Jefferson County | Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Chapter: Jefferson County

 

Since the chapter formed in 1983, we have supported and worked with allies on issues that affect you and me, including affordable housing, police abuse, sweat shops, hazardous waste reduction and recycling. Our doors are open to anyone who wants to fight for justice while building a compassionate, connected, and fun community here in our great city. With over 2,500 KFTC members across the County, JCKFTC is an anchor chapter of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. The chapter focuses on three issues: Education Justice, Energy and Climate Justice, and democracy Justice. 

  • You can find JCKFTC members agitating and lobbying the local school board, rallying for trans students, traveling to Capiltal to lobby and rally for education bills that support students, and creating strategies to save education in Kentucky. 
  • RSVP here for KFTC's Education Justice Lobby Day & Rally at the Capital on Tuesday, February 4, 2025
  • RSVP here for KFTC's monthly virtual Statewide Education Justice meetings.
  • Share your voice by taking our digital Education Justice Survey by October 31, 2024.

  • In addition to being part of the Just Transition Coalition, the Jefferson County chapter also has a robust Energy & Climate Justice working group that meets monthly on the 4th Wednesday from 7 - 8 pm EDT. You can RSVP here for our monthly Energy & Climate Justice working group here:

  • JCKFTC members register voters across the County, including at places like Actor’s Theatre, Simmon’s Freedom School, Sarabande Books’ Annual Poetry Carnival, Carmichael’s Bookstore, and more. 


From schools to houses of faith to recovery centers, JCKFTC offers training and presentations on all of our issues. Some of the most requested trainings and presentations are on voting rights restoration, political education, voter registration training, the state of education justice, arts and activism at the intersection of climate and energy justice, and organizing for change. Email us today to begin a conversation about bringing a training or presentation to your group.

You’ll be able to find KFTC’s quarterly newspaper, Balancing The Scales, at various locations, including multiple Heine Brothers Coffee locations, the Old Louisville Coffee Co-Op, Elderserve, Goodwill, the Bishop’s Table, and more. JCKFTC members enjoy reading Balancing The Scales and contributing to the publication. You can find JCKFTC members’ Balancing The Scales articles on the KFTC Blog. 


Each 2nd Monday of the month, from 5 - 7:30 pm, JCKFTC hosts a Chapter Meeting - all are welcome and invited. We begin by sharing a meal & networking for an hour, then spend the remaining 90 minutes discussing our ongoing work & strategizing for a future where all Kentuckians can thrive. We have an average attendance of about 45 - 50 people. This is a life-changing family-friendly event. You can RSVP for a monthly chapter meeting with us here. 

We offer POWER 101, an in-person intro to organizing for change course. This two-hour organizing course covers The Transition Zone, Powerful Questions, the Accountability Pathway, and more. The chapter plans to pilot a virtual option to POWER 101 in early 2025.  
 

You can find all things JCKFTC on our LinkTree.

Recent Activities

ORSANCO work continues, hearings in early April

Joe Gallenstein on March 29, 2019 in Coal and Water, Big Sandy, , Jefferson County, , Northern Kentucky, , Rolling Bluegrass, , Rowan County, , Western Kentucky, Water Quality

For more than a year, KFTC has worked with allies to protect the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission’s (ORSANCO) mission to clean and protect the Ohio River through monitoring and enforcement. This commission, made up of representatives of the federal government and 8 members states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois) of ORSANCO maintains pollution control standards that are higher than the EPA or state enforcement agencies.

While these standards have not solved the Ohio River’s pollution issues, it has made considerable progress since the founding in 1948. Yet some political appointees in ORSANCO want to make these essential standards optional for states to enforce, giving states the ability to ignore damage to our water systems that disproportionately impacts lower income people and people of color across the region.

Water Justice Field Hearing

Joe Gallenstein on February 4, 2019 in Coal and Water, Big Sandy, , Jefferson County, , Northern Kentucky, , Rolling Bluegrass, Climate Justice, , coal ash, , Empower Kentucky, , Leadership Development, , Water Quality

More than 110 people turned out on February 2 to affirm the need for clean and safe drinking water.

LG&E/KU rate case attempts to alter reality

An electric meter in the winter
Steve Wilkins on February 1, 2019 in New Energy and Transition, Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Central Kentucky, , Harlan County, , Jefferson County, Air Quality, , Climate Justice, , Empower Kentucky

Over the past several years, Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) have pushed legislation that would eliminate net metering

Voting Rights work in Louisville over the weekend

Dave Newton on September 8, 2018 in Voting Rights, Kentucky Voting Rights Bill, Jefferson County, featured, , Voter Empowerment

KFTC's members attended today's Rally for Recovery in Louisville, hosted by PAR (People Advocating Recovery).  It's an annual event organized by people in long term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, their families, and friends with the goal of building community and reducing the negative perceptions associated with addiction recovery.  It has been PAR's experience that the road to recovery is filled with obstacles that hinder reintegration into society and one of those obstacles is felony disenfranchisement.  Kentucky is one of just a handful of states where if someone is convicted of a felony, even something not serious enough to warrant one day in jail in some cases, they lose the right to vote for the rest of their lives unless given the right to vote back by a governor's pardon.  

That's not right.  We think that all people should be allowed to vote and at the least, former felons ought to be given the right to vote back after they've served their debty to society.  

KFTC members were on hand at today's event to help people who could to register to vote and we circulated petitions to lawmakers to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society.

In all, we got nearly 300 petition signatures and several voter registrations, plus we connected with several key ally organizations and former felons who are willing to tell their stories to move this issue forward.

20180908_105029

4th Annual Smoketown GetDown for Democracy

Dari’Anne Hudson on October 2, 2017 in Voting Rights, Communities Taking Action, Jefferson County, featured

The cold and chilly weather brought by hurricanes ceased in Louisville the 4th annual Smoketown GetDown for Democracy block party. The energy of friends, neighbors, vendors, and performers were only rivaled by the clear, bright sky. Taking place at the Jefferson County Chapter headquarters of 745 Lampton Street, the block party proved to be another success.

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Louisville has experienced many ups and downs of the current political climate in the nation. Widespread violent crime, threats to undocumented immigrants, continued environmental injustices, and many other issues are evidence of the uphill battle that is present. Yet, hundreds gathered in Smoketown to celebrate gains in affordable housing, community revitalization, and unified organizing efforts across various issues. The Smoketown neighborhood is no different in its successes – it has maintained a strong momentum toward creating a neighborhood where all residents thrive.

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Chapter Feature:

Regular Meetings:

Jefferson County KFTC office
786 Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Monthly Chapter Meeting

Each 2nd Monday of the month, from 5 - 7:30 pm, JCKFTC hosts a Chapter Meeting - all are welcome and invited.

We begin by sharing a meal & networking for an hour, then spend the remaining 90 minutes discussing our ongoing work & strategizing for a future where all Kentuckians can thrive.

We have an average attendance of about 45 - 50 people & folks are welcome to bring a dish to share.

This is a life-changing family-friendly event.

You can RSVP for a monthly chapter meeting with us here.

Chapter Organizer:

Bonifacio Aleman
786 Shelby Street
Louisville, KY 40203

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