Connect with us

News from the South - Kentucky News Feed

House bill would hurt efforts to remediate lead hazards in Louisville

Published

2 months ago

on

kentuckylantern.com – Tom FitzGerald – 2025-02-25 23:04:00

House bill would hurt efforts to remediate lead hazards in Louisville

by Tom FitzGerald, Kentucky Lantern
February 26, 2025

In Metro Louisville, after extensive input from the public, including landlords and health officials, Metro Council adopted an ordinance in 2022 that took effect in December 2024, requiring residential rental properties be screened for lead hazard and that identified hazards be corrected. The ordinance creates a registry of residential rental properties and their compliance status. Based on the age of the residential unit, a lead hazard screening and control would be required in one, two, or three years.

Lead poisoning is one of the most pernicious and avoidable of child health hazards. Yet opponents of the Louisville ordinance requiring residential rental properties be screened for lead hazard and the hazards corrected before leasing them, have found an apparently sympathetic ear in the sponsors of House Bill 173, a bill that would preempt any local government from maintaining a registry of residential rental properties for any purpose, including lead hazard assessment and correction.

The intent of HB 173 seems clear – local government should not be allowed to require a landlord holding out rental property for human habitation, to assess and correct lead hazards, and to list the property and its compliance status on a registry.

Although banned for residential use in 1978, EPA estimates that some 31 million pre-1978 houses still contain lead-based paint, and 3.8 million of them have one or more children under the age of 6 living in them.  Lead-contaminated dust is one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in kids and commonly occurs when lead-based paint deteriorates or is disturbed. Due to normal behaviors such as crawling and hand-to-mouth activities, young children are particularly at risk of higher exposure to ingesting lead-containing dust. Lead exposure can pose a significant health and safety threat to children and can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including behavioral problems, lower IQ, slowed growth and more. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, and no beneficial, therapeutic, or non-consequential level of lead in a child, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes.  And the effects of lead poisoning on children are irreversible.  Once measurable blood lead levels are detected, the injury has already occurred.

Lead was banned in paint in 1978, yet 47 years later, we are still grappling with the legacy of the harm to children from its past use in residential housing. In Metro Louisville alone, it is reported that 10,000 children tested positive for elevated blood lead levels from 2005-2021.

Every single day that passes where a rental property contains a lead hazard that has not been detected and corrected (both of which can be accomplished at reasonable cost in most cases), we are risking further exposure of children, including infants, to the easily preventable yet irreversible health hazards of lead poisoning.

No one holding out pre-1978 properties for residential rental should be allowed to ignore the potential risk of lead-based paint hazards. No child should be exposed to the risk of a life of diminished health and opportunity from lead hazards.  The Kentucky House of Representatives appears poised to move forward a bill to preempt the local registry unless the ordinance is weakened this week. The threat of preemption appears to be working, since on Thursday evening Metro Council will consider an ordinance to eliminate the requirement that owners proactively test and remedy lead hazards in all residential rental units.  For fear of preemption, some in Metro Council appear ready to acquiesce, using the anemic argument that “something is better than nothing.”  Assessment and correction of lead hazards in pre-1978 private residential rental units would be required under the revised ordinance only after a code enforcement inspection detects potential lead hazard.

Let us be clear here. “Something,” in this case, is not a responsible compromise. Agreeing to allow more lead poisoning of kids by letting residential landlords off the hook for testing and correcting lead hazards in all pre-1978 rental units in a timely manner; and instead requiring assessment and correction only after a complaint or where a test shows that child to have been damaged by lead poisoning, is indefensible.  It is not a compromise. It is a capitulation under duress to which neither the General Assembly nor the Metro Council should be party.  Kentucky’s kids deserve better.

The majority in our state legislature claim to favor local control.  After working with local governments for 45 years, on hazardous waste, air quality, solid waste management, planning and zoning, and other issues affecting public health and quality of life, I believe that local officials are closest to the community, and are usually best suited to craft strategies to improve and protect public health and quality of life. During my 45 years as a lobbyist, I testified before numerous legislative committees, and helped to author reforms in solid and hazardous waste, mining regulation, and utility regulation.  During that time, the importance of local authority in matters of public health and quality of life, was usually respected.

Yet the General Assembly has in recent years all too often become the focus of special interests who, because they haven’t gotten their way on a local issue, seek to embroil the General Assembly in overriding or preempting local control as a tool to gain what could not be won locally in arguments on the merits. 

After countless hours of effort, involving a broad range of interests, Louisville’s government adopted a reasoned and balanced ordinance to address the tragic legacy of lead-based paint poisoning in our community’s private rental housing, and to give effect to what basic humanity and justice demands – you shouldn’t take money for renting living space without identifying and remedying hazards, and you shouldn’t either knowingly or as a matter of convenient ignorance, expose children to lead hazards and a lifetime of negative health outcomes.

If there is a concern regarding cost, an ordinance could impose reasonable upper bound limits on remediation and require notice to tenants of any risks remaining.  If the concern is one of “private property rights,” then don’t hold your private property out as fit for public habitation for compensation, without first determining it to be safe.

If successful in using the threat of state preemption as a tool to weaken public protection in this case, there will be no end to future efforts by special interests to preempt reasonable local government efforts to protect public health.  If a local government acts arbitrarily in a matter of public health regulation, the courts are always open to review that claim. But where a local community, after extensive input from all parties, crafts an ordinance to require reasonable actions in pre-1978 rental housing to detect and correct avoidable lead health hazard to kids, the General Assembly should respect that judgment, and make clear that it will not be party to any effort to undercut local government efforts to protect the health of kids, including from lead hazards in rental property.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

The post House bill would hurt efforts to remediate lead hazards in Louisville appeared first on kentuckylantern.com

Related Topics:

News from the South - Kentucky News Feed

Immigration drives population growth in Kentucky in 2024

Published

10 hours ago

on

April 24, 2025

By

kentuckylantern.com – The Daily Yonder – 2025-04-24 04:50:00

by The Daily Yonder, Kentucky Lantern
April 24, 2025

Thanks to The Daily Yonder’s Sarah Melotte for providing Kentucky’s Census data to the Lantern.

Kentucky’s population grew in 2024, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. And over 80% of that growth was due to the migration of people from other countries.

Migration to rural America resulted in population growth last year, census shows

The Census makes yearly estimates of population changes at the state and county level. Here are five items to note from the report on 2024:

Kentucky added a net 37,777 people last year, an increase of .8%. At the end of last year, Kentucky had a population of 4,588,372, according to the Census.Kentucky had more deaths (53,140) than births (52,248) in 2024. That loss was made up by a net increase in domestic migration of 7,294 people. (More people moved into Kentucky from other states than moved out.) The largest contributor to Kentucky’s population growth was international migration. The state gained 31,430 people in the net exchange of people between Kentucky and other countries. Over 80% of the net gain in Kentucky’s population came from international migration. Of Kentucky’s 120 counties, 38 lost population in 2024. A large number of these are places that have been dependent on coal mining.The state’s two largest counties (Jefferson and Fayette) both had decreases in domestic migration, but gained population overall because of international migration. For example, Jefferson lost just over 4,600 people to domestic migration, but gained 13,807 people from other counties. (Counties surrounding these two metro counties gained from domestic migration; some of that growth likely came from moving out of the large metro counties.)

The 2024 report is a snapshot of population trends. And in many ways, Kentucky is like the rest of the nation. For example, most of the population growth in the U.S. in 2024 was due to international migration.

Top 10 counties in increase in absolute population, percent increase

Louisville from across the Ohio River just after sunset. (Getty Images)

Jefferson, 1.3%Fayette, 1.5%Warren, 2.8%Boone, 1.9%Kenton, 1.5%Madison, 2.0%Scott, 1.8%Jessamine, 1.8% Bullitt, 0.9%Nelson, 1.5%

Top 10 counties in decrease in absolute population, percent loss

Pikeville is the county seat of Pike County. (explorekywildlands.com)

Pike, -1.0%Floyd, -1.3%Perry, -1.3%Letcher, -1.3%Harlan, -1.0%McCreary, -1.4% Martin, -2.1%Christian, -0.3%Knott, -1.6%Larue, -1.3%

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

The post Immigration drives population growth in Kentucky in 2024 appeared first on kentuckylantern.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article appears to be a neutral, data-driven presentation of Kentucky’s population growth, highlighting the impact of both international migration and domestic migration. The content focuses on factual information, such as population statistics and county-specific migration trends, without introducing political rhetoric or ideological stances. While the mention of international migration could potentially spark differing political views, the article does not advocate for any particular position or policy regarding immigration. It simply presents the Census data in a straightforward manner, making it centrist in tone and content.

Continue Reading

News from the South - Kentucky News Feed

U.S. Education Department to restart defaulted student loan collections

Published

3 days ago

on

April 21, 2025

By

kentuckylantern.com – Shauneen Miranda – 2025-04-21 19:52:00

by Shauneen Miranda, Kentucky Lantern
April 21, 2025

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education said Monday that it will resume collections May 5 for defaulted federal student loans.

After pausing during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has not collected on defaulted loans in over five years. More than 5 million borrowers sit in default on their federal student loans, and just 38% of borrowers are current on their payments, the department said.

“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement Monday.

During last year’s presidential campaign, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor and successor, President Joe Biden, for his efforts to erase student debt. McMahon resumed that line of attack Monday, blaming Biden’s administration for unreasonably raising borrowers’ expectations of forgiveness.

“The Biden Administration misled borrowers: the executive branch does not have the constitutional authority to wipe debt away, nor do the loan balances simply disappear. Hundreds of billions have already been transferred to taxpayers,” McMahon said.

She added that “going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own financial health and our nation’s economic outlook.”

The department said the Office of Federal Student Aid will restart the Treasury Offset Program, which the U.S. Treasury Department administers, on May 5.

The Education Department statement said all borrowers who are in default will get emails over the next two weeks “making them aware of these developments and urging them to contact the Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or sign up for loan rehabilitation.”

The department said the Office of Federal Student Aid will “send required notices beginning administrative wage garnishment” later this summer.

More than 42.7 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion in student debt, according to the department. 

The administration claims that “instead of protecting responsible taxpayers, the Biden-Harris Administration put them on the hook for irresponsible lending, pushing the federal student loan portfolio toward a fiscal cliff.” 

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

The post U.S. Education Department to restart defaulted student loan collections appeared first on kentuckylantern.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Assessment: Center-Right

The content primarily reflects a Center-Right political bias, as it focuses on the resumption of federal student loan collections and criticizes the previous administration’s attempts to implement student debt forgiveness. The statements made by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlight a commitment to fiscal responsibility and emphasize the idea that taxpayers should not bear the burden of student loan defaults. Additionally, the language used aligns with conservative viewpoints that prioritize personal responsibility and criticize government overspending. The framing of the Biden administration’s actions as misleading further underscores a critical stance typical of a Center-Right perspective.

Continue Reading

News from the South - Kentucky News Feed

Kentucky safe teen driving competition gives participants more than just a cash prize

Published

3 days ago

on

April 21, 2025

By

Kentucky safe teen driving competition gives participants more than just a cash prize

www.youtube.com – FOX 56 News – 2025-04-21 18:43:56

SUMMARY: The Kentucky Safe Teen Driving Challenge aims to promote safe driving habits among teens, coinciding with new regulations allowing 15-year-olds to take permit tests. Inspired by a similar program in Missouri, the competition culminated in the announcement of winners, including grand prize winner Emily Emerson, who received $2,000. Despite being an experienced driver, Emerson faced challenges on the road, such as aggressive drivers and traffic violators. In light of the concerning statistics—13,000 injuries and 210 deaths from teen driving crashes in Kentucky over three years—state leaders emphasize the importance of safe driving and adherence to traffic laws.

YouTube video

A new statewide competition focused on teen road safety came to Kentucky, and prize winners say they walked away with more than cash prizes.

Subscribe to FOX 56 News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FOX56News/?sub_confirmation=1

Stay informed about central Kentucky news, weather, and sports! Follow FOX 56 on our website and social channels:

https://www.FOX56News.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/FOX56News
https://www.facebook.com/FOX56News
https://twitter.com/FOX56News
https://www.instagram.com/FOX56News
https://www.linkedin.com/company/FOX56News

Source

Continue Reading

Trending