Latest news with #RussellColeman
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
$4.8M for unfinished work: Attorney General pledges accountability for Lexington Blue roofing
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — A court order has mandated the roofing company, Lexington Blue, to immediately cease operations. An investigation into the company was opened by Attorney General Russell Coleman after learning that the company allegedly accepted $4.8 million for more than 300 projects, and the majority went unfinished. RELATED | Kentucky roofing company facing lawsuit after allegedly going out of business with unfinished paid projects lined up More than 70 of its clients have filed complaints, the attorney general's office said. According to the Lexington Blue website, the company had to close due to 'extraordinary and unforeseen challenges, including unrelenting internal disruptions and attempts to sabotage our operations, including, but not limited to, negative press and reviews.' 'We are constantly on guard against predatory organizations that try to take advantage of Kentuckians, and we will hold these bad actors accountable,' Coleman said. 'We're sending a strong message to scammers that they will face serious consequences when they operate within our Commonwealth.' $4.8M for unfinished work: Attorney General pledges accountability for Lexington Blue roofing Kentucky man killed in tornado remembered for his hard work, kind heart: 'He wanted to give back' Study shows Kentucky among the poorest states The court order will prevent Lexington Blue and its operators from transferring or liquidating assets and freeze the defendant's corporate and personal accounts. Coleman encourages anyone affected by the company to contact the office here or by calling (888)432-9257. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Abortions remain outlawed in Kentucky as ACLU ends lawsuit challenging ban
A courtroom challenge to two laws behind Kentucky's near-total abortion ban has been dropped, leaving the procedure outlawed under almost all circumstances. The ACLU of Kentucky announced May 30 it has dropped a lawsuit it filed last in late 2024 challenging the "trigger law" banning abortions that went into effect immediately after the Roe v. Wade decision was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as a separate law outlawing abortions before determining whether a fetal heartbeat exists. In a release, the nonprofit's Kentucky branch said it would continue to push for the overturning of bans on abortion, as people "have the right to control their own bodies without government interference." "We are strategizing our next steps in this fight," Executive Director Amber Duke said. "In the meantime, our work to address the commonwealth's maternal mortality rates and lack of widespread paid leave coverage will continue as long as Kentucky remains a forced-birth state.' Attorney General Russell Coleman, who'd been named as a defendant alongside Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander, Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure Executive Director Michael Rodman and Commonwealth's Attorney Gerina Whethers, said Kentuckians "can be proud that our pro-life values won the day today, and innocent lives will continue to be saved as a result." The decision to drop the lawsuit was voluntary by the ACLU, according to a Friday filing in Jefferson Circuit Court. The class action lawsuit was filed last November on behalf of Mary Poe, a pseudonym for a woman seven weeks pregnant who wanted to end her pregnancy. It argued laws banning abortions in Kentucky cause "irreparable harm" and are "an affront to the health and dignity of all Kentuckians." "The inability to access abortion in the Commonwealth forcibly imposes the health risks and physical burdens of continued pregnancy on all Kentuckians who would otherwise choose to access safe and legal abortion," the lawsuit said. The law requiring an ultrasound before ending a pregnancy was passed by the Kentucky legislature in 2017 and upheld by a federal appeals court two years later. After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, the state immediately banned all abortions unless the mother's life is at risk. Several bills filed by Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature in the years since have sought to add exceptions, including pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but the proposals have not moved. House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, has cited the open lawsuit as a key reason why action hasn't been taken, though abortion exceptions remain "a very active topic of conversation among our caucus." "I think it's going to continue to be very difficult until that lawsuit plays its way out to replace a law that is being litigated," he said in a January interview on KET. The ACLU had argued the legislature could take action even with the lawsuit pending. Lawmakers did approve a bill in March outlining medical conditions and complications that are not considered an abortion under state law. Sponsor Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, said the bill removes "legal ambiguity" from state statutes, though opponents argued it didn't go far enough and was approved without consensus from the medical community. The GOP holds supermajorities in both chambers in Frankfort, even strengthening their hold this week when Eastern Kentucky Sen. Robin Webb changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Webb was the lone Democrat in the state Senate outside Louisville and Lexington. Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, said during the session that Republicans in the legislature "continue to have conversations over this issue." "I think (Osborne) said it best — we don't really have a clear direction where our caucus wants to go on this," Rudy said in January. Four states bordering Kentucky — Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia — have banned abortions. The procedure remains "mostly accessible" in Ohio and Virginia, according to Planned Parenthood, and fully accessible in Illinois. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@ This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky abortion ban still in place as ACLU drops lawsuit over ban
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Lawsuit challenging Kentucky's near-total ban on abortions is withdrawn
Attorneys for a woman who sued Kentucky seeking to restore the right to an abortion have dropped their challenge to the state's near-total ban on the procedure. The attorneys filed a motion Friday to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit, but did not give a reason for seeking to drop the case. The lawsuit had been filed last year in state court in Louisville on behalf of a woman who was seven weeks pregnant at the time and identified only by the pseudonym Mary Poe to protect her privacy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, which had represented the woman, said in a statement it would not give additional details about the dismissal. 'People have the right to control their own bodies without government interference, and we will never stop fighting to restore abortion access in Kentucky,' said Amber Duke, executive director of the ACLU of Kentucky. 'We are strategizing our next steps in this fight.' The lawsuit was challenging Kentucky's near-total trigger law ban and a separate six-week ban, both of which were passed by Republican legislative majorities. The trigger law took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. 'Kentuckians can be proud that our pro-life values won the day today and innocent lives will continue to be saved as a result,' Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, a Republican, posted on X . The trigger law bans abortions except to save the life of the patient or to prevent disabling injury. It does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Republican lawmakers earlier this year inserted several new medical exceptions , though abortion-rights supporters said the exceptions don't add clarity and in fact undermine the judgment of doctors by remaining silent on other situations.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky vaping law upheld after monthslong court battle
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) – An appeal challenging Kentucky's vaping law was dismissed earlier in May after a monthslong court battle. Kentucky's House Bill 11 prohibited vape stores from selling non-FDA-regulated vape products. According to the bill's language, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers can sell only 'authorized' vapor products and only to customers over the age of 21. Blowback over new Kentucky vaping law prompts lawmaker to file a repeal After taking effect in January, those in the tobacco industry sounded the alarm because the list of what is regulated is a short one, and many feared the ban would put them out of business. 'Not everyone is complying with the new state orders, which is why people don't want to talk to you,' a vape store owner told FOX 56 in February, under the condition of anonymity due to concerns that their sales could be skirting the law. 'There are a lot of businesses already have closed up shop, and it's just really sad.' A lawsuit filed in December 2024 said the ban was unconstitutional. On Jan. 30, a judge dismissed the case, citing 'a lack of standing.' The case then moved to appeal. On Wednesday, May 14, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the appeal was voluntarily dismissed after months of legal battles. The order is dated May 8. Kentucky vaping law upheld after monthslong court battle 2 killed in Perry County crash, deputies investigating Multi-state fugitive allegedly found with illegal narcotics in Prestonsburg 'Kentucky's General Assembly is entrusted with the responsibility to make laws, including to promote the health and safety of our families. Our Office will continue to fight to uphold those laws in court and deliver more positive outcomes like this,' said Attorney General Coleman. Solicitor General Matt Kuhn and Principal Deputy Solicitor General Jack Heyburn reportedly led the Attorney General's defense. 'Kentucky's young people face more threats today than ever before, and I'm proud of the General Assembly's ongoing work to protect them,' said Sen. Brandon Storm, who backed the bill in the Senate. 'I'm especially grateful to Attorney General Coleman for his leadership and partnership in defending Kentucky's laws. He is an outstanding ally in our efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of Kentucky's children and families.' Click here for a look at FDA-regulated tobacco products. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AG Coleman announces court dismissed vape law challenge
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Attorney General Russell Coleman announced after a months-long court battle, the challengers to Kentucky's vaping law voluntarily dismissed their federal lawsuit before the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Sixth Circuit. AG Coleman says the dismissal effectively ends the challenge to Kentucky House Bill 11 from 2024, which established new guidelines and enforcement relating to vapor products. According to the bill's language, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers can sell only 'authorized' vapor products. In addition, retailers cannot sell even 'authorized' vapor products to those under the age of 21. AG Coleman defends law requiring sex offenders to use their full name on social media Officials say after a Kentucky federal district court dismissed the plaintiffs' challenge to the vaping law, they appealed to the Sixth Circuit in February. The Attorney General opposed the plaintiffs' request, in part because the plaintiffs sued to continue selling products that are illegal under federal law. The Sixth Circuit unanimously agreed with the Attorney General. Indiana AG says OnStar, GM sold customers' driving data without consent; led to higher insurance rates 'Kentucky's General Assembly is entrusted with the responsibility to make laws, including to promote the health and safety of our families. Our Office will continue to fight to uphold those laws in court and deliver more positive outcomes like this,' said Attorney General Coleman. The vaping legislation was passed by the General Assembly in April 2024 and took effect January 1, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
