Latest news with #Tichenor
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
3rd-parties could soon issue Kentucky driver's licenses but concern for long lines remains
KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Anyone who's had to visit a driver licensing office anytime lately had good odds to also face a long wait. As the legislative session begins to conclude, a little relief made it to the finish line, but some lawmakers see a missed opportunity to fix the problem. Coach Mark Pope offers to cover gas for BBN fans heading to NCAA tournament: 'Hit me up' 3rd-parties could soon issue Kentucky driver's licenses but concern for long lines remains Suspect arrested after Kentucky hostage situation 'It is so frustrating. It's so maddening. I get emails all the time,' Sen. Lindsey Tichenor (R-Smithfield) told FOX 2022, Kentuckians could get a driver's license in any of Kentucky's 120 counties. The change to a regional system was prompted by the federal REAL ID Act to improve security. However, the reduction to only 34 regional locations to get a license has naturally led to longer wait times. And requirements this year for both a vision screening and REAL ID are increasing the foot traffic.'It can be quite infuriating when you take your day, and you end up waiting in line all day long and you still don't get into the building. And you may have an appointment. And you may not have an appointment, but they are just bogged down,' Tichenor said. Sen. Tichenor was one of several lawmakers who filed proposals this year to cut down on the wait. House Bill 518 would have returned a clerk model. Tichenor's Senate Bill 166 would have brought a regional office to counties with a population of 50 thousand or more. 'I think that would have opened up five new centers, if I'm correct, which really would help it a tremendous amount,' Tichenor said. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Neither of those bills passed; however, a provision was included in Senate Bill 43 allowing third parties like AAA to also be able to issue licenses. As of Tuesday afternoon, the bill was still awaiting action from Gov. Andy Beshear. 'Now they won't be able to do testing or permitting, but they'll be able to do the renewals and be able to do the REAL ID,' Tichenor explained. However, Tichenor said she does not expect an immediate impact and believes that it will require the flexibility of a budget session next year to pay for opening more driver licensing offices. Tichenor said she is also hopeful that by next year a Kentucky State Police pilot program for pop-up licensing can expand. But until then, she encourages trying to renew online with the proper vision paperwork or seeking out a passport card to satisfy REAL ID requirements if someone is unable to make the time for a lengthy office wait. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY Senate approves bill to weaken open records law for police, other public agencies
The Kentucky Senate on Friday easily passed a bill to make it easier for police departments to withhold law enforcement records from the public under the Kentucky Open Records Act. The bill returned to the House, which must concur with the Senate's actions and give it final passage. House Bill 520 makes crucial changes to the state's open records law by lowering the government's burden of proof when it wants to withhold crime incident reports, 911 tapes, investigative files and other related documents. Instead of having to provide specific evidence of how releasing a record to the public would imperil an ongoing investigation, as is currently required, police only would have to say that disclosure could 'pose an articulable risk of harm' to them or their pending casework. 'This change makes the burden more reasonable for law enforcement agencies to comply with and protects public safety by ensuring that protected information related to investigations is not prematurely released while law enforcement actions and investigations are ongoing,' said state Sen. Danny Carroll, a former assistant police chief in Paducah, arguing for the bill on the Senate floor. Apart from local and state police, the bill also covers records held by public agencies that conduct administrative investigations into alleged wrongdoing, such as the state's inspectors general and regulatory and licensing boards. Before the Senate floor vote, Carroll, R-Paducah, withdrew a Senate committee substitute, adopted on Thursday, that contained even broader language. The substitute would have allowed police to withhold records if they were willing to say that disclosure 'could pose a risk of harm.' That version barely survived the Senate committee vote. The Senate voted 25-to-12 in favor of the bill, with most of the chamber's Democratic minority joined by several libertarian-leaning Republicans who appeared wary of promoting government secrecy. 'It looks like a really simple change — it's changing a 'would' to a 'could,'' said state Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, explaining her opposition to the bill. 'But 'could' is very subjective,' Tichenor said. 'And making such a significant yet minor change really changes our Open Records Act, which potentially closes off transparency. This 'would' has been in place for 49 years and has served its purpose well.' Kentuckians have a legitimate right to know what's happening with criminal cases, especially if they're the ones who were personally affected, Tichenor said. Advocates of open government protested Friday that the bill is an attack on years of court rulings in open records appeals in which police have been told either to release records to the public or be more specific in explaining why requested records should be withheld. Most recently, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled last year for the Courier Journal in its fight for 911 tapes and other records related to a deadly high-speed car crash involving police in the city of Shively in Jefferson County. Unable to prevail at the courthouse, police have asked the General Assembly to rewrite the open records law in their favor, said Amye Bensenhaver, a former assistant attorney general and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. 'It was, and still is, so clearly a legislative reversal of the Shively opinion and a decade plus of thoughtful judicial analysis. It has the attorney general's fingerprints all over it, and is obviously driven by law enforcement,' Bensenhaver told the Herald-Leader. 'In my view, the proposed Senate bar for justifying denial is the lowest ever: an agency statement 'that the disclosure of the information could pose a risk of harm to the agency or its investigation,'' Bensenhaver said. 'We are so screwed if this passes.' The bill is publicly endorsed by the Kentucky League of Cities, the Kentucky Police Chiefs Association and the Kentucky Sheriffs Association. A note prepared for and attached to the bill by legislative staffers suggests that by making it easier to deny requests, the bill likely would 'reduce the administrative burden on local law enforcement agencies by limiting the volume of records they must review and redact before responding to open records requests.'
Boston Globe
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
What happened to Hamlet before ‘Hamlet'?
'Our challenge was to write a play with less of the improvisational, vaudevillian aspect of our 'complete' works,' says Tichenor, who spoke on a zoom call from Chicago, with Martin calling in from California. The company is technically based in New York, but the creators make their homes across the country, gathering for their tours. The result is a story that imagines what happened earlier in the Prince of Denmark's life, offering opportunities to get to know some characters who are only mentioned in passing in William Shakespeare's tragedy of 'Hamlet.' 'We meet Ophelia's mom,' says Martin, 'and Yorick [whose skull Hamlet memorably holds] is very much alive, so Hamlet gets to spend a lot of time with him.' Of course, the focus on the court jester offered Tichenor another opportunity to reference award-winning performer Martin and Tichenor say they've recontextualized their prequel to Shakespeare's story 'to make it equally about Hamlet and Ophelia, as well as to make it funny.' The story hinges on Hamlet's friendship with Yorick and his decision to stage a play. 'We wondered where Hamlet got his extensive knowledge of the theater,' Tichenor says. 'So we used that, and the plot culminates in a production that serves as a fundraiser for the nunnery.' Advertisement Martin and Tichenor, who've been writing together and sometimes performing as part of the RSC since 1992, tweaked their collaboration for 'The Comedy of Hamlet,' although they know each other's styles so well they were already thinking along the same lines. Tichenor says he shared the idea with Martin and Martin took the first pass at a draft. 'The play is an original story,' says Tichenor, 'lovingly ripped off from 'Hamlet.'' 'The Comedy of Hamlet' opens with the appearance of a ghost, and includes lots of references to Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' some of which are fleshed out while others are just tossed in, including Claudius saying he's off to take a nap in the orchard. The choice of 'Hamlet' was easy, both men agree. Left to Right: Doug Harvey as Hamlet, Geoffrey Barnes as Yorick, and Austin Tichenor as The King. Meg Moore/ 'It's Shakespeare's most influential play, and everyone gets the references,' Martin says. 'But we follow in the tradition of the classic Adds Tichenor: 'Kids especially get all the jokes. We like to rate it, 'PG-13: pretty good if you're 13.' At the same time, the choice of telling Hamlet's story just before he goes off to school reflects the writers' own experiences as parents of college-age children considering careers as artists. 'Like every parent, we were anxious they choose more financially secure careers,' Tichenor says. In keeping with the RSC's condensed approach, three actors – Doug Harvey, Jeff Barnes, and Tichenor – play more than a dozen characters, and because it's an homage to Shakespeare, all of the lines are written in iambic pentameter, and the writers endeavored to preserve references and stylistic flourishes that will sound familiar to audiences. Advertisement While Harvey and Barnes are newer to RSC, Tichenor says they are both experienced Shakespearean actors. 'But honestly,' says Martin, 'when we hold auditions, we ask people to tell us a joke.' 'We're really looking for actors who can play silly material straight and with urgency,' says Tichenor. 'The Comedy of Hamlet,' says Tichenor, guarantees a lot of laughter, 'but also has a lot of poignancy and power that will take audiences by surprise.' From screen to stage: My Dinner with André For the first time since achieving cult status with the film release in 1981, THE REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: THE COMEDY OF HAMLET! (A PREQUEL) Written and directed by Martin Martin & Austin Tichenor. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Company in Liberty Hall, 50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell. March 12-30. Tickets: $15-$80. 978-654-4678,
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Concerns swirl among Kentucky school district leaders around dismantling U.S. Department of Education
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — It's the battle between two schools of thought: Should public education be left in the hands of the federal government or the states? President Trump has a clear position, which was something he campaigned on, to leave it up to the states. Linda McMahon became the United States Secretary of Education in a party-line vote on Monday. Now, the possibility of dismantling the Department of Education is one step closer to reality. Charges pending following reported rape, strangulation of Asbury student 'It was very clear that privatizing education and dismantling the department was one of her (McMahon's) goals. So that was a little disheartening,' said President, Fayette County Education Association, Jessica Hiler. Those who oppose the executive order by the president to do this say the effects would be detrimental. Hiler said, 'Kentucky policy estimates that if the Department of Education closes, we could see a 16% budget reduction in Fayette County Public Schools, which is about $29.7 million from the Department of Education. It could mean 217 educator jobs.' Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, gave her outlook on the issue, saying, 'We have a shortage of teachers, and they're all employed by the state. I'm not sure how federal funding or the Department of Education at the federal level being shut down would have any effect on that.' A major concern comes from Title I funding for high-poverty schools for nearly 500,000 children in Kentucky. But Sen. Tichenor said any laws passed by the federal government won't change unless repealed by Congress. She believes redirecting funds at the local level would be more effective. Millersburg man allegedly stole medical items from Family Dollar, told officers he had been drinking while on medication Concerns swirl among Kentucky school district leaders around dismantling U.S. Department of Education Soldiers from Fort Campbell deployed to southern border 'I think it's going to look a lot more promising for education as a whole in Kentucky, knowing where our needs are and how we can direct those and serve the needs that we have as a state,' said Sen. Tichenor. Dissolving the Department of Education isn't as easy as the click of the president's pen, though. It requires congressional approval, which would likely fail without 60 Senate votes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills dealing with religious freedom moving in Kentucky General Assembly
A Louisville church is shown. Several bills in the General Assembly have to do with faith. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) FRANKFORT — Several bills moving in the Kentucky legislature this session deal with faith — from regulating the expression of religion in public schools to addressing what legal actions someone can take if they feel their religious expression has been hindered. Of the more than a dozen religious bills or resolutions filed by lawmakers have been introduced in previous legislative sessions, but a few are poised for successful floor votes in the House and Senate this time around. On Tuesday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 19, which would require schools to have a moment of silence at the start of each school day where students may 'meditate, pray or engage in any other silent activity.' It now goes to the House for further consideration, where a similar measure has been introduced. Also in the House, bills have been filed that would allow the Ten Commandments to be read or posted in public schools. Senate committees last Thursday forwarded a few pieces of legislation dealing with religion, such as Senate Bill 60, which would give citizens who feel that their religious exercise 'has been substantially burdened' a right to sue. The topic was so frequent on Thursday, Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Reggie Thomas, of Lexington, said in the Senate Education Committee that 'I guess this is my religious day at the Capitol.' After the committee meeting, Thomas told the Kentucky Lantern that he agreed with some of the legislation, like studying alleged cases of antisemitism on campuses. He also said he didn't have an issue with the moment of silence bill since students may use the time how they want. 'However, where we see religion being used as a means to disrupt health regulations or safety regulations or discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, I will oppose those always,' Thomas said. Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, called religious legislation 'maybe in response to some of the things we've seen rising up in Kentucky in the last several years.' Tichenor appeared before the education committee to present her Senate Joint Resolution 55, which resolution is aimed at combating antisemitism at Kentucky public universities and requiring reporting on such cases. Joining her were Louisville Democratic Rep. Daniel Grossberg and Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council. The resolution could soon move to the Senate floor for a full vote. 'I could maybe argue that we have seen an attack on religion in Kentucky by some, and this is more than likely just a natural response to get back to, 'OK, what's our what's our history? Where does Kentucky stand on these issues?'' Tichenor told the Lantern. During the Senate committee debate on the moment of silence bill, Tichenor argued there is 'a deep, deep history of Christianity in this country' and could be an opportunity to teach students about how Christianity has impacted U.S. laws. 'I think teaching that as a historical fact to our students can be incredibly valuable — alongside letting them know this is voluntary. It's not something required,' Tichenor said. The office of Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman opined last week that legislation to restore a Ten Commandments monument to the Capitol grounds and to public schools to display the Ten Commandments in ways that 'lack a 'plainly religious,' 'pre-eminent purpose'' and highlight the texts 'undeniable historical meaning' would likely not be unconstitutional. The opinion had been requested by multiple lawmakers in the House and Senate. Richard Nelson, the executive director of the conservative Commonwealth Policy Center, said in a Tuesday interview that the U.S. is 'not a secular nation, nor are we a nation that imposes a national religion or a national church.' He said that 'threats, largely at the national level, to religious freedom' may be why Kentucky lawmakers are introducing bills on the topic of religious freedom. 'Religious freedom' is more than attending a worship service, Nelson said. It also includes the ability to freely live your life without government coercion in public spaces, personally-owned businesses and one's community. 'The legislature believes in this so strongly that they are doing all they can to shore up religious freedom for every Kentuckian, and I think that's a good thing,' Nelson said. David Walls, the executive director of conservative policy group The Family Foundation, said in a statement to the Lantern that while the organization was 'grateful that the U.S. Supreme Court has moved to restore a proper understanding of religious liberty in recent cases,' the commonwealth 'still has a way to go at the state level to adequately protect religious liberty.' 'A recently released index on religious liberty placed Kentucky at 34th in the country due to the weaknesses of our current laws on religious freedom,' Walls said. 'We encourage the General Assembly to support legislation that will strengthen and add to our current religious freedom protections, like SB 60, to ensure that Kentuckians of all faiths may practice their religion freely without excessive interference from the government.' 'If there's an attack on religion in Kentucky, it would certainly be an attack on minority religious views,' said Corey Shapiro, the legal director of the ACLU of Kentucky. 'If we want to be promoting religion, we should be promoting it in a way that reflects the diversity in our commonwealth,' he said. 'Any sort of response to a purported attack is ignoring how that's going to make the Jewish student from Louisville, the Muslim student from Lexington, feel when they're either in school or at the Capitol.' It's also an 'incredible missed opportunity to focus on best practices in public schools, none of which involve religion,' Shapiro argued. 'It is clear that the people in Kentucky want our legislature to focus on public schools and improving our public schools, and putting money into religion is not the answer, and it's not what Kentuckians want.' Mindy Haas, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, said in a statement that while the Jewish community 'is not a monolith and perspectives may vary,' many within it agree 'on the importance of upholding religious freedom and preventing government overreach into matters of faith.' Haas noted that 'extreme actions at both the federal and state levels make it clear that personal agendas are often prioritized over the well-being of the American people.' She also raised concerns over a 'growing trend of political decisions being increasingly influenced by religious ideology, creating division rather than protecting religious expression and inclusion.' 'This shift blurs the critical separation between religion and state, a principle that safeguards both government neutrality and religious freedom,' Haas said. 'When lawmakers impose religious doctrine through policy, it threatens the pluralism that allows individuals to practice their faith — or no faith at all — without government interference.'
