As supermajority boasts of cutting taxes, how about a break for women?

by Constance Alexander, Kentucky Lantern
February 20, 2025

With the legislature currently in session, testosterone flows freely in Frankfort as the Republican supermajority flexes its manly muscles. When the boys want to get something done, poof! It happens. This year, for example, a reduction in the state income tax passed with alacrity, lowering the rate to 3.5% from 4% in 2026. 

In an attaboy victory lap, Republican Sen. Chris McDaniel claimed that passage of Senate Bill 1 diminishes the certainty of death and taxes. “The General Assembly is going to do everything in its power, and frequently with success, to lower your taxes,” McDaniel promised. 

Given that pronouncement, inquiring voters might wonder why Kentucky still has not repealed the so-called “pink tax” on menstrual products. Half the U.S. states have deleted the tampon tax from their rolls because they realize these items are necessities, not taxable luxuries. 

In its current state, Kentucky’s tax affects just about every woman in the commonwealth between menarche and menopause, a stretch of as many as 40 years. Past attempts to repeal it have been shrugged off by the Republican legislature, including last year, when the proposal never got out of committee. 

Right now, there are three Democratic-sponsored bills in the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee — House Bills 122, 12. and 231 – that address repeal of the tampon tax and provide clarity on other menstrual/maternal necessities. 

Rep. George Brown Jr. is the sponsor of HB 122, which seeks to exempt “baby bottles, baby wipes, breast pumps, breast pump collection and storage supplies, breast pump kits, diapers, menstrual discharge collection devices, and incontinence products” from state sales tax. 

Brown and Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton are sponsoring HB 123 to define “menstrual discharge collection devices” and exempt them from sales tax.

Reps. Lisa Willner and Matthrew Lehman sponsored HB 231, to require public schools that include any of grades six through 12 to provide free menstrual discharge collection devices to students and require local boards of education to adopt policies for the distribution of free menstrual discharge collection devices.

Common sense opportunities to reduce unfair taxes like these are examples of the proverbial “low hanging fruit,” that legislators say they love, but in this case, not so much. 

Those interested in monitoring the progress of these bills and others can do so online via the Kentucky General Assembly site.

Citizens interested in fair mindedness might also track HB 281, introduced by Rep. TJ Roberts, one of the youngest Republicans in Kentucky’s legislature. The bill would abolish all sales taxes on anything “Second Amendment related” including safety and storage devices. 

If passed, it would define terms including “ammunition,” “antique firearm,” “body armor,” firearm,” “firearm muffler or silencer,” “firearm-related accessory,” “firearm safety course,” “firearm safety device,” and “firearm storage device” for the purpose of sales and use tax exemptions. 

Roberts was inspired to introduce the bill because, according to a post on his X account, he doesn’t believe in taxing constitutional rights.

So stay tuned to see how committed Kentucky legislators are to cutting taxes. With DEI – the acronym for diversity, equality, and inclusion – in the crosshairs, one might conclude that the pink tax will, once again, be relegated to the realm of, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” 

“Boys will be boys,” is a common refrain, but isn’t it about time to grow up?

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.

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KY Senate votes to stop state funding of hormone treatments for transgender prisoners

by Sarah Ladd, Kentucky Lantern
February 18, 2025

This article mentions suicide. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988.

A bill that would end hormone treatments for 67 Kentucky inmates and prohibit the use of public funds for any future gender-affirming surgeries for transgender prisoners passed the Senate Tuesday along party lines 31-6.  

Opponents called the bill cruel and politically-motivated when it was heard in committee. 

The sponsor, Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, pushed back on that accusation when introducing the measure on the Senate floor. Wilson also pointed out that Kentucky excludes transgender treatments from its Medicaid benefits and said taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for transgender treatments for prisoners either. 

“I’ve been criticized that we are somehow being inhumane by taking these folks off of these cross-sex hormones. But I will tell you that in the bill we provide for that, that a physician says that if it is something that would harm them, by taking them off cold turkey, they can cycle them off of these hormones,” he said. “These are the only medical services that we’re prohibiting. They can still get all the other medical services that a normal person would get. So, we’re not being inhumane.” 

Senate Bill 2 says public dollars cannot be used to fund a “cosmetic service or elective procedure” for Kentucky inmates including for  “cross sex hormones” and “any  gender reassignment surgery.” It also says if a health care provider documents that ending a treatment would harm an inmate, use of the drug or hormone may be “systematically reduced and eliminated.”

Wilson pointed to the controversy late last year over a Kentucky Department of Corrections policy allowing transgender inmates to apply for gender-affirming treatments, saying the department went about that “under the cover of darkness, out from the public view.”  

Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, whose transgender son died by suicide in 2022, called the bill a “fearmongering” effort while evoking the Salem witch trials. 

“This is nothing but … a continued witch hunt to make sure that the most vulnerable people in this state are outed and abused and tortured for no reason other than you’re not comfortable with it,” she said. “They did not burn witches. They didn’t hang witches. Not one person that was hung at the Salem witch trials was a witch. They hung women — real, live people with real lives, over mass hysteria, over fear that is being propagated by lies coming from leadership of the Republican party to your door, and I don’t know why we put up with it.” 

Bill barring use of public funds on transgender treatments for Kentucky inmates advances

Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, asked if biologically female inmates have access to breast reduction for health reasons, if they receive hormone replacement therapy for hot flashes and if they’re given feminine care products at taxpayer expense. Wilson said he did not believe they got the period products or breast reductions, but did not know about the hormone treatments. 

“Female inmates are not even treated with the dignity to have medical treatment covered by taxpayers for necessary, basic, common necessities and cosmetic surgeries that have health implications,” Tichenor said. “This bill is a priority, in my opinion, because we’re dealing with the issue of spending taxpayer dollars on issues that are exacerbating a false reality for inmates. It doesn’t matter how many hormones you put them on, which lead them eventually towards surgery, and that is the goal, they cannot change who they are.” 

Tichenor also said she thinks male prisoners would take hormones with the goal to “eventually be in women’s prisons.” 

The opposition: The Constitution and misplaced priorities 

Democrats focused their arguments against the bill on the protections against cruel and unusual punishments guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the potential cost of lawsuits based on constitutional claims. They also slammed the high priority of SB 2, saying they believed other issues deserved that attention. 

Here’s how state lawmakers are taking aim at transgender adults’ health care

“We have a long line of cases that say that when a physician deems something to be medically necessary for someone, it is, in many cases, unconstitutional for the government to enact a blanket ban to deny it,” said Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville.  

“Of course, when we take folks into custody and they are unable to access health care in any way except through us, and a licensed physician has determined that something is medically necessary, for the government to step in and say ‘we know better,’ is unconstitutional,” said Chambers Armstrong. 

Minority Caucus Chair Sen. Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, said the high priority of the bill is a way to “vilify the LGBTQ community.” 

“We’ve got schools that are underfunded. We’ve got rural hospitals going out of business. We’ve got a serious problem with over 600,000 children on Medicaid. And this is our No. 2 priority,” Thomas said. “I would submit to the public today and to this body that our priorities are really out of whack.” 

Senate Bill 1, the chamber’s top priority, reduced the state income tax. It already has been signed into law by the governor.

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.

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How to help and get help in the midst of Kentucky flooding, winter storm

by Sarah Ladd, Kentucky Lantern
February 19, 2025

Kentucky is in the middle of a deadly storm sandwich of floods, snowfall and frigid temperatures that has killed 14. 

Below are some resources both for those who need and want to provide help. 

Emergency phone numbers

In the middle of a life threatening emergency situation, call 911. 

For other emergency needs, call Kentucky Emergency Management at 502-607-6665. 

Kentucky emergency shelters

With temperatures expected to drop into the single digits this week, Gov. Andy Beshear said anyone who cannot safely heat their homes should seek out emergency shelter. 

As of Wednesday, Kentucky has 11 emergency shelters open. They are: 

Glasgow: Bridge Kentucky in Barren County, 1411 North Race St. Suite E.Jackson: Lee’s College Gymnasium in Breathitt County: 601 Jefferson Ave.Hardinsburg: Old Courthouse in Breckinridge County: 208 South Main Street.Princeton: Caldwell County Courthouse: 100 E. Market Street.Newport: Campbell County Cold Shelter, 524 Columbia St.Langley: Floyd County Community Center, 7199 Kentucky Rt. 80.Henderson: Harbor House Christian Men’s Center in Henderson County: 804 Clay St..Barbourville: First Baptist Church in Knox County: 201 N. Main St.Louisa: Lawrence County Community Center: 180 Bulldog Ln.Whitley City: McCreary County Senior CenterL 2255 N. Hwy 27Hazard: Hazard-Perry County Senior Citizens: 354 Perry Park Rd.

Blood donations needed

During hazardous weather, blood drives get cancelled and road closures can cause delays in getting blood where it’s needed. 

Beshear and others have asked people who can to make a donation appointment. 

Find a Kentucky Blood Center drive here: https://my.kybloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/county Find a Red Cross drive here: https://www.redcrossblood.org/ Beshear also announced the Capitol will host a blood drive Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the rotunda for Frankfort residents and state employees. 

How can I help flood, cold survivors? 

The Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund is a state-established fund to help survivors and pay for funerals. It had $120,000 from 1,234 donors as of Wednesday morning. The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky’s Crisis Aid Fund is taking monetary donations online or in person at 420 Main Street Hazard, Ky. 41701. The foundation also has a resource spreadsheet for Eastern Kentucky. The Housing Development Alliance helps repair and rebuild homes in Eastern Kentucky. It’s trying to raise $50,000 for survivors and has raised a little more than $5,000. The Kentucky Community and Technical College is asking for donations in Eastern Kentucky to benefit students affected by the floods. The University of Kentucky has several funds to benefit students and employees in crisis. See those here. The Christian Appalachian Project asked for both financial donations and volunteers. Volunteers can email volunteermanagement@chrisapp.org for more information. Donate money online. Feed Louisville has asked for volunteers to drive trucks carrying food supplies to Whitesburg. Those interested can email volunteer@feedlouisville.org. 

Did we miss something? Let us know: sladd@kentuckylantern.com. 

This story may be updated. 

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.

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