Kentucky Politics: The Surreal and The Absurd

You know, there's a lot of jokes made about Kentucky, most of them are a bit stereotypical or biased, but, there are a few which still ring true. I think the best and truest joke about Kentucky comes from America's own "bard", Samuel Clemens, better known as "Mark Twain" who allegedly said " when the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky because it's always twenty years behind the times".

 Now whether or not Mark Twain actually said that about Kentucky (which is the place the quote is usually attributed to), it's pretty accurate. Kentucky is usually rather slow and backwards when it comes to a number of things. Now, perhaps its' because Kentucky is a poor state and like to go with what they know, or because it's a conservative state and the people there just don't like a lot of change in general; they want to keep the slower, laidback, and friendly small town atmosphere, and who can blame them? Kentucky is a friendly place, but it's also a "mind your business" place too. Family and friends are all pretty tight knit.

There are a few exceptions, such as Louisville, which pretends to be a big city ("Louisville International Airport" with no international flights or "Louisville International Convention Center" with few or any international conventions, etc) but in reality is just a large, slightly Southern, country town. It's also a pretty cliquish town too, with a few individuals and groups pretty much calling the shots when it comes to politics and business. 

Louisville boasts a single newspaper, which was once a decent newspaper if you can stand to read through its Left wing rhetoric. At Derby time (the Kentucky Derby, the first Saturday of May), Louisville transforms into a full blown "Southern town" as it claims its two minutes of the national spotlight before nodding off again (I swear, I hear more drawls than I ever hear any other time of the year coming from locals). Of course, the Derby used to be a big ole hometown community event with folks renting out their yards for parking, selling t-shirts, homemade cookies, drinks, and holding street parties. That's largely all gone now. The Derby has gone "corporate".

Locally, its often used as a metaphor as a requirement to line birdcages, wrapping fish (left side up naturally), or for puppy training. The other media, such as TV and radio, tend to lean left as well, so if you're looking for conservative or balanced news, this isn't the best place to find it (WDRB-41 is probably the closest you'll come to "balanced and fair"). Of course, there are exceptions and few beacons of non-partisan or conservative news here and there (a friend of mine, Ed Springston, has a popular conservative talk radio show---"The Ed Springston Show" on Blogtalk Radio for instance), and of course, yours truly who tries to keep it non-partisan and honest.

Politically speaking, Kentucky is a pretty conservative state, even among Democrats. Heck, I've known Republicans from other states who were more liberal than some of the Democrats I've met over my 40+ years of political and community activism. Some of the more liberal "hotspots" have been in places like Lexington (home of the University of Kentucky), the Newport area (which is close to Cincinnati), and of course, Louisville (or rather, parts of Louisville.

 The southwest portion of Jefferson County, where Louisville is locate, and along the southern part of the county---Okolona and Fern Creek---are fairly conservative). Bowling Green and Paducah are also on the liberal side, and I guess you can include Frankfort, the state capital, too.

Kentucky's Democratic politics is dominated by the state party. Even in Louisville, which used to have a strong local party, the state party calls the shots and will often work against the local party when it comes to issues or candidates. I suspect that's pretty true across the state, especially in the more rural counties. 

On the Republican side, the state GOP is pretty strong, although the local parties seem to have more clout than the local Democrat parties, except in Louisville, which essentially lacks a strong party organization and is often considered a "East end clique" (the "East end" is where the upper middle class, wealthy and local ruling elites tend to live. For those living west of I-65, which is more working class, racially diverse, and/or poor, it's occasionally viewed as "derogatory" term).

Nevertheless, the local GOP party is often viewed as focused on East end issues and maintaining the status quo sans those west of I-65. I recall that when I ran for state representative at the behest of the state and local party, they actually worked against me after they reached a deal with my Democrat opponent. 

I thought it was a fluke, until I heard the same thing from a number of other candidates! Yet, we still get the projects no one else wants going to parts of downtown Louisville or in southwest Jefferson County. As an aside, myself and a few others fought for years to organize the southwest part of the county to keep this from happening. "Our" local newspaper accused me of "Balkanizing" the county while the power elites worked very hard to shut us down, including what many would consider some questionable elections.

Oh well, you live and learn...and don't forget (a dear friend of mine used to speak of the two corporate owned parties as essentially two mafia families who fight over turf and spoils, but always come together to protect their mutual interests and keep out the true reformers, and I was apparently seen as a "true reformer" and thus blacklisted) . Anyway, I believe other local GOP parties are more independent further out in the state, although I've often heard that some were fairly disorganized. 

However, several have shown some remarkable improvements---complements to their new party chair people and executive boards! Nevertheless, both parties have made it virtually impossible for Independents and third parties to challenge their iron grip on elections, including prohibiting referendums and requiring obscenely high restrictions to qualify for getting on a ballot.

Speaking of the two political "mafia families", there are a couple of recent stories which you all may enjoy which reflects both the stereotypical backwards nature of Kentucky which is reflected in some of the selected...I mean "elected"...politicians Kentucky has. The first concerns medical marijuana. 

Now before we go any further, I want you to know that I fully support the legalization of marijuana in general, but in particular medical marijuana as a substitute for the more dangerous and addicted pain medications now being prescribed (not to mention all the many other conditions it's been shown to successfully treat). To me, this is just common sense, and polls consistently show that it make good sense to the majority of not just Kentuckians, but to Americans in general.

Well, this issue recently came up in the (I'm not sure if I should insert "august" or "aghast" here) Kentucky Legislature. There has been several Kentucky State Representatives (notably Rep. Perry Clark, D-37) who've been working for many years to make medical marijuana legal, along with a number of other individuals with a wide variety of medical problems, and various organizations (especially veteran groups). 

Of course, there are those with deep pockets who would like to see any type of legalization from happening, especially until they can figure out how to get a piece of the action. These are the types who put their interests first, regardless of what's good for anybody else. These are the people who usually pull the strings.

Kentucky House Bill 166 offered relief for those individuals, and the thousands and thousands of others who, because of increasingly draconian laws, are making difficult for individuals to obtain relief from chronic pain (sadly, many have turned to heroin or other, often more serious drugs, for relief and, as a result, have become involved in all sorts of crime). Leave it to the government to try and "fix" a problem by creating more and worse problems. The bill's main sponsor was Democrat John Sims of Flemingsburg. Going in, this bill looked like a "no brainer" and seemed destined to get out of committee without issue.

Rep. Jason Nemes, R-33 from Jefferson/Oldham counties, moved to pass over the bill; promising to work out "compromise" language concerning some previsions he opposes, resulting the bill being shelved for now. "For now" in the world of politics can be a damn long time, especially for people suffering from severe chronic pain.

 Ironically, Rep Tom Burch, a Democrat from Louisville, said that while he expected Kentucky would eventually legalized medical marijuana, he also predicted that Kentucky would be last state in the nation to do so. Amen Tom, and you're in good company with Mark Twain too! As an aside, of the bill's 22 sponsors, three were Republicans (Reps. Jim Gooch, Gary Herald, and Bill Wells); the rest were all Democrats. Just saying.

The other bill that I want to mention, and seems to illustrate the stereotype backwardness of Kentucky through its Legislature, is Kentucky Senate Bill 48, which will prohibit children from getting married. Yelp, you read that right. The bill would ban individuals under 17 years of age from getting married, unless there is some mitigating reason---and approved by a judge and with parental approval if they are 16 or younger). 

Apparently, there has been an issue about little kiddies getting married! Seriously. I can't imagine anyone anywhere at any time agreeing to allow their 13 or 15 or even 16 year old son or daughter to get married. However, a hearing on the bill's merits brought out individuals who testified about being sexual abused at 12 or 13 years old, and later forced to marry their abuser at 16 (some mentioned that their parents were married at 15 or 16, or younger). So, since this has apparently been an issue, do they set at the kid's table or do they get to set at the adult's table...with booster seats? What about bed time---any curfews? Inquiring minds you know!

Fortunately, the bill made it out of committee and will move on, but not without some serious debate. Apparently there was a "language" issue concerning parental responsibilities for those under 17 which was too vague and needed clarification according to the conservative Family Foundation. The matter was addressed through an amendment to the bill clarifying the rights of the parents. The bill was sponsored by Republican, Julie Adams of Louisville and shepherded by fellow Republican Whitey Westerfield of Hopkinsville, the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman. The bill had five sponsors, three of whom were Republican and two were Democrat.

Now, Kentucky is trying to get ahead of the problems it created. Both of these bills illustrate Kentucky's politics, and in a broader sense, Kentucky itself. Kentucky has a serious drug problem, especially when it comes to abuse of opioids, as well as other drugs such as crack, alcohol, meth, and tobacco. Of late, Kentucky has cracked down on opioid prescriptions (especially "over-prescribing") in order to get a handle on the problem. However, like many (if not most) government "help", it's caused more of problem than it's solved.

As a result, there are more restrictions on doctors, insurance companies, and even producers of opioids. Many doctors have simply stopped prescribing pain killers, or greatly restricted the strength they'll write for and/or for the duration of the prescription. Who knew that state legislators were such medical experts they could over-ride medical professionals? 

By making it harder to obtain pain killers, it has made many (legitimate and illegitimate) users turn to other, more dangerous drugs, such as meth, crack, heroin, and it's getting worse as the government crackdown continues. This, in turn, has resulted in a increase in crime, demand for treatment (and often repeatedly treatments), not to mention deaths which are sometimes incorrectly attributed to the opioids instead of the underlining factors such as being forced to turn to other addictive substances due to the current restrictions.

The solution, as least for many, was medical marijuana which grows plentifully in Kentucky (as an aside, Kentucky was a top producer of industrial hemp back in the 40's and earlier---when it was legal). It's all natural with little care or harmful pesticides required. Kentucky has the perfect soil and climate for it. With the decline for tobacco, the state's primary legal crop, Kentucky farmers need to a new "money" crop. Hemp, whether for industrial or recreational use, fits the bill perfectly. It would also pump millions of new tax revenue into the state's dusty coffers. So my question to those Legislators who opposed this is, quite simply, "what the hell were you thinking?"

As for Kentucky Senate Bill 48, I don't know what to say (which is rare). I mean, here we are in 2018---the 21st Century---and we're discussing child brides? C'mon, this is Kentucky (a little slow I admit), but heck, it's not some Middle Eastern or third world country for Pete's sakes! Yet, here we are, with the whole wide world watching, as we debate the legality of children getting married! 

 I don't know how or why this is even a topic to be honest. Frankly, I would have thought that this issue would have been addressed before 1918, not 2018. All the same, kudos to Rep. Adams and other sponsors for stepping up to the plate. Now, we've just got to get pass the issues of proper dental care, wearing shoes and marrying first cousins! Anyone up for another sponsoring a bill?



Kentucky medical marijuana bill shelved by House committee

Medical marijuana bill gets more testimony, but no vote Tuesday


Kentucky Senate Hears Bill to End Child Marriage

Bill to outlaw child marriage in Kentucky passes Senate committee

New Laws Set To Take Effect in 2018: From The Serious To The Absurd

The last addition of Another Opinion was one of our usual retrospectives; A look back at some of the issues that we covered over the past year, which I hope you all enjoyed. Now, I would like to take a look at some of the laws which were passed in 2017 and go into effect this year (some already have taken effect as of January 1, 2018). Some of these new laws are practical and actually make sense while several are just downright bizarre. Overall, the trend seems to be more authoritarian; more power to the state and less from you and me, which I find deeply disturbing.

Then again, I guess that's to be expected since we are no longer the democratic or constitutional republic that our forefathers intended us to be. While we were busy with our "smart phones", video games, and so-called "reality" television shows, and worried about how to pay for the rising utility bills, making sense of the fake news, the artificial divisions manufactured for us by our corporate overlords, or keeping our jobs, we became a de facto Oligarchy; a plutocracy with a ever expanding police/surveillance state. Nevertheless, let's take a look at some of the new laws which legislatures around the country claim are designed to make our lives better.

In the Sunshine State of Florida, minimum wage will go up by 15 cents (it will increase in 17 other states too). Which is good in the short term since, as most people know, employers will offset the increase by raising prices which ultimately will put minimum wage earners back in the same boats. Also, some employers may be forced to lay off employees, which will then shift their work onto the remaining employees. So, like most things, it's a double edge sword. Under Florida House Bill 437, the Office of Financial Regulation is prohibited from releasing personal information of customers and shareholders (which is almost always a good thing in my opinion). However, this applies only to new entities known as "international trusts" or "qualified limited service affiliates" (something about this sounds like it's for people with deep pockets and not ordinary individuals).

In the Bluegrass State of Kentucky, the legislature has been quite busy. House Bill 195, which is a modification of the requirements for a GED, allows for the creation of college and/or career "readiness" tracks. While I think that great, the emphasis here should be on trade schools. The reason is multifold. Not everyone is "college material". While a two year associate degree will typically get you an entry level job, those seeking a four year bachelor degree can expect coming out with a substantial debt that may take decades to pay off, and still may not do better than a slightly better entry level job. However, most of the trades are facing shortages (in some cases, critical shortages) so there's nearly a guaranteed job waiting at the end of the line. The pay (and usually the benefits) are much better, the "school-to-job" turnaround is much shorter with a lot less debt (in some cases, little or none), plus it's a skill that applies anywhere.

Kentucky Senate Bill 129 allows for the designation of "lay caretakers" for the purpose of any post-hospital care for any designated individual 18 or older. However, this applies to only to any non-medical care and not to specific medical care such as certain injections, changing IV bags, or other treatment which may require a trained professional. On a related matter, House Bill 74 permits ordinary vehicles to have only "white" headlights (other than certain halogen lights which produces a slight bluish light). The reason is to help people distinguish between emergency vehicles and regular cars and trucks. I didn't know this was problem! You would expect people would know the difference between a truck or car and a ambulance, fire truck, or police car. Perhaps those people shouldn't be driving. What do you think?

Kentucky HB 277 allows individuals to serve on local school boards if they have a close relative such as aunt, uncle, a brother or sister-in-law, etc working for the same local school system. I guess that's a good bill. Apparently there has been a shortage in finding people to run for the school board (certainly qualified and competent individuals have been in short supply). On the other hand, Kentucky has a very powerful teacher's union which these same relatives likely belong. So, do you think there would be any chance of familial collusion or pressure on certain issues? Nah...this is Kentucky after all!

Speaking of schools and teaching, SB 117 will now allow all veterans with a four year or better degree to teach our every polite and respectful students in elementary and secondary school provided that their academic major is in the area they are applying to teach in. Personally, I think this is a great idea. I taught at the undergraduate and graduate level for several years and thoroughly enjoyed it (of course, I had some really inquisitive students). It was hard work, the hours long, and while the pay sucked, it was intellectually and emotionally rewarding.

However, I just don't have the patience or temperament to deal with undisciplined or smart mouthed kids or the little ones in grade school. But I can see where military trained and disciplined men and women can have a huge impact. There is also a severe shortage of teachers (especially good teachers). While the benefits are great, the pay has always been pretty bad---too much going to the infrastructure--and the hoops teachers have to jump through border on the insane. Nevertheless, hiring former military personnel is good thing for all concerned in the long run (personally, I think former Marines should get a preference in hiring. Semper Fi and Hooyah!).

Nevada joined several other states in creating a anti-opioid abuse program. Under the law, painkillers can't be prescribed for than 14 days even for acute and/or long term pain. Patients will have to return to either their doctor or hospital for additional medication. The bill also monitors who issues the pain medication and how often it's filled (this is similar to Kentucky HB 333 which also goes into effect in 2018). I understand the need to monitor and control the use and abuse of pain medication, however, legislators need to understand that not everyone who takes painkillers are wild eyed junkies. Most are people who suffer from chronic pain for one reason or another. This is not by their choice. By the time these individuals reach this point, they've gone through all the other alternative. This isn't the option of first or even second or third choice.

What bills like this do is make it more difficult for people who have a legitimate need for the medication to control or at least manage the pain which can, for some, be almost unbearable. What these legislators will ultimately succeed in doing is driving people to drink and/or do hard drugs. The fault, and the consequences, will be theirs and theirs alone. If they insist on punishing the good with the bad, then they have a civic and moral obligation to provide a realistic alternative such as legalizing marijuana, which has been shown to alleviate pain (even chronic pain). Anything less is simply morally criminal.

Another new law in Nevada is one that gives all non-violent offenders an opportunity to apply for local and state government jobs (of course, they need to be careful of corrupting influences. I also presume the new law also exempts these individuals from associating with known criminals). Another new law requires insurance companies to provide women with access to contraceptives without having a co-pay. Insurance company now must cover up to one year's worth of birth control. The new laws requires insurance companies to cover mammograms and HPV vaccinations. Employers will be required to provided workers up to 160 hours leave to any employee or immediate family member who has been the victim of domestic abuse.

Lastly, under the category of "WTH?", a new Nevada laws prohibits forced "conversions" of individuals who are gay or lesbian by mental health officials. According to the law, these so-called "professionals" could attempt to change the sexual orientation of anyone who identifies as other than heterosexual-- I'm not sure I want to know how. I do wonder though, if these same individuals claim to be bi-sexual, did these mental health professionals charge half price?

In Pennsylvania, residents will now be allowed to purchase "consumer" grade fireworks. No more C4 or dynamite for them! Apparently "consumer" grade fireworks includes handheld sparklers, caps, and display type fireworks, which I presume include Roman candles, Starbursts, etc. residents will also have to pay a hefty 12% sales tax too. Now that should cause a fireworks all its own! The law also says that the fireworks can only be used on private property with permission of the owner. It goes on to prohibit fireworks being shot in or from a vehicle, shot at a car or individual (seriously? They shouldn't even be allowed to play with matches or lighters).

In California, individuals now only be allowed to purchase ammunition from a licensed vendor. No more purchases of 9mm, .45, .38, .22 caliber or 12 gauge ammo from your friendly neighborhood drug dealer on the corner. So much for entrepreneurism! On the plus, school officials will now to get to decide whether or not school staff may be armed while on school grounds. No word about the students. Those convicted of "hate crimes" (which includes calling someone by the wrong gender pronoun), includes loss of 2nd Amendment rights for up to ten years (Assembly Bill 725). Another new law set to take effect will make legal to sell pot, up to one ounce, to anyone 21 years old and older. No more doctor's prescription! Also, residents will no longer have make a gender decision on any ID type documentation, which I'm sure comes as big relief for some.

A new law in Colorado requires "authorities" to report any teen texting of students exchanging sexually explicit photos, even if they're doing so consensually (presumably this includes photos sent to or from teachers as well). There's a pretty big fine for doing so, which I imagine that only the students could afford to pay. In Washington DC and Rhode Island, employers will be require to provide paid sick leave to employees. New Yorkers will now be eligible for paid family leave; eventually receiving up to 12 weeks of paid family leave.

Iowa and West Virginia join a growing number of states in requiring a photo ID in order to vote ( after all, you have to show a photo ID for just about everything else right? But don't worry, microchipping is on its way and so soon you and your pet can have matching chips). After having a similar law tossed out in 2014, Texas has modified their law to require anyone wanting to vote without an ID to swear under oath that they were unable to obtain a photo ID in time (and we know that no one ever lies under oath right?). In South Carolina it's now illegal to own a exotic pet (unless you are a zoo; working in one doesn't count), so kiss that boa constrictor for your mother-in-law goodbye. Those who already own an exotic pet with be grandfathered in...with additional restrictions.

That brings us to Illinois, which has made Barack Obama's birthday, August 4th, a state holiday. Officials weren't able to determine if the gunfire following the announcement was in celebration or another gang fight. As an aside, the holiday is "commemorative" only, so unlike Obama, no one is getting off. Finally, the Volunteer State, Tennessee, has now made it legal for barbers (and presumably other stylists) to make house calls. I honestly did not realize this was a serious issue in Tennessee. I have to wonder if Dolly Parton or those Elvis impersonators in Memphis lobbied for this?



New Florida Laws To Take Effect in 2018


New Laws Go Into Effect Thursday in Kentucky


New laws take effect in Nevada in 2018


New Laws set to take effect in 2018? Here's A Brief Tour of State Laws Now In Effect


What's New In 2018