News of KFTC and our issues
Congress should make good on debts to coal country. Now.
March 21, 2018
Congress should renew a tax on coal companies that supports medical treatment for miners disabled by black lung and expires at the end of this year. A vicious resurgence of the incurable disease gives lawmakers little choice.
Anti-solar bill hurts Kentucky’s energy future. It’s also a case of dirty politics.
March 16, 2018
The anti-solar energy bill that was narrowly passed by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate illustrates two weaknesses in Kentucky’s civic character: We try to cling to the past, and we tolerate dirty politics.
House Bill 227 was written by electric utilities to protect their monopolies by discouraging Kentuckians from installing solar panels on their homes.
16 coal-county leaders implore McConnell to move RECLAIM Act
March 15, 2018
Congress has pending before it the opportunity to provide a $1 billion boost to the local economies struggling with the decline of the coal industry.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has the power to make this a reality for hundreds of Kentucky families looking for the means to make a decent living and stay in the Kentucky communities they call home.
That’s why we — and 14 other county judge-executives across the state — sent a letter to McConnell imploring him to see that the RECLAIM Act becomes law soon.
Eastern Kentucky can have a future; Mitch McConnell holds one of the keys.
March 13, 2018
I operate a small business based in Clay County that reclaims abandoned coal mines.
Not just Kentucky: This week, we saw the real agenda behind pension push.
February 15, 2018
Corporations have spent four decades taking traditional pensions away from most American workers. Now they and their allies want to do the same to school teachers and other public employees.
Bevin's Medicaid changes actually mean Kentucky will pay more to provide health care
February 14, 2018
Gov. Matt Bevin's complex plan to reshape the state Medicaid program actually will cost Kentucky more to provide health coverage to people affected by the Medicaid changes than if the state did nothing.
Against energy subsidies? Lawmakers complaining about solar should dig into this.
February 9, 2018
If legislators want to complain about solar subsidies, maybe they need to take a fresh look at coal subsidies. Commission an independent economist to add up all the costs and benefits to the state budget of coal, gas, oil, solar and other energy technologies and compare them. If we’re going to subsidize anything, maybe it should be the future and not the past.
Bevin promised to turn ‘sacred cow’ tax breaks into ‘hamburger.’ Where’s the beef?
February 8, 2018
In his State of the Commonwealth address a year ago today, Gov. Matt Bevin boldly proclaimed that he and the new Republican-controlled General Assembly would turn some “sacred cows” into “hamburger.”
Climate change pushes LG&E's parent company to slash coal-burning in Kentucky
February 7, 2018
The parent of Kentucky's two large utilities – LG&E and KU – has ordered a major reduction in emissions blamed for global warming by eliminating "the bulk" of its coal-burning in the coming years.
Will GOP let utilities crush solar (and 1,200 jobs) in Kentucky? This could get ugly.
February 5, 2018
You would think after the sexual harassment scandal involving former Speaker Jeff Hoover and three other colleagues, House Republicans would not want to bring more embarrassment upon themselves. But you would be wrong.
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