Latest news with #LindseyTichenor
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
AG Coleman defends law requiring sex offenders to use their full name on social media
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Attorney General Russell Coleman is continuing to defend the constitutionality of a Kentucky law that requires registered child sex offenders to use their full name on social media. The Attorney General's Principal Deputy Solicitor General Jack Heyburn presented the Commonwealth's case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on May 1. In 2024, the General Assembly unanimously passed SB 249, sponsored by Senator Lindsey Tichenor. An anonymous registered sex offender challenged the law and asked the federal court to prevent Daviess County Attorney John Burlew from enforcing it. Daviess County Attorney John Burlew reacts to defense of child sex offender social media bill Officials say in a brief filed last year before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, General Coleman asked the court to lift a lower court's ruling and to allow the law to take full effect. On Wednesday, the Attorney General's Office argued that the law complies with the First Amendment and is a reasonable safeguard to protect Kentucky's children from online predators. 'As Attorney General, and a father, I will not tolerate those who target our most vulnerable. We must be on constant guard against predators who seek to exploit Kentucky children online,' said Attorney General Coleman. 'We are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the General Assembly, including my own Senator Lindsey Tichenor, to keep Kentucky's parents informed about who is contacting our kids.' Daviess County seeking misdemeanor charges for unpaid child support 'The law that is being challenged obtained overwhelming bipartisan support in our state legislature and then was subsequently passed into law by the Governor. It's a common-sense law aimed at preventing sexual predators from targeting individuals on social media by using fake or anonymous names,' said Daviess County Attorney Burlew. 'I am thankful and honored to have the Kentucky Attorney General's Office represent our side of the case in this important matter – and we look forward to the appellate court's ruling.' AG Coleman's office says the appeal was argued before three appellate judges, who now have the matter under consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Our View: Kentucky version of DOGE
This year's session of the Kentucky General assembly is winding down. One of the bills pending was filed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Tichenor. The proposed legislation is similar to what is going on in Washington. Republicans have had control of the state senate for two decades. So why are they doing this now? Apparently, this is to act a little like Donald Trump. Government efficiency —aka eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in Kentucky — is the job of the state auditor. So where have these senators been the last 20-plus years? None of us are for waste, fraud and abuse. Former Gov. Ernie Fletcher was elected on a campaign promise to end waste. He did not succeed. However, it's a good campaign promise and actually a good idea. We fail to see the need of creating another layer of bureaucracy. The state auditor is in charge of detecting fraud and abuse. In Kentucky, most folks who serve in statewide offices below that of Governor are just trying to be the governor.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump has DOGE. Kentucky Senate votes to launch KOGE.
Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, presents Senate Bill 257, creating the Kentucky Office of Government Efficiency, to the Kentucky Senate, March 5, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) FRANKFORT — Inspired by Elon Musk's band of young engineers tasked with finding federal funding cuts, Kentucky Republicans are hoping to replicate their efforts in the Bluegrass state. If passed in the General Assembly this session, Senate Bill 257 would establish the Kentucky Office of Government Efficiency in the auditor of public accounts' office. The office would be known as KOGE. The bill passed largely on party lines in a vote of 32-6 Wednesday. The lone Democrat to join Republicans in supporting the bill was Sen. Robin Webb of Grayson. Though not an actual department, DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency has come under fire from Democratic criticsi and lawsuits over the level of access the group has to sensitive information and cuts in funding and personnel — including firing some government employees. DOGE maintains a running list of savings it has claimed to achieve online. However, the New York Times has reported the DOGE 'wall of receipts' has had to delete some claims that were in error. Backed by primary sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, the bill would give KOGE the power to conduct performance audits and fiscal and operational reviews of state agencies to find 'inefficiencies, waste, compliance with law, and opportunities for cost savings.' KOGE would also make recommendations about best practices for streamlining government operations and monitor their implementation. KOGE must report its findings to the governor and the Legislative Research Commission. 'This legislation builds upon our efforts to create a government that operates efficiently, delivers core services effectively and respects the contributions of hard working Kentuckians in order to operate a government that exists to serve them,' Tichenor said. The Kentucky Senate's vote on the bill came after DOGE got glowing praise from Republican President Donald Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress. Billionaire Musk, the special government employee spearheading DOGE, also enjoyed applause from congressional Republicans during the speech. Meanwhile, some of the Democrats who attended invited federal workers who were fired as part of the U.S. DOGE Service's efforts to curtail the federal workforce by eliminating probationary workers. During debate on the bill, Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, said invoking the name of the federal DOGE program 'was particularly concerning to me because of exactly how much upheaval that program has created.' However, some Republicans rebuked the notion. Senate President Robert Stivers, of Manchester, said the auditor 'has no authority to fire anybody except who's in her office' or change laws. Chambers Armstrong also added that she didn't believe the bill added new authority to the Auditor's office, as 'many of the provisions of this legislation are inherent to that office and have been exercised and often exercise to great effect and impact.' Sen. Gex Williams, R-Verona, said before voting in favor of the bill that former Auditor Crit Luallen, a Democrat, notably exercised powers to do performance audits when she held the office between 2004 to 2012. He said similar efforts have lacked funding since she left the office. Tichenor introduced her bill for KOGE a couple of weeks ago in the Senate. A Senate GOP press release at the time said the bill 'aligns with the broader national effort led by President Donald Trump to cut bureaucratic red tape and make government work for the people.' Auditor Allison Ball, a Republican who currently holds the office in Kentucky, has expressed support for the bill and testified before a Senate committee with Tichenor. 'This legislation strengthens our ability to hold state agencies accountable and implement meaningful reforms to improve efficiency,' Ball said in a Senate GOP press release. 'Kentuckians deserve a government that operates responsibly, and SB 257 furthers that goal.' The bill provides no funding for KOGE to hire staff but says Ball may seek 'additional funding through cost-saving initiatives and efficiency- related grants.' Republican Daniel Cameron, a former attorney general who recently launched his campaign for U.S. Senate, said on X ahead of the vote that 'Frankfort is fraught with wasteful spending' and the bill was 'a sensible reform effort that will reduce the bloated size of government and hold the unelected bureaucracy accountable.' Meanwhile in the House, Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, introduced House Concurrent Resolution 50 to create a task force called the Kentucky Discipline of Government Efficiency, or KY DOGE. It's also an homage to Musk's DOGE, but hasn't gotten a committee hearing yet. Musk and Trump have floated the idea of scrutinizing the amount of gold in Kentucky's Fort Knox. The United States Bullion Depository at the fort stores precious metal bullion reserves for the country. It's also audited every year. The General Services Administration, which is one of the agencies DOGE is tracking, announced Tuesday it may sell off more than 440 buildings owned by the federal government in the months ahead. That list included federal buildings in Ashland, Bowling Green, London, Louisville and Pikeville. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentucky senator launches 1-2 punch to DEI policy in government, K-12
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — On the coattails of a bill filed on Wednesday by Rep. Jennifer Decker, a pair of bills filed on Friday by the Kentucky Senate aim to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy and offices in the state's government, as well as K-12 education. Sen. Lindsey Tichenor filed the bills—SB 164 and SB 165—on Thursday. Gov. Beshear declares state of emergency ahead of expected flooding: 'Dangerous conditions' SB 164 would create new sections of current state law that would prohibit any public agency from giving 'preferential treatment to people or entities based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin when they contract or seek employment with the state or local government.' This bill is also heavily focused on state employee training, forbidding government staff in trainer roles from incentivizing diversity or inclusion initiatives on a financial or policy level, as well as terminating funding for DEI offices in local and state governments. Any state or local government body that would violate SB 164, if it gets signed into law, would reportedly be liable for civil action. SB 164 specifies that Kentucky's Office of Diversity, Equality, and Training would be simplified to 'Office of Employee Training' if the bill is signed into law. The other bill, SB 165, applies similar changes to the Kentucky Department of Education's infrastructure—amending current state laws to remove DEI positions and policies from the state's school districts. 12 years of playing pays off for Danville man with $25K a year for life lottery win National humane society leader speaks alongside state government officials at annual Frankfort summit Trump seems to question well-known part of Sen. Mitch McConnell's life — his childhood polio battle If passed, SB 165 would partially take effect Feb. 1, 2026. Both bills carry an emergency designation, meaning SB 164 and parts of SB 165 would become state law upon signature or veto override. SB 164 and SB 165 can each be viewed in their entirety on the Kentucky General Assembly website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
