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USA Today
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Why My Old Kentucky Home is so controversial
Why My Old Kentucky Home is so controversial You'll hear My Old Kentucky Home sung at Churchill Downs as you usually do before the Kentucky Derby, but did you know that the Kentucky state song is actually controversial? You will now. The Louisville Courier-Journal broke down the Stephen Foster-penned song with the history of it, and a call for a new state song: "The song was sung frequently in minstrel shows by white men wearing blackface and has been sung at every Kentucky Derby since 1930. Now it is time to turn a collective corner and find a new state song to point us in a new direction." The Smithsonian magazine has more about Foster and the parts of the song that were actually anti-slavery, although racist language was used in the lyrics originally before it was changed: "Few of those singing along, however, may realize that the original lyrics were not a 'Dixie'-esque paean but actually a condemnation of Kentucky's enslavers who sold husbands away from their wives and mothers away from their children. As Foster wrote it, 'My Old Kentucky Home' is actually the lament of an enslaved person who has been forcibly separated from his family and his painful longing to return to the cabin with his wife and children. ... The song emphasizes the humanity and close family ties of the enslaved population at a time when African Americans were routinely dehumanized and caricatured. And then there's this from Louisville Public Media, a quote from historian Emily Bingham: 'It was written by a white man about a Black person being sold down river from Kentucky to the deep south to be sung by white men pretending to be black men on stages for white audiences,' Bingham said. Because of that complicated history, there are questions every year if the tune should be sung or if it should even be Kentucky's state song. Seems like it's time to pick a new one.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky auditor announces investigation of the state's medical cannabis program
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's auditor said Thursday that her office will investigate the state's medical cannabis program after receiving complaints about the lottery system used to award highly sought-after licenses to grow, process and sell the medicinal products to eligible patients. Auditor Allison Ball said her office will examine the application process and how business licenses were awarded as part of its review of the Office of Medical Cannabis in Gov. Andy Beshear's administration. The state received thousands of applications for licenses, and Beshear has said the state-run lotteries last year were a fair way to give applicants a chance to land the limited number of licenses awarded. The governor's office said Thursday that the licensing regulations underwent legislative reviews and that the process to award the licenses was transparent, including the live-streaming of lotteries. 'The individuals who have come forward to express 'concerns' went through the full process and did not complain until after not being selected in the lottery,' Beshear spokeswoman Crystal Staley said. However, reviews by Louisville Public Media found that out-of-state residents dominated the lotteries for licenses, tracing it to a flood of applications from deep-pocketed companies. In announcing the probe Thursday, the state's Republican auditor said: 'My office has continued to receive complaints about how the Office of Medical Cannabis administered the lottery process for awarding medical cannabis business licenses. Kentuckians should have confidence that state offices operate with transparency and integrity, and my office is committed to ensuring those standards.' Asked for details about who lodged complaints, Ball's office replied: 'To avoid disrupting the ongoing investigation, we are not able to provide further comment regarding any specifics at this time.' When announcing the lottery system nearly a year ago, Beshear called it a fair process meant to remove any temptation to lobby in an effort to 'get a leg up in different ways that we don't want to see.' Limiting cultivator, processor and dispensary licenses was meant to avoid flooding the market with medicinal cannabis products that could exceed demand, hurting the fledgling businesses, Beshear said. The governor has said the program could be expanded with more businesses in the future, depending on demand and whether more qualifying medical conditions are added. Kentucky lawmakers legalized medical cannabis for people suffering from a range of debilitating illnesses, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. Kentucky's medical cannabis program launched at the start of 2025. The cultivation and distribution network is ramping up for the start of sales. More than 8,000 Kentuckians so far have received a medical cannabis card, Beshear said, and ground was broken recently for a cultivation operation. 'We are working as fast as we can to get safe, reliable medical cannabis on the shelves for those who qualify for a card,' Beshear said Thursday. The medical cannabis probe is the latest review of the Democratic governor's administration by the auditor's office. Earlier this year, Ball said a preliminary review found that dozens of foster children in Kentucky spent nights sleeping in social services buildings while awaiting placement by a state agency. Ball said those preliminary findings have spurred a broader investigation.
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Kentucky auditor announces investigation of the state's medical cannabis program
Kentucky 's auditor said Thursday that her office will investigate the state's medical cannabis program after receiving complaints about the lottery system used to award highly sought-after licenses to grow, process and sell the medicinal products to eligible patients. Auditor Allison Ball said her office will examine the application process and how business licenses were awarded as part of its review of the Office of Medical Cannabis in Gov. Andy Beshear 's administration. The state received thousands of applications for licenses, and Beshear has said the state-run lotteries last year were a fair way to give applicants a chance to land the limited number of licenses awarded. The governor's office said Thursday that the licensing regulations underwent legislative reviews and that the process to award the licenses was transparent, including the live-streaming of lotteries. 'The individuals who have come forward to express 'concerns' went through the full process and did not complain until after not being selected in the lottery,' Beshear spokeswoman Crystal Staley said. However, reviews by Louisville Public Media found that out-of-state residents dominated the lotteries for licenses, tracing it to a flood of applications from deep-pocketed companies. In announcing the probe Thursday, the state's Republican auditor said: 'My office has continued to receive complaints about how the Office of Medical Cannabis administered the lottery process for awarding medical cannabis business licenses. Kentuckians should have confidence that state offices operate with transparency and integrity, and my office is committed to ensuring those standards.' Asked for details about who lodged complaints, Ball's office replied: 'To avoid disrupting the ongoing investigation, we are not able to provide further comment regarding any specifics at this time.' When announcing the lottery system nearly a year ago, Beshear called it a fair process meant to remove any temptation to lobby in an effort to 'get a leg up in different ways that we don't want to see.' Limiting cultivator, processor and dispensary licenses was meant to avoid flooding the market with medicinal cannabis products that could exceed demand, hurting the fledgling businesses, Beshear said. The governor has said the program could be expanded with more businesses in the future, depending on demand and whether more qualifying medical conditions are added. Kentucky lawmakers legalized medical cannabis for people suffering from a range of debilitating illnesses, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. Kentucky's medical cannabis program launched at the start of 2025. The cultivation and distribution network is ramping up for the start of sales. More than 8,000 Kentuckians so far have received a medical cannabis card, Beshear said, and ground was broken recently for a cultivation operation. 'We are working as fast as we can to get safe, reliable medical cannabis on the shelves for those who qualify for a card,' Beshear said Thursday. The medical cannabis probe is the latest review of the Democratic governor's administration by the auditor's office. Earlier this year, Ball said a preliminary review found that dozens of foster children in Kentucky spent nights sleeping in social services buildings while awaiting placement by a state agency. Ball said those preliminary findings have spurred a broader investigation.
Associated Press
17-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Kentucky auditor announces investigation of the state's medical cannabis program
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's auditor said Thursday that her office will investigate the state's medical cannabis program after receiving complaints about the lottery system used to award highly sought-after licenses to grow, process and sell the medicinal products to eligible patients. Auditor Allison Ball said her office will examine the application process and how business licenses were awarded as part of its review of the Office of Medical Cannabis in Gov. Andy Beshear's administration. The state received thousands of applications for licenses, and Beshear has said the state-run lotteries last year were a fair way to give applicants a chance to land the limited number of licenses awarded. The governor's office said Thursday that the licensing regulations underwent legislative reviews and that the process to award the licenses was transparent, including the live-streaming of lotteries. 'The individuals who have come forward to express 'concerns' went through the full process and did not complain until after not being selected in the lottery,' Beshear spokeswoman Crystal Staley said. However, reviews by Louisville Public Media found that out-of-state residents dominated the lotteries for licenses, tracing it to a flood of applications from deep-pocketed companies. In announcing the probe Thursday, the state's Republican auditor said: 'My office has continued to receive complaints about how the Office of Medical Cannabis administered the lottery process for awarding medical cannabis business licenses. Kentuckians should have confidence that state offices operate with transparency and integrity, and my office is committed to ensuring those standards.' Asked for details about who lodged complaints, Ball's office replied: 'To avoid disrupting the ongoing investigation, we are not able to provide further comment regarding any specifics at this time.' When announcing the lottery system nearly a year ago, Beshear called it a fair process meant to remove any temptation to lobby in an effort to 'get a leg up in different ways that we don't want to see.' Limiting cultivator, processor and dispensary licenses was meant to avoid flooding the market with medicinal cannabis products that could exceed demand, hurting the fledgling businesses, Beshear said. The governor has said the program could be expanded with more businesses in the future, depending on demand and whether more qualifying medical conditions are added. Kentucky lawmakers legalized medical cannabis for people suffering from a range of debilitating illnesses, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. Kentucky's medical cannabis program launched at the start of 2025. The cultivation and distribution network is ramping up for the start of sales. More than 8,000 Kentuckians so far have received a medical cannabis card, Beshear said, and ground was broken recently for a cultivation operation. 'We are working as fast as we can to get safe, reliable medical cannabis on the shelves for those who qualify for a card,' Beshear said Thursday. The medical cannabis probe is the latest review of the Democratic governor's administration by the auditor's office. Earlier this year, Ball said a preliminary review found that dozens of foster children in Kentucky spent nights sleeping in social services buildings while awaiting placement by a state agency. Ball said those preliminary findings have spurred a broader investigation.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Author fights back against lawmakers on the brink of backsliding into major health crisis: 'This is not a partisan issue'
Silas House didn't plan on becoming the face of a fight against water pollution, but when a bill showed up that could weaken protections across his home state, he spoke up. The Kentucky-born author joined other residents and environmental advocates at the edge of the Kentucky River to push back against Senate Bill 89, as reported by Louisville Public Media. The bill, already passed by the state Senate, would change how Kentucky defines "waters of the commonwealth." That shift could mean many small streams, creeks, and even groundwater would lose state-level protection, which is a move that House, along with local residents like Madison Mooney and conservation leaders like Gerry James, say puts people's health and drinking water at risk. "Our creeks and rivers, no matter how small, are all connected. We all live downstream," House said during a press event organized by groups including the Sierra Club, according to Louisville Public Media. Growing up in Eastern Kentucky, House says the creeks near his home were a place to play, explore, and connect with nature. That experience made him value water as part of the "commons" — a shared resource that everyone relies on and has a responsibility to protect. "This bill breaks that code," he said. Under SB 89, water would only be protected if it's considered "navigable" under federal law. But most people in rural areas don't rely on big rivers since they are relying on small streams and private wells. A 2019 report by the U.S. Geological Survey found that about 43 million Americans use private wells for drinking water, which are often more vulnerable to contamination and less strictly regulated than public water systems. And in Kentucky, the risks are real. According to the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, many parts of Eastern and Western Kentucky depend on groundwater, and that water could lose state protections if SB 89 becomes law. Mooney also worries about the cost of cleaning up water once it's polluted. How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Water systems in Eastern Kentucky are struggling with aging and out-of-date infrastructure as it is," said Mooney, a Martin County resident who works with local water groups. "Large-scale pollution, which this bill will allow, doesn't only destroy our creeks. It makes drinking water unaffordable for Kentuckians." Those concerns aren't unfounded. A 2024 report from the American Water Works Association found that protecting drinking water at the source is one of the most cost-effective ways to keep water safe, with over 60% of utilities already implementing or working on source water protection plans. "This is not a partisan issue," said fellow speaker Gerry James of the Sierra Club. "It's about the health of our communities." Helping out on issues like this doesn't have to mean taking legal action or showing up at governmental buildings. Local and national groups doing this kind of work often rely on donations to stay active — whether they're fighting pollution, improving access to clean water, or pushing for stronger protections in their communities, as the Sierra Club often does. You can also make an impact by choosing to support brands that are trying to make more eco-conscious choices for the environment. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
