Latest news with #MattLockett
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky's Make America Healthy Again taskforce meets
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kentucky lawmakers are joining in the effort known as Make America Healthy Again. The Make America Healthy Again task force held its first meeting on Wednesday in Frankfort. Kentucky's Make America Healthy Again taskforce meets Pulaski County man injured in shooting 2 dead after McCreary County ATV crash The group was formed for state lawmakers to hold similar health and lifestyle reviews to what's being done in the nation's capital. In Wednesday's first meeting, lawmakers described a wide range of issues they want to explore. 'When we look at health outcomes in our Commonwealth and in Kentucky, we see that we lag behind a lot of the other states in the nation. And so we want to look for, come up with, discover, recommend a lot of different ideas,' Rep. Matt Lockett (R-Nicholasville), task force co-chair, said. According to the Kentucky League of Cities website, members will evaluate issues like chronic disease, access to care, nutrition, and wellness education and study successful public health models from other states. Airbnb generates an estimated $590 million in Kentucky in 2024 Study shows Kentucky among the poorest states Kentucky's most misspelled word, according to study The task force doesn't have any legislative authority, but it can make recommendations that lawmakers consider during the 2026 General Assembly session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Public forum held to address Jessamine County school safety concerns
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — Two recent lockdowns at schools put many Jessamine County community members on edge. A public forum was held at East Jessamine High School on Tuesday, with organizers hoping to help put minds at ease. The forum comes after two recent reports of a gun in school. One stemmed from a prank at East Jessamine High School. In the other case, a vaping device was mistaken for a gun by a student at East Jessamine Middle School. 'Ninety-nine point nine percent of all of those situations turn out to be something that is not going to bring a real threat to people, but as they said previously, we have to take them all seriously,' Brady Thornton, West Jessamine High School principal, said. Public forum held to address Jessamine County school safety concerns Kentucky's oldest WWII veteran dies at 108 Kentucky volunteer group uses decoy accounts to bust child predators Leaders took turns answering questions, most of them dealing with the lockdown procedure. Kentucky State Representative Matt Lockett (R) was the forum moderator. He read a statement from a parent that said they wanted quicker communication from the schools when a lockdown occurs. 'So please understand that I think you all would much rather get an accurate message with facts that's pretty well written,' responded Beth Carpenter, director of student services. 'Sometimes the reality is that to get the message right, it's not going to be instant.' One parent who attended praised responders for acting quickly but said she was also upset it took an hour for her to hear from the school after the event. 'I understand you have to wait and get all the information, but an hour after that incident, and I'm going out of my mind,' Kristina Blanton said. Superintendent Sara Crum said messages started going out through the communication app 'Remind' within about 12 minutes. Leaders mentioned there were some complications with the app, and they have worked to fix the problems and are learning from the situation. Read more of the latest Kentucky news 'I hear your frustration and know what we're working on on our end too is pre-messaging,' Carpenter said. A petition has been started to get metal detectors installed in the schools. Crum said there is research that says they are not the answer to school safety, but the idea is not off the table. However, she said right now there is not enough staff or money to put detectors in place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky legislature moves to implement Make America Healthy Again
Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, left, joined Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, right, to discuss the Make America Healthy Again Kentucky taskforce. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — The Kentucky legislature is moving to incorporate the Trump administration's 'Make America Healthy Again' principles in the commonwealth. On Tuesday, members of the Senate Families and Children Committee unanimously — and with bipartisan support — passed a resolution to establish the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Task Force. The task force would be composed of eight legislative members — four from the Senate and four from the House — including two Democrats and six Republicans, appointed by each chamber's leadership, who would meet at least once a month during the interim. The task force would also include the Cabinet for Health and Family Services secretary, Kentucky Department for Public Health commissioner, Department for Community Based Services commissioner, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education and the chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensure and Certification for Dietitians and Nutritionists, or their designees. By Dec. 1, the task force would submit a report with recommendations to the governor and the Legislative Research Commission outlining ways to improve the health of Kentuckians. Primary sponsor Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, acknowledged the federal plan isn't finalized yet but said 'this is our starting point' to start addressing Kentucky's dismal health statistics. Kentucky is one of the least healthy states in the nation, with high rates of diabetes and cancer deaths, maternal mortality and more. President Donald Trump's Feb. 13 executive order gave the federal MAHA commission 100 days to submit a report on their findings into a slew of health issues, including antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), weight-loss drugs and more. While waiting on more federal direction, Funke Frommeyer said, her MAHA Kentucky goals include: Reevaluate Medicaid drug approvals. Scrutinize drugs like ozempic and propose a thorough review of the Medicaid approval process 'to ensure that the high cost for forever medications like ozempic are only used when truly necessary.' Promote preventative and alternative therapies. Encourage the adoption of less invasive, more holistic treatments 'consistent with … restoring American health over corporate profit.' Revamp medical and dental curricula to '(ensure) future providers are educated on addressing the root causes of chronic illness, rather than solely relying on pharmaceuticals.' Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, praised the parts of the resolution that encourages reduction of environmental pollutants and increased access to nutritious food. 'I know that in my district, and in Louisville, that there is a lack of access to fresh food, grocery stores and then there's a lot of environmental issues,' said Herron, who voted in favor of the resolution. 'I look forward to learning more about this and working with you all to really get down to those root causes, to make sure that all Kentuckians have access to be healthy.' The federal commission's report should come out in late May. 'We want to communicate the vision, clearly articulate that the goal is to enhance public health and prevent over medication,' Funke Frommeyer said, 'not to attack agriculture, not to attack pharmaceutical companies, not to attack processed food industries.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill would restrict junk food from SNAP benefits in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Kentucky lawmaker wants to put more restrictions on families who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). House Bill 279, filed by Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, would ban snap purchases of junk food and other 'accessory foods.' Items include: Soft drinks Prepared desserts Chips Energy drinks Other foods with minimal nutritional value Lockett argues the program should focus on nutrition, as obesity and diabetes hit low-income families hardest. Kentucky bill could reverse efforts to curb puppy mill suppliers Bill would restrict junk food from SNAP benefits in Kentucky Former Kentucky football player found dead in Las Vegas The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports SNAP spending on sugary foods outpaces fruits and vegetables by $400 million annually. This bill would follow the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children's (WIC) more strict guidelines to improve health and cut government healthcare costs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP lawmaker files bill to ensure Kentucky schools have ‘gender-specific' restrooms
Superintendent Demetrius Liggins included this rendering in his presentation to a legislative committee in Frankfort, Aug. 20, 2024. Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, objected to the design. A Republican lawmaker is hoping to close what he calls a 'potential loophole' in a state law governing school restrooms in Kentucky. Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, has introduced House Bill 163, which would require at least 95% of restrooms within a school building to be designated for 'a specific biological sex.' It comes after a few Republican lawmakers, including Lockett, grilled Fayette County Public Schools officials last summer about the new Mary E. Britton Middle School, which is set to open later this year. However, a school district spokesperson said the bill wouldn't apply to the proposed design. The school's restroom design features private stalls with floor-to-ceiling doors and an open communal sink area as a way to allow students to be supervised by adults and potentially curb situations of bad behavior. Lockett's bill has not been assigned to a committee; lawmakers return to Frankfort next week to resume the 2025 legislative session. When asked for comment on the bill, Lockett said in an email to the Kentucky Lantern that he filed the bill 'to provide a statewide, clear policy regarding biological sex-specific restroom facilities after concerns were raised about a potential loophole in previous legislation passed during the 2023 Regular Session (SB 150).' That law was omnibus legislation that included several anti-transgender measures, such as requiring schools to create policies keeping people from using bathrooms, locker rooms or showers that 'are reserved for students of a different biological sex.' Lexington middle school's restroom design draws ire of Republican lawmakers in Frankfort Lockett said preserving 'gender-specific bathrooms based on biological sex ensures privacy, safety, and comfort for all users.' 'While the issue was brought to my attention by constituents in Fayette County, the measure would address concerns that parents and students have regardless of what school district they attend,' he said. 'We have an obligation to respect personal boundaries and accommodate biological differences.' Dia Davidson-Smith, a spokesperson for FCPS, said in a statement to the Kentucky Lantern that the school district did not have a comment on the bill at this time, but the restroom plans for the middle school 'have remained unchanged since last year.' 'The restroom designs at Britton Middle School are gender-specific and this bill has no impact on them,' Davidson-Smith said. Last year, the school district said the restrooms would not be 'gender-neutral' as the pods would be designated for boys or girls. It also added that Lockett's district does not include the part of Fayette County where the new middle school would be, so his constituents would not be impacted. Superintendent Demetrus Liggins told lawmakers at the time the new configuration would allow adults to better supervise students. He noted that a 2021 TikTok trend encouraged damage and theft, particularly in boys' restrooms, and cost the school district $42,000 in repairs. According to the 2023-24 School Safety Annual Statistical Report from the Kentucky Department of Education, 13,524 behavior events happened in school restrooms across the state. That accounted for about 5% of all reported behavior events during the school year.
