Below are posts associated with the “Kentucky General Assembly” tag.
🔗 linkblog: Pregnant Kentucky woman cited for street camping while in labor'
Horrific story; not sure why we’re so eager to punish the unhoused.
surveillance (but not accountability) in school acceptable use policies
It’s that time of year (again) for signing the acceptable use policy for kiddo’s school, and I’m again grumpy about a lot of the details in here. Some of these details are me being a nitpicky academic, like the use of the word “technology” to refer to digital technologies alone. Others strike me as more serious, though.
Let’s take a look at this paragraph, listed under a “Roles and Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians” header:
🔗 linkblog: College DEI programs survive as clock runs out on KY Republican supermajority'
This feels too good to be true? But if the legislation is really dead (at least this time around), I’ll take it.
what would Doctorow University look like?
One of my favorite academic anecdotes to share in conference rooms and university hallways is for my dissertation defense, two of my committee members were there via telepresence robot. This is less impressive post-2020, when a lot of defenses happen entirely over Zoom, but it’s still different than an online-only defense, so the story still attracts some interest. At any rate, as good as I thought my story was, I got a real kick out of this bit in the prologue to Cory Doctorow’s Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom:
🔗 linkblog: Criminologists cited in support of Safer Kentucky Act wonder why'
Look, even academics cite the wrong papers sometimes, but if the researchers you cite to support your crime bill don’t actually support your crime bill, that should be a warning…
🔗 linkblog: Despite ‘mass fraud’ claims, data shows few Kentuckians use student IDs to vote'
I’ve never voted for Michael Adams, but I appreciate his being a voice of reason within his own party.
🔗 linkblog: UK president to legislature: Proposed DEI, tenure legislation is ‘deeply concerning’ for Kentucky colleges'
I appreciate it when our president speaks up against legislation that would hurt the University of Kentucky.
🔗 linkblog: Ky. Senate passes bill to limit DEI in higher education in the name of free speech'
Well, crap. Not a lot of hope that House will stop this.
🔗 linkblog: House education chair says professor review bill is not aimed at limiting tenure in Kentucky - Kentucky Lantern'
You can say that, but it’s hard to understand how this isn’t limiting tenure.
🔗 linkblog: Kentucky Senate leader files bill to curb 'divisive concepts' in public higher education - Kentucky Lantern'
Welp, here’s something to pay attention to this legislative session.
🔗 linkblog: The Legislature’s Transportation Budget Cuts Contributed to the JCPS Bus Debacle - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy'
I hadn’t thought about this before, but of course the same General Assembly complaining about the JCPS bus crisis is responsible for underfunding their bus system.
🔗 linkblog: Veto puts Kentucky in thick of fight over transgender rights | Lexington Herald Leader'
Even if the Kentucky GOP is right and this is what loses Beshear the election, it it was clearly the right thing to do. I want Beshear to stay in office, but I don’t know if I could vote for him if he didn’t resist the queerphobia coming out of the General Assembly. Shame on our legislature for passing this bill—and for so clearly acknowledging here that it’s to score political points at the expense of Kentucky children.
research analytics for... industry collaboration?
Over the past several months, the University of Kentucky has been pushing us to set up profiles on a new research analytics platform. The platform looks… fine, but I’ve been irritated with some of how the platform works and curious why UK is so keen on having us fill out our profiles. It’s felt from the beginning like this is something more for UK’s benefit than for our individual benefits as faculty.
🔗 linkblog: KY lawmakers reverse vote, give politicians control of libraries | Lexington Herald Leader'
Grumpy about this this morning.
🔗 linkblog: KY libraries worried by bill giving politicians control over them | Lexington Herald Leader'
Wish that I’d been paying better attention to this legislation. Libraries are pillars of our communities and ought to retain partisan independence.
🔗 linkblog: LGBTQ biases led to uproar after board message, KY teacher says | Lexington Herald Leader'
Worries about this picking up. General Assembly took steps in a bad direction this session, but they could go further next time.
🔗 linkblog: LGBTQ advocates raise alarm against trans attacks in Ky. legislature – 89.3 WFPL News Louisville'
I have spent a few hours this week reading violently anti-trans posts as part of a research project. My patience for queerphobic dog whistles disguised as feigned concerns about girls’ sports is at zero. So disappointed in the Kentucky legislature.
🔗 linkblog: Kentucky lawmakers advance bill to resettle war refugees | Lexington Herald Leader'
I do not always have praise for the local Republican supermajority, but I’m glad to see this goes beyond Ukraine to provide support for all kinds of refugees. Tentative optimism here.
🔗 linkblog: Ky. lawmaker apologizes for comments about Jewish women during abortion debate | Lexington Herald Leader'
Textbook example of why it is never enough to say you didn’t mean any harm. This is shameful and gross.
🔗 linkblog: House Introduces Tax Bill that Would Devastate Kentucky’s Budget for a Giveaway to the Wealthy - Kentucky Center for Economic Policy'
Tremendously worrying stuff. Taxes are the price we pay for democratic society.
🔗 linkblog: KY lawmakers advance data center tax incentives to woo tech giants | Lexington Herald Leader'
Amazon already has too big a footprint here. Don’t feel great about this.
🔗 linkblog: just finished 'Ky. Republicans advance another bill banning trans girls from girls sports – 89.3 WFPL News Louisville'
Disappointed to see more legislation like this under consideration.
🔗 linkblog: just finished 'Proposed tax break for private airplanes stalls in KY House | Lexington Herald Leader'
Glad to hear this—and glad my state rep seems to me a voice of reason here.
🔗 linkblog: just finished 'Republicans limit debate on first day of Ky. legislative session – 89.3 WFPL News Louisville'
Supermajority is not enough for some folks, it seems.