Chapter: Northern Kentucky

Thursday afternoon hundreds gathered at Northern Kentucky University to speak out for more revenue, and to ask legislators to honor the commitments we have made to students across Kentucky.

The crowd began to gather before noon. Members of the broader community included KFTC, the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, and the Northern Kentucky Justice and Peace Committe. However, the majority in attendance were students and faculty who were most likely to be impacted by the new state budget. Many came with signs illustrating issues impacting the NKU community. From rising costs of tuition, a tax structure that hurts lower and middle income Kentuckians, and what the impact of further cuts could mean to universities across the state.

Tonight, on February 26, the Newport City Commission voted unanimously to approve a Syringe Access Exchange! This was the result of concentrated grassroots work lead by Newport residents over the past 5 months.

This past October several Newport residents began attending City Commission meetings to talk about the need for syringe access exchange, often referred to as a needle exchange, in their community. Partnering with Democratic Socialists of America of Metro Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, they began a campaign to build support for the exchange in their community.