So Far, Feds Have Sent 83,000 N95 Masks To Kentucky — But It’s Not Enough
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The governor said the lack of supplies is contributing to the delay in testing for the coronavirus and creating danger for healthcare workers.
Unemployment Insurance: How It Works And How To Apply
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Note: This story has been updated to reflect changes since it was originally published on March 18. The coronavirus pandemic has left many in Kentucky jobless, and many more will lose their jobs in the coming weeks. Researchers at the Federal Reserve’s St. Louis district estimate the unemployment rate could hit 32 percent due to the coronavirus. But access to unemployment insurance has been greatly expanded for those who have lost their jobs to help ease the burden.
Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order on March 25, expanding unemployment eligibility to workers not typically covered by the program, including the self-employed, independent contractors, freelance workers, substitute teachers and childcare workers employed by religious groups and nonprofits.
Government
State To Halt Wage Garnishment, Driver’s License Revocations, Other Financial Levies
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The governor announced the measure in response to financial uncertainty, as the coronavirus spreads through Kentucky.
Business
Insult To Injury: State Adds 32% When It Collects UK Medical Debt
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Kristin Hurst walked into the Kentucky lottery office in Lexington in May of last year expecting to claim a $1,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Instead, the lottery employee told Hurst there was a red flag on her account. From the parking lot, she made a nervous call to her fiancé. It was his ticket she was trying to cash in, but something was wrong. She had to go to the main Kentucky lottery office to find out what.
coronavirus
Kentucky Public Health Lab Has Faced Underfunding, Turnover In Recent Years
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The lab services division “has been forced to shift focus on funding salaries and fringe benefits to ensure competent lab staff, rather than equipment, supplies and training,” budget documents said.
2020
Coronavirus Spread May Test Already Troubled Kentucky Nursing Homes
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Kentucky nursing homes have the third highest rate of serious deficiencies per facility in the country.
Featured in Category
Beshear Administration Ends Records Appeal, Will Pay KyCIR’s Legal Fees
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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration has agreed to settle public records lawsuits filed by two state cabinets against the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. The settlements mark the end of a legal struggle that began in November 2017, when KyCIR requested six years of sexual harassment complaints through Kentucky’s Open Records Act, which gives the public the right to access records kept by the state government.
Under the previous administration of Gov. Matt Bevin, the Labor and Finance and Administration cabinets sought to keep sealed the names of state employees who were accused of sexual harassment in cases where an internal investigation didn’t substantiate the allegations. The terms of the settlement will require the state to pay KyCIR about $53,000 in legal fees and release the unredacted versions documents sought by KyCIR, according to KyCIR’s attorney Jon Fleischaker.
“The public has a right to know what their government is doing, and KyCIR will always fight for that right,” Louisville Public Media President Stephen George said in an email. “I applaud the Beshear administration’s acknowledgement of the transparency that state law requires.”
Louisville Public Media is the parent company of KyCIR. Most state agencies complied with KyCIR’s initial 2017 request for documents related to sexual harassment allegations against state employees, although the transparency of their responses varied.