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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
McConnell: Medicaid cuts likely to remain in Senate but not easy to pass
Sen. Mitch McConnell thinks the cuts to Medicaid spending in the wide-ranging budget bill backed by President Donald Trump will remain. He said to a crowd gathered at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce event Friday that he supports those entitlement cuts, which reduce 10-year spending on Medicaid by about $723 billion and are estimated to cut about 12% of the government-funded insurance program spend in Kentucky. 'I'm hoping we come out pretty close to where the House did on Medicaid,' McConnell said. Those cuts are one part of so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill' backed by Trump that was narrowly passed by the U.S. House in May. The bill also extends tax cuts which primarily benefit the wealthy and cuts spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, among other things. McConnell also made sure to mention how politically difficult it might be for those cuts to Medicaid and other entitlement programs that were present in the U.S. House-approved bill to make it through the Senate. He emphasized that the last major change to entitlements in the U.S. was passed just before his 40-year career in the Senate began. 'Ronald Reagan and (late speaker of the House) Tip O'Neill agreed to raise the age of Social Security from 65 to 67. Since then, there's been nothing significant done to any entitlement, and the reason for it, obviously, is they are all immensely popular and no matter which side has controlled the government, nothing has happened,' McConnell said. He also mentioned how he was tasked during the administration of former President George W. Bush with finding Democrats who might support entitlement reform. He recalled the response of one Democrat predicting political doom if they went down that path. 'He said, 'Well, you guys have got the White House, you've got the House, you've got the Senate. Go right ahead,'' McConnell recalled. 'You know what he meant: We'll see you in the next election.' McConnell did not say whether or not he thought the provisions making changes to entitlements aimed at benefiting low-income Americans would make it through the Senate, though the cuts are a key part of financing the tax cut extension. He did make it clear that he supported the general direction of the cuts, though, citing conversations he's had with Kentucky health care providers, many of whom rely on Medicaid. 'We've checked with healthcare providers and state government, and they're comfortable with the way that issue is dealt with in the House bill and (by Kentucky) Congressman (Brett) Guthrie, who was directly involved in it. I'm interested in how those who could potentially be affected by and feel about it, and they seem to be okay,' McConnell said. The proposed changes to Medicaid that would lead to the cuts include mandating that adults getting Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act expansion meet certain work requirements and repealing a Biden-era rule simplifying the eligibility and renewal process, among other changes. One part of the big bill that McConnell felt confident would make it through: the extension of the tax cuts. McConnell said he's 'almost certain' those cuts to the individual income tax rate will remain. 'I think what unifies Republicans the most is the desire to have the lowest tax rate possible, and I think that part of the bill is likely to be very similar in both the House version and what we actually end up passing in the Senate,' McConnell said. Everything else is up in the air, he indicated. 'There are a lot of other things that I'm not going to get into because we don't know now what the final verdict is, but I do think this bill will pass in some form. I think you'll like most of it,' McConnell said. McConnell was not entirely supportive of the president's agenda in other areas. As he's expressed previously, Kentucky's senior senator disapproved of actions Trump has taken on tariffs, noting that the commonwealth would be uniquely affected. 'We ought to be doing more trade agreements, rather than attacking our friends with tariffs,' he said. 'Hopefully the president will give up on this path and remember that free trade is very, very important.' Another hobby horse of McConnell's has been aid to Ukraine, which has totaled more than $180 billion over the course of the country's defense against invasion from Russia, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. He warned against the plans of the United States' ostensible enemies like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. 'What they want to do is displace American leadership with Chinese leadership or a combination or Russia or China,' McConnell said. 'We need to be leading our allies around the world with free trade.' The longtime politician and political junkie also had some thoughts to share about a Kentucky congressional seat that will be left open as a downstream effect of his choice not to seek reelection in 2026. McConnell told reporters after the event that he believed the Central Kentucky-based 6th Congressional District, which is currently held by Rep. Andy Barr who is now running for Senate, would stay red. That prediction comes in spite of Lexington, which makes up about 44% of the district, leaning more to the left in recent election cycles. 'Well, there's a blue spot in the middle of the sixth district, but it looks like most of it is pretty red, and I think whoever comes out of the primary has got a very good chance of winning,' McConnell said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After Kentuckians of both parties agree access to child care is vital, Chamber offers to-do list
Preschool children sing before lunch at the iKids Childhood Enrichment Center, a child care provider in Benton, Nov. 28, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Abbey Cutrer) Most registered Kentucky voters surveyed in June 2024 believe that working families having access to affordable child care is important for the future of the state, according to a report released Wednesday by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Read the report A Foundation for Action: Shared Solutions to Child Care Challenges in Kentucky The Foundation for Action report, which includes policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider in 2026, comes as the child care industry is 'at an impasse' despite 'widespread discussions' and 'efforts to address child care challenges' that include high tuition, low wages for workers and a shortage of providers. That June 2024 survey showed that 85% of registered voters in the state believe Kentucky families need access to affordable child care. It was a bipartisan consensus: 81% of Republicans, 89% of Democrats and 89% of Independents surveyed agreed. A national survey also shared in the Wednesday report showed that 79% of American voters were supportive of 'federal policies aimed at providing child care benefits to families with young children.' That, too, was bipartisan, with 69% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats and 82% of Independents surveyed holding that stance. Helping more people access child care can help improve workforce participation, the report says. Kentucky's workforce participation is lower than some of its neighbors — about 81%, compared with 86% in Missouri, about 81% in Tennessee and 84% in Ohio. In 2024, a survey of 1,357 parents from 88 Kentucky counties showed that some parents had already chosen to exit the workforce because of inaccessible child care. Many families put off having more children, delayed big purchases and sacrificed health care needs because of child care complications, the Lantern previously reported. 'Access to high-quality child care is critical for working families and improving learning outcomes for kids,' Ashley Novak Butler, the executive director of the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation in Louisville, said in a statement. 'But to build an early learning ecosystem that can truly deliver for Kentucky families and children, we need collaboration and consensus among all stakeholders on the best path forward. That's exactly what this project aimed to achieve.' The chamber's 50-page report is the result of a 40-member group of business leaders, workforce development experts, child care providers, advocates and more who met between August 2024 and April 2025 to come up with a list of policy suggestions to improve the child care landscape in Kentucky. 'Conversations were not always comfortable, but they were productive,' the report states. 'With a focus on the private regulated child care sector, this cross-sector of Kentuckians reached consensus on more than three dozen public policy and programmatic recommendations with specific actionable items for policymakers, business leaders, nonprofits and philanthropy. Collectively, this work creates a foundation for sustainable, long-term child care solutions in Kentucky and underscores what can be achieved when Kentuckians from different walks of life work together to solve big problems.' What recommendations came out of the report? The report has a slew of recommendations to stabilize the child care industry. They include: Require more transparency in how the state budgets, braids and spends public dollars on child care, including both federal and state dollars. Reform and modernize Kentucky ALL STARS, the state's quality rating system for early childhood programs, including child care centers. Develop, publicly display and track more accurate measurements of actual capacity for regulated child care services. Create a non-intrusive and voluntary method for tracking and denoting faith-based and employer-sponsored child care services. Conduct objective third-party studies to determine the return on taxpayer investments in child care on an annual basis. Use a more precise meaningful measure of child care supply and demand gaps than 'child care deserts. Ensure that low- and middle-income Kentucky families can afford child care by strengthening the Child Care Assistance Program and Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership. Make the child care business model more sustainable by streamlining regulations, alleviating workforce challenges and creating new business opportunities. Encourage more engagement from local communities and employers in solving child care challenges through targeted local matching grants and needs-based economic development incentives. Improve training for child care services to support children with special needs. Create accountable economic development incentives for businesses to create onsite or near-site child care services for their employees and communities. And more. Dustin Howard, the superintendent of Clark County Public Schools, is quoted in the report as saying, 'When Kentuckians have affordable high quality child care choices, our economy and employers win by growing the next generation of a viable workforce while unleashing our current workforce that will continue our upward growth as a Commonwealth,' Howard said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentucky Chamber's Ashli Watts to emcee annual Fancy Farm Picnic
Fancy Farm Picnic-goers stroll the grounds on Aug. 3, 2024, at St. Jerome Catholic Church. Organizers announced Tuesday that Kentucky Chamber of Commerce CEO Ashli Watts will emcee the political speaking at this year's picnic. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony) Ashli Watts, the president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, will be the emcee for the next Fancy Farm Picnic this August. Ashli Watts (Provided by St. Jerome Picnic) Held as a fundraiser for the St. Jerome Catholic Church in the far west Kentucky town of Fancy Farm, the picnic annually brings together Kentucky politicians for fiery stump speeches in front of a boisterous crowd. Picnic organizers announced that Watts would be the emcee for this year's picnic in a Tuesday press release. Watts became the president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber in 2019. The organization represents more than 3,800 member businesses across the state and often brings together its members and Kentucky lawmakers for conversations about economic issues. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce spent the most out of any group to lobby the Kentucky General Assembly in 2024 and 2025. The picnic's press release said that as leader of the Kentucky Chamber, Watts 'played a key role in the passage of landmark legislation including felony expungement, right-to-work, and tax reform measures.' 'Ashli's experience and poise make her the ideal choice to guide this year's political speaking,' said Steven Elder, the political chairman of the picnic. 'Her leadership and deep understanding of Kentucky's political landscape will bring energy, fairness, and insight to this year's event.' The Fancy Farm Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 2. Emcees in recent years have included Lexington's Father Jim Sichko and David Beck, president of Kentucky Venues.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK King's Daughters named one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky
Ashland, Ky. — For the second year in a row, UK King's Daughters has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management and ClearPath Mutual Insurance Company. Only 100 companies throughout the Commonwealth earned the Best Places to Work distinction in 2025. Companies are selected for the honor based on an assessment of the company's employee policies and procedures and the results of an internal employee survey. The evaluation and selection process is managed by the Workforce Research Group, an independent research organization based in Houston, Texas. 'Being recognized as one of the 2025 Best Places to Work in Kentucky is a testament to the unwavering dedication and spirit of our team at UK King's Daughters,' said Jamie Parsons, Vice President of Human Resources. 'This accolade reflects our collective commitment to fostering a culture of excellence, empathy, and innovation. As an organization, King's Daughters values the well-being and professional growth of every team member. 'Our team members are at the heart of everything we do, and their passion for providing exceptional care and support to our community is what truly sets us apart,' Parsons added. 'Together, we are not just a workforce; we are a family united in our mission to improve the health and lives of those we serve.' The winner rankings will be announced during an awards ceremony in May. For more details about Best Places to Work in Kentucky, visit
