, underscored the point. “…if you take anything away from what I say here today, I hope it is this: We know a lot more than we think we know. We have many more assets to build from than we often believe. And despite our many challenges, including rapid changes to our local and regional economy, there are innovative people providing hopeful examples all around us. What we need now is to knit these pieces together with a vision for Appalachian renewal and help grow them to scale.”

KFTC members and many of our allies in the region are spending time this month reflecting on the conference and developing key next steps. We encourage all KFTC members to bring your ideas and questions to the next chapter meeting in your area. You may also leave comments and questions on the conference web pages. And conference participants are invited to join a phone call on May 30th to discuss ways forward.

Together we can build Appalachia’s Bright Future.

Rally at EPA focuses on the value of clean water

Posted by: KFTC on May 8, 2013

KFTC members were among the crowd that rallied Wednesday in front of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, DC, calling for an end to mountaintop removal and protection of the region’s water.

Residents of Central Appalachian states brought with them more than 100 gallons of brown, black and red water that have been collected from water sources in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.

“Sometimes the water runs orange, and you wouldn't want to touch it, much less drink it. But what’s more dangerous is when toxic water from your tap looks and smells totally fine. People sometimes drink it for years without knowing that they’re drinking toxic water and that’s what’s making them sick,” said Josh May of Magoffin County, a member of STAY (Stay Together Appalachian Youth) and KFTC. “We are bringing this water to the EPA as a way of holding them accountable. We’re having them sign for it so that they can formally acknowledge the problems that we’re living with everyday in the mountains."

Week in Washington starts with demand for conductivity rule

Posted by: KFTC on May 7, 2013

KFTC members were part of a multi-state delegation that formally petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin a rule-making process to limit conductivity in the nation’s streams.

The petition was delivered to EPA officials in Washington, DC on Monday. The delegation was in the nation’s capital city as part of the annual Week in Washington, coordinated by the Alliance for Appalachia.

A formal petition was used because the EPA is required to respond. Central Appalachia residents have been asking EPA to begin the rule-making process since a federal court ruled last year that the agency’s conductivity “guidance” was not enforceable.

Prisons won't unlock prosperity in E. Ky.

Posted by: Sylvia Ryerson on May 6, 2013

U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers recently announced major progress for efforts to bring a new maximum-security federal prison to Letcher County, one of the many Eastern Kentucky counties hard hit by the declining coal industry.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons awarded a contract to conduct an environmental impact study on two selected sites. But even as that process moves forward, no funding has yet been allocated for construction of the proposed $250 million to $350 million project.

If built, this will be the fourth new federal prison to come to Eastern Kentucky, and the sixth federal prison built in Central Appalachia, since 1992 — in addition to new state and private prisons. Indeed, in the last quarter-century of skyrocketing incarceration, Central Appalachia has become one of the most concentrated areas of prison growth in the country.

Each prison came with the promise of hundreds of jobs and broad-scale economic growth. So as Letcher County waits, we should ask, what happened in these other prison-host communities. Did the promises come true?

McCreary County, where a federal prison opened in 2004, provides one example.

Northern Kentucky members pull double duty

Members Jesse Byelry, Pamela Dickson, Truman Harris, Emily Spinks, Lauren Gabbard, and Jeff Hampton at the Great American Cleanup
Posted by: Joe Gallenstein on April 30, 2013

On April 27, members of the Northern Kentucky KFTC Chapter split time at two separate tables to help raise awareness about our work across the state.

Homer White's speech at today's Georgetown Non-Discrimination Rally

Posted by: Homer White on April 26, 2013

100_1303Georgetown College has changed for the better in a lot of ways, in the last few years.
- We have a thriving diversity initiative.
- For the past five years we have had written policies in place that prevent discrimination against gay students, and anti-harassment policies that protect people of all sorts.
- Recently we hired our first openly gay faculty members.

So we honestly believed it was a matter of mere housekeeping to extend the College’s nondiscrimination policies for faculty and staff to include such things as sexual orientation.  In April 2012 the faculty approved such a policy for faculty.  This proposal passed with 90% of the vote and a big round of applause.

But last year the Board of Trustees voted down the new policy.  We are here today to ask, in public, that the Board reconsider its decision, and to make the case for our proposal.

Powerful LGBT rights organizing in Georgetown

Posted by: Dave Newton on April 26, 2013

100_1354This afternoon, over 100 Georgetown College students, faculty, staff, alumni, and allies came out to a powerful rally in support of a non-discrimination policy protecting members of their community who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans-gender.

100_1305At a college of just 1,200 students on a Friday just before finals, that's a pretty big deal. 

Throughout the semester, there has been a growing campaign to put pressure on the Georgetown College Board of Trustees since they declined to vote on the policy after the faculty overwhelmingly passed it last year. 

The work has been spearheaded by the Non-Discrimination Work Group on campus, but is supported by many organizations including Kentuckians For the Commonwealth members in Scott County. 

A number of media outlets came today generating stories like this piece from the Herald-Leader. 

You can also find a gallery of other pictures of the rally online here. 

And although the semester is almost over, there's more work to do to pressure the Georgetown College Board of Trustees, including prior to their meeting tomorrow morning. 

Please join us at 8am at East Campus (at the edge of Georgetown College farthest away from downtown or main street - near the Georgetown College football field. ) to hold some signs at Board of Trustees members arrive for their monthly meeting.

Some students are camping out in tents and sleeping bags there over night, but other supporters are invited to join them in the morning.  Can you make it out in solidarity with them?

Also, over 300 people have signed the petition in support of a non-discrimination policy.  If you haven't already, please take two minutes to do it!

Georgetown College Rally 19

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