KPR

Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear revealed his budget priorities for the next two fiscal years in his State of the Commonwealth address, calling for major new investments in education and to address affordability.

The Kentucky General Assembly opened the 2026 session in new temporary lodgings with no gallery for in-person viewing. Lawmakers’ top mission will be to pass a two-year budget.

Kentucky’s federal delegation had mixed reactions to the military incursion into Venezuela, including criticism from the state’s lone Democrat and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie.

After years of federal stimulus and surpluses, the Kentucky General Assembly will have to pass a state budget in a tighter fiscal environment in the 2026 session.

Communities grappled with data center projects, the cannabis industry faced delays and setbacks, and the president battled with a Kentucky congressman throughout 2025.

Earnings reports from a handful of public distillers show bleak sales. But one Turkish-based expert says young people, looking for a bargain-price buzz, are still interested in cheaper whiskey brands.

Beyond passing a two-year state budget, the GOP supermajority of the Kentucky General Assembly plans to advance bills addressing education, data centers, immigration and housing in the 2026 session.

From federal rulemakers all the way down to Kentucky lawmakers, 2025 was full of regulatory wins for mining companies. Meanwhile, health researchers confirm that deaths from black lung disease are rampant in the mine industry.

A grand jury found the prosecution did not show probable cause, so it chose not to indict a man charged with the fatal shooting earlier this month.

Kentucky Public Radio has covered a tumultuous year of federal cuts and shifts, the lawsuits challenging them, state governance and another hefty legislative session. Rediscover our top politics stories of 2025.