Author

McKenna Horsley

McKenna Horsley

McKenna Horsley covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. She previously worked for newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia, and Frankfort, Kentucky. She is from northeastern Kentucky.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Hazard event kicks off campaign against what foes call the ‘voucher amendment’

By: - May 23, 2024

Fresh off Kentucky’s primary election, opponents are launching a campaign against a constitutional amendment that will go before voters in November and would allow the General Assembly to fund nonpublic schools.? In the first of a series of “kickoffs” scheduled across the state, opponents of Amendment 2 gathered Thursday at East Perry Elementary School in […]

Field is set for open seats in the Kentucky General Assembly

By: - May 22, 2024

The race is on for nine open seats in the Kentucky General Assembly, while some legislative races were decided in Tuesday’s primary, though not by many voters. Statewide, turnout was 12.71%, according to unofficial numbers. The turnout in the 2023 primary was only about 14.5%, despite including a highly contested Republican gubernatorial race. Eight House […]

Biden issues major disaster declaration for 11 Kentucky counties after April storms

By: - May 22, 2024

President Joe Biden issued a major disaster declaration for 11 Kentucky counties affected by recent severe storms in April.? Federal assistance will supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas “ affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, landslides, and mudslides on April 2, 2024,” a White House press release said.? Federal funding will be […]

Few upsets as Kentuckians nominate candidates for November election

By: - May 21, 2024

Kentucky legislators largely staved off primary challengers, although a few will be out of office, as voters on Tuesday picked candidates for the November election. Republican Reps. Killian Timoney, of Nicholasville, and Richard Heath, of Mayfield, lost to GOP opponents. Republican Sen. Adrienne Southworth, of Lawrenceburg, was defeated as well, according to unofficial results Tuesday […]

Hotline logs one report of Election Day vote buying or selling. More Kentuckians voted early.

By: - May 21, 2024

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said his office’s Election Integrity Command Center received one possible report of vote buying or selling among calls it took Tuesday morning.? What you need to know about voting in Kentucky’s primary election today Coleman reported that in the first few hours of voting in Tuesday’s primary, the center received […]

Kentucky Supreme Court allows Kulkarni to stand in Tuesday primary, despite challenge

By: - May 20, 2024

LOUISVILLE —?The Kentucky Supreme Court will allow Louisville Democratic Rep. Nima Kulkarni to stand as a candidate in Tuesday’s primary election after she has faced legal challenges to her candidacy paperwork.? The Supreme Court granted the representative’s motion to remain in the 40th House District Democratic primary, reversing a decision from the Kentucky Court of […]

Voting basics for Kentucky’s Tuesday primary election

By: - May 20, 2024

Polls will be open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. as voters choose nominees for president, Congress, the Kentucky General Assembly and many local offices. Any voter who is in line by 6 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.? Kentucky does not have same-day registration. But if you registered to vote 29 […]

As early voting begins, use it or risk losing it, says Kentucky’s chief elections officer

By: - May 16, 2024

As early voting began Thursday, one of the first to cast a ballot — and to show his support for the process — was Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams. In a recent interview with the Lantern, Adams applauded the defeat of a recent legislative proposal to repeal early voting. “I do encourage voters to […]

Louisville Democratic Rep. Nima Kulkarni ruled off ballot by Court of Appeals

By: - May 15, 2024

LOUISVILLE — A sitting Democratic state representative has been disqualified as a primary candidate after the Kentucky Court of Appeals reversed a recent Jefferson County Circuit Court decision.? Rep. Nima Kulkarni, who filed to run for a fourth term in the 40th House District, is not a bona fide candidate, according to the panel of […]

Kentucky voters have some choices to make in legislative contests

By: - May 13, 2024

FRANKFORT — Kentuckians going to the polls for the May 21 primary have choices to make about who will represent them in Frankfort, even if there’s no suspense about who the nominees for U.S. president will be. GOP control of the legislature is not at risk this year; Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. But […]

University of Kentucky Senate votes no confidence in president over governance changes

By: - May 6, 2024

LEXINGTON — The University of Kentucky’s University Senate has approved a resolution of no confidence against President Eli Capilouto in response to his proposal to strip faculty of power over academic decisions at the university.? The vote, which was 58-24 with 11 abstaining, was taken during a Monday afternoon meeting of the University Senate. The […]

Public school teachers protesting in Kentucky in 2018

Kentucky falls to 41st in average teacher pay

By: - May 2, 2024

New reports highlighted by the Kentucky Education Association show that Kentucky educators’ salaries are losing ground to those in other states.? According to the annual reports released by the National Education Association looking at 2022-23 numbers, Kentucky dropped from 40th to 41st nationally in average teacher salary at $56,296 compared with the national average of […]