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For Land's Sake

Dave Newton on January 23, 2013 in Coal and Water, Northern Kentucky

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Ride the Big Bus from East KY to Frankfort for I Love Mountains Day!

Tanya Turner on January 23, 2013 in , Kentucky River, I Love Mountains Day

Hazard stop!

I love Mountains 2011Back by popular demand this year, Tootie (driver) and the infamous charter bus out of Neon, KY will be delivering East Kentuckians to I Love Mountains Day on Thursday, Feb. 14th!  Grab all the friends and family you can find and get to one of the 4 pick-ups along HWY 15 and the Parkway.  The bus will be pulling out at:

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MLK Events in Lexington and Georgetown

Dave Newton on January 22, 2013 in Voting Rights, Central Kentucky, , Rolling Bluegrass, Voter Empowerment

gDSC_0772This weekend, KFTC members took part in powerful Martin Luther King Jr. marches and programs in Lexington and Georgetown, respectively.

We marched with allies, talked to elected officials, and publicized upcoming events, but mostly used the space to reflect on and celebrate King's legacy and the legacy of the Civil Rights movement. 

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East KY Citizen Lobby Training

Tanya Turner on January 21, 2013 in , Big Sandy, , Kentucky River

Despite snowy roads and widespread sickness, over a dozen east Kentucky members attended a Citizen Lobby Training at Hindman Settlement School this past weekend.  The training brought out folks from 5 counties, some with decades of lobbying experience along with people who’ve never lobbied or never even been to Frankfort.  

Long time member Patty Amburgey, of Letcher County, shared several experiences and pointers from her years of lobbying in Frankfort.

“Everyone should go learn how bills are made and visit elected officials and hear about what they think,” Patty told folks at the meeting. She went on to talk about how her experiences have changed over the years:

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Join movement to overturn Citizens United, corporate control of government

Dave Newton on January 21, 2013 in Economic Justice, Central Kentucky, Voter Empowerment

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Reposted from yesterday's Herald-Leader - an op-ed by Herbert Reid and Richard Knittel - who are (amongstother things) KFTC members from Lexington and Versailles, respectively. 

 

One valuable scholarly study of the right to vote states "despite its pioneering role in promoting democratic values, the United States was one of the last countries in the developed world to attain universal suffrage."

The same study reminds us that it was the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. that brought "the abolition of almost all remaining restrictions on the right to vote."

On Monday, American citizens will see another anniversary of the unfortunate 2010 Supreme Court decision (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission) bringing an unprecedented flood of money into our electoral process.

This year, the anniversary coincides with the national day honoring the civil rights movement's greatest leader.

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Scott County Update

Dave Newton on January 15, 2013 in , Rolling Bluegrass

gIMG_2552KFTC Members in Scott County have continued to do great local work late last year and for these first few weeks of 2013.

Late last year, we had a great Arty Pie Party fundraiser hosted by Rosanne Fitts Klarer and Tim Klarer that brought out over 70 people and brought in over $2,000 in grassroots fundraising work – in addition to just being a lot of fun. 

We’ve also gotten involved in a campaign led by Georgetown College students and faculty to adopt a nondiscrimination policy with regards to sexual orientation.  Despite a strong and thoughtful recommendation from the faculty, the Board of Trustees has declined to adopt the policy and KFTC members are helping people at the college to develop a strategic analysis of the campaign and plan next steps.

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Voting Rights Update and a Shifting Senate

Dave Newton on January 15, 2013 in Voting Rights, Kentucky Voting Rights Bill, Voter Empowerment

Voting Rights RallyHouse Bill 70, KFTC’s proposed constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to most former felons who have served their debt to society, has typically passed the state House overwhelmingly – with as many as 84 and as few as 70 of the hundred representatives voting yes and broad bipartisan support. 

Where we’ve consistently hit a snag is in the Senate – where Senate President David Williams, State and Local Government Committee Chairman Damon Thayer, and a few other leaders, have prevented HB 70 from coming to a vote. 

But this year, a lot has shifted in the Senate.

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Remembering James Snyder

Dave Newton on January 15, 2013 in Voting Rights, Rolling Bluegrass, Voter Empowerment

Scott County KFTC member, former felon spokesperson, and KFTC voter empowerment strategy team member James Snyder passed away in his sleep suddenly earlier this month.

We interviewed James in balancing the scales and on this blog last year as part of a series of interviews with former felons struggling to get their right to vote back. 

He served in the army for 9 years, was politically active all of his life, but amongst other things, James had a felony in his distant past.  That didn’t keep him from voting where he lived in Illinois, but he returned to Kentucky to take care of his parents and so he wasn’t allowed to vote.

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Growing Appalachia preparations

Kristi Kendall on January 12, 2013 in New Energy and Transition, Just Transition, Big Sandy

Growing Appalachia is a day-long conference hosted by the Floyd County chapter with workshops from beginning organic gardening to do-it-yourself energy efficiency. This year's conference will be our 4th and is sure to be the best yet. Last year, attendees asked for food preservation workshops, so this year, our very own Beverly May is rolling up her sleeves and dragging out her canning jars.

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Coal company pollutes, Beshear gives them an award

KFTC on January 9, 2013 in Coal and Water, Enforcement, Big Sandy, Mine Safety

On Tuesday, the Beshear administration gave Laurel Mountain Resources an award for "outstanding reclamation work," which in this case means what once was part of the most diverse hardwood forest in North America has been planted in hay.

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