Sequestration Cutting Housing Assistance for Thousands of Low-Income Kentuckians
As many as 4,000 fewer low-income Kentucky families will receive rental assistance by the end of 2014 if Congress does not reverse or substantially mitigate the damage done by sequestration to the...
View ArticleCut-off in Unemployment Benefits Would Hurt Thousands of Kentuckians and the...
35,600 long-term unemployed Kentuckians will lose crucial income support in the coming months if Congress does not reauthorize Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), according to a recent report by...
View ArticlePreliminary Forecast Predicts Weakest Revenue Growth Since Recovery Began
Kentucky currently expects to craft its next two-year budget with the least amount of new General Fund revenue it has had since the recovery began. This bad news comes despite passing a revenue bill in...
View ArticleState Must Begin Meeting Responsibility to Teachers' Retirement or Pay More...
The state has not been making full required contributions to Kentucky teachers' retirement since 2009, and the impact of not making those payments has a compounding effect—meaning more costs for...
View ArticlePresentation: Kentucky's Budget Outlook
Kentucky lawmakers will begin assembling what Speaker Greg Stumbo recently called a "destructive" two-year state budget when it reconvenes in January. Current revenue projections suggest the weakest...
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Vast Inequality in Wealth Means Poor School Districts Are Less Able to Rely...
The cuts in state and federal funding for education are hitting Kentucky's school districts hard, and many are raising local taxes in response. However, the same local property tax increase yields over...
View ArticleNew Report Shows Continued Higher Education Gaps for Disadvantaged Students...
The state’s most recent accountability report for higher education—released this week—shows some progress in many areas but big challenges in college affordability and in addressing postsecondary...
View ArticleOfficial Revenue Estimate for Next Budget Slightly Worse than Weak October...
The group of economists charged with predicting how much revenue Kentucky will have in the coming budget cycle approved a very modest revenue forecast for the next budget that’s slightly weaker than...
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Budget Preview Report: Kentucky Faces Choice of Reinvestment or Retrenchment...
Kentucky faces more cuts and continued underinvestment in critical services in the next two-year state budget unless lawmakers generate additional revenue, as outlined in KCEP’s new comprehensive...
View ArticleStatement on Governor Beshear's State of the Commonwealth Address
KCEP Director Jason Bailey released the following statement on Governor Beshear's State of the Commonwealth address:"Governor Beshear rightly focused his speech on the need for more resources to help...
View ArticleOp-Ed: Principles Must Guide Details of Tax Reform Proposal
Governor Beshear announced in his State of the Commonwealth address that he will propose a specific tax reform plan to the General Assembly in the coming weeks. His leadership is welcome and is...
View ArticleGovernor's Austere Budget Gives Small Bump to K-12, Cuts Funding for Many Areas
Governor Beshear's Executive Budget proposal provides a small amount of additional funding to K-12 education but not enough to fully restore the impact of six years of cuts and frozen funding levels....
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Presentation: Kentucky State Budget Briefing
On January 24, KCEP held a State Budget Briefing that included a presentation describing the revenue context of the current budget situation, outlining past budget cuts and including some analysis of...
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Our Commonwealth: A Primer on the Kentucky State Budget
What is the Budget of the Commonwealth? Where does the money come from and for what does it pay? What are the processes by which the budget is made?The answers to these fundamental questions about our...
View ArticleIncreasing Kentucky’s Minimum Wage Would Help One in Four Workers Make Ends Meet
The decline in the real value of the minimum wagefor tipped and non-tipped workers has been contributing to poverty and inequality in Kentucky. Increasing the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, as...
View ArticleIncrease in the Tipped Minimum Wage Is Long Overdue
Stagnant or falling real wages for many Kentucky workers threatens their standard of living and is leading to growing income inequality. One of the causes of inadequate wages is the failure of state...
View ArticleStatement on Governor Beshear’s Tax Proposal
KCEP Director Jason Bailey released the following statement on Governor Beshear’s tax reform plan:“Governor Beshear deserves recognition for bringing forward a specific tax reform proposal for...
View ArticleState EITC Would Help Working Kentuckians Make Ends Meet
A state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is included in Governor Beshear’s tax proposal, would help several hundred thousand of Kentucky’s low- and moderate-income working families make ends...
View ArticleHow Governor's Tax Plan Differs from Tax Commission's Recommendations
Many of the proposals in Governor Beshear’s tax plan come from his Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform. But his plan is also different—it leaves measures out that were included in the commission's...
View ArticleTax Plan Misses Opportunity to Make Overall Tax System Fairer
The combined impact of the tax increases and tax cuts in Governor Beshear's reform proposal would not help improve the regressive nature of Kentucky’s tax system, according to analysis of the plan...
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