♪ >> There was so much of a feeling of change in the air.

>> A Kentuckyian reflects on her time in Washington during the inauguration events.

The Kentucky connection to one of President Biden's final acts in office.

If one adult.

>> Were to use that same size instrument and another adult.

It would be considered assault.

Every school district in the state has banned the use of corporal punishment.

>> Could a state law be next?

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday, January.

21st, I'm Renee Shaw.

We thank you for spending some of your Tuesday night with us.

>> And defend the Constitution of the United States Constitution United States.

ation.

>> It's the first full day of President Donald Trump's second administration.

The 47th president of United States of America overcame impeachments criminal indictments and convictions and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House.

President Trump was sworn in yesterday afternoon before delivering a speech to the American people.

>> The golden age of American begins right now.

What?

♪ From this day forward and country will flourish and be respected again all over the world, too.

We will be the envy of every nation and we will not allow ourselves to be taking advantage of any long gun.

During every single day of the Trump administration.

I will very simply put Americans first.

♪ >> Already he's making good on a number of campaign promises by signing dozens of executive orders to among other things, clamp down on border crossings and work from home arrangements for federal executive Branch employees.

And this mantle, diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government.

President Trump also pardoned nearly all of his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol 4 years ago on January 6th, at least 2 dozen Kentuckians were arrested and charged for their role in the attack.

More than 100 officers guarding the Capitol that day were injured.

A handful of the officers would later take their own life and a statement President Trump said these pardons would end a, quote, grave national injustice that have been perpetrated upon the American people over the last 4 years and begins a process of national reconciliation.

Some Senate Republicans are condemning the move, including former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

The news website sum of 4 reports McConnell is saying, quote, No one should excuse violence, particularly violence against police officers and quote.

Many Kentuckians travel to the nation's capital for inauguration festivities.

Our Laura Rogers speaks with a Bowling Green woman who share some of the highlights of her trip to DC.

>> Mary Pierce is president of the Republican Women's Club of South Central Kentucky.

And they re your in Washington.

You observed much of the pageantry revolving around the presidential inauguration.

You attended the Bluegrass Ball Friday night.

Tell us about some of the things that you saw.

The atmosphere that you witnessed in DC over the past few days?

>> Well, there's plenty of excitement.

A lot of people were just happy to be a part of it.

And partake in the historical event that it was there was so much that feeling of change in the air, too.

And even with talking with the waitresses and drivers and the people that live in there and make the city work.

They were just even so happy that that there was change coming.

They they felt as if a big weight had been lifted and work was excited about the possibility that inflation might be coming down.

Some of these other things would be happening that would help their every day lives.

So that was that.

And just the happiness, of course, of the Republicans that were there just to experience the change and what the future could hold.

And you did get to meet with some of Kentucky's Republican delegation where those conversations.

>> They were fabulous.

We are so lucky to have so many representatives insect very influential positions.

It was so inspirational to see how important Kentucky is in this new world as we move forward with all this positive change and President Trump has moved forward very quickly.

I mean, just in the last 24 hours, he assigned dozens of executive orders.

He's issued some pardons to those who were implicated in January 6 riot at the Capitol.

Is any of that give you pause or are you comfortable with those decisions so far that you've seen from the president?

>> Personally, I'm comfortable.

I'm not speaking for anyone else, but myself.

I would say that of the people I've spoken to that had the opportunities the to quite a few men with the ladies that are in Republican Women's Club, especially.

I mean, they're just thrilled with what has been proposed.

We want to see.

I think all of us want to see more security at our border.

We want to stop the drugs coming through.

We want to stop the sex trafficking them, the illegal activities that happening there.

We want our city safe again.

We won costs to come down when it relates to the terrible inflation we've been experiencing.

Mary Pierce, president of the Republican Women's Club of South Central Kentucky.

We sure appreciate your time.

>> Oh, absolutely.

Thank you.

>> Other Kentuckyian disappointed with another Trump presidency gathered for a local quote.

We fight back rally yesterday.

Similar rallies were held in dozens of cities nationwide, including in Louisville.

Speakers called for neighbors to stand up for each other when they see someone's rights under attack.

Trump's Cabinet.

>> Boasts that it has and that word over.

340 billion dollars that his cabinet was sent.

Continue.

Privatizing and eviscerating.

What is left of our public institutions today, a right to deregulate industry at the expense of safety and consolidate corporate power over the masses.

>> Meanwhile, we witnessed a continual rise in anti-trans legislation over the last decade building to this last election cycle over 215 million was spent on anti-trans advertisements by Republicans filled with fear mongering and misinformation.

We as trans people make up less than one percent of the population.

Yet we county for over 40% of Trump's ad revenue in saying and this isn't a coincidence is a calculated attack to scapegoat and dehumanize us 2.

My trans siblings know this.

Our existence is revolutionary.

Every moment we live.

Authentically love freely and fight collectively.

We are creating the very world they tell us is impossible together we can and will fight that together.

We will win.

Yeah.

>> Louisville's party for Socialism and Liberation organized the event and November voters elected Louisville's Metro Council.

First Democratic Socialist, though Republicans also game 3 new seats on the council.

Before leaving office.

Outgoing President Joe Biden also issued a number of pardons that included a pardon for Jerry Lundergan.

The Lexington businessman and former Kentucky Democratic Party chairman was convicted on federal campaign finance charges in 2019.

Those charges were related to his daughter's failed Ron against Senator Mitch McConnell and 2014, Alison Lundergan Grimes also served 2 terms as Kentucky secretary of state from 2011 to 2019.

In a statement, Biden said Lundergan.

Now, 77 has shown remorse and helped raise money for a substance abuse treatment facility since he completed his prison sentence.

A spokesperson for the Republican Party of Kentucky criticized the move and a statement and the Westbury said Biden and his family have, quote, long benefited from the same good old boys club that protects Democratic Party insiders from Accountability.

Jerry Lundergan a longtime Democratic establishment loyalist exemplifies this cronyism, end quote.

Biden also pardoned additional members of his family on his final day in office.

The preemptive move protects his siblings and others from prosecution.

That's in addition to the pardon he issued for his son, Hunter Biden, a federal gun and tax charges.

Us Representative James Comer of Kentucky blasted that move.

The chairman of the House Oversight Committee lead an investigation into the Biden family's foreign business dealings and a statement Comer said the pardons of the quote, Biden crime family serve as a confession of their corruption as they sold out the American people to enrich themselves, unquote.

Now to Kentucky State politics, even though Kentucky lawmakers are gavel doubts until February.

The work hasn't stopped in preparation for their return.

Our June Leffler talk with some of the new faces and House Democratic leadership about their priorities for the 2025 regular session.

More about that.

And tonight's legislative update.

>> With just 20 of 100 members and the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Democrats will need to work with Republicans if they want to stop or start up new legislation.

>> A lot of times or own defense mode.

We're trying to stop what we think is bad legislation.

So use techniques and build relationships to try to do that.

Sometimes it's bending a bill that we don't like to make it less bad.

>> C in the common ground.

That's where magic happens.

If you ask any of 100 people in the General Assembly, should every child the love protected and nurtured.

They'll say yes.

Should all families have good job so they can take care of themselves?

Yes.

Should people have the right to the freedoms fall for about military members?

Yes.

So when we stay focused.

On those things, we get work done.

When we focus on our opinions about things.

That's when things get bogged down.

>> This is Representative Pamela Steven, since first session as the Democrats, House minority leader.

She's the first black woman to hold a caucus leadership position in Kentucky State House.

>> We have an enormous, a rainy day fund more money than the state of Kentucky has ever seen.

We have roads that need to be fixed.

We need to refund public education.

Because he's not being funded.

Teachers and school personnel are not getting the pay.

They need.

>> Lawmakers have already filed more than 200 bills and they'll file more when they return from break.

Newly elected minority caucus chair out Gentry will wait to see what more Republicans introduce and how his party will respond.

>> As far as advancing our policies.

It's usually more of a hey, this is what we believe in.

This is what we think should happen.

Making sure that we're good Lyle.

When we do that.

And sometimes they adopt our policies and a lot of times it.

It happens a year later with the Republican name on the league as a lead sponsor.

But if that happens and then we know we can be proud that that really was our policy.

>> I I have been married 41 years.

And I always say.

My husband agrees with everything I say.

And everybody laughs and says that's not true.

>> But, you know, we might.

So we have to get out of this.

I thought that we get into public spaces where we get into the general Assembly that if we're going to get any work done, we have to agree on everything.

That's not true.

>> We simply must find the common ground.

KET the lines of communication open and make sure that we KET the main thing.

The main thing and that is the people of Kentucky.

>> Without knowing Republicans full legislative agenda, House Democrats are keeping busy finalizing their priorities and what's next in their chamber.

Legislators will return to Frankfort on February 4th for Kentucky edition.

I'm to LaFleur.

>> Thank you, June.

Kentucky's new House Democratic leadership is rounded out by state Representative Lindsey Burke of Lexington, who serves as minority whip.

New legislative leaders also have new members to wrangle.

22 newly minted members of Kentucky's General Assembly, where welcome to Frankfort earlier this month, a few weeks ago, I caught up with Boone County State Senator Steve Rawlings of the 11th State Senate district.

He replaced John Schickel who retired after 15 years of lawmaking.

Rollins is not new to Frankfort as he'd served one term in the Kentucky House of Representatives before running for and winning his Senate seat.

I talked with him recently about his committee assignments and priorities for this legislative session that resumes in 2 weeks that in our continuing series on the Kentucky General Assembly is freshman class of 2025.

♪ ♪ >> Let's talk about when you were in the House, the kind of legislation that you're most proud that you are a part of their and what you hope for being a senator.

Okay.

Got to enjoy running a lot of bills because they were constituent generated bills.

So I appreciated the fact that people would share their ideas with me and I would run these bills.

>> And in the Senate were limited this time or just kind of kind of agreement not to run so many bills, but I enjoyed be on the Education Committee.

An issue came up in Boone County where this kid did a kill list of his friends and they put this kid right back in the school that he that he with the other kids that he threatened to kill him.

So the parents were up in arms.

So I went to school board meetings.

Anyway.

In the end, I was able to contribute to our discipline bill and contribute to that bill.

The prior session.

And so that was really great timing that I could help with that to make classrooms and teachers and students safer and more secure in their classrooms.

>> Do you still think that's an issue that's worth pursuing and a greater magnitude even in 2025?

Most definitely yes.

So there is there is propose proposals being made right now to KET working on that because we need to.

We need our teachers to feel safe and to be safe.

And in order to attract them enrich, retain them.

So that's that's a pretty pretty much a priority.

Yeah, we know that student discipline in school discipline is an issue as we've heard that from educators and say it's a disincentive to pursue right education field.

>> And we know that in the House they've actually broken off.

The committee said the educational highways.

So in in the Senate, one of the committees that you'll be a part of it is education.

One of them.

>> Education again before I was on judiciary, some not on judiciary and banking and insurance on health service says approach appropriations and revenue co-chair on the Subcommittee, the Budget Review Subcommittee for co-chair on that.

And all total them in 7 committees includes capital planning.

So I don't know if I named him a lot.

Yeah.

7 of the last line of the last time in the House we generally were on 3 committees.

I was on 3 committees.

>> But less members, more committee.

Yes, yeah.

So I have to see how that works out to shuffle the workload around.

But I'm I'm excited about that.

A month is about that because I want to learn new things like banking and insurance.

Sounds interesting to me and I've had some background and different >> areas and some of this new committees will will bring some new opportunities.

>> So talk to us about your life before being a lawmaker, what your profession and backgrounds.

>> I'm an attorney and a licensed attorney.

But I've been involved in so many different things.

I a I've been blessed to be able to built 3 homes of published a book and and I've worked in higher education.

I got teach teach.

Simon and curriculum and so I've got to do a lot of different things I've enjoyed having a diverse background.

Yeah, yeah.

>> What is it you're really passionate about when it comes to issues that affect your constituents there in northern Kentucky that you hope you can be a part of some solutions.

Some public policy solution yet in this upcoming legislative session.

>> One of the things that I ran on it was very important to our people is school choice.

So that's no longer on the table for now.

But we need to tweak other other ways of looking at that scene.

What we can do with those things.

But I socially conservative, sir.

I'm interested in strengthening families.

Parental rights, protecting the innocence of children.

And I was thinking about how people like me grew up in a wholesome environment.

So I want to do anything for the kids that we can encourage growing up in a wholesome environment and with kids be kids and not saddle them with adult issues.

So those sorts of things.

And so there's a lot to do in the education field.

I think there's been a trend away from parental rights and the schools trying to raise the children.

So you you know, I want to make sure that parents know everything that's going on have been put.

So when the session is on.

>> In the end of March, what do you hope you can say you helped get accomplished for your constituents and for the state of Kentucky.

The Bills have been working on.

For instance, one is restoring religious liberty.

It it's based on religious freedom restoration acts refer us.

So 28 states have referenced and we have a refund.

But our says 3 sentences long and there's no protections and no teeth to it.

So so I want to get that bill through.

I've had a hearing on that bill.

The past 2 sessions and had a good vote on it.

But for some reason they didn't move the bill ahead.

So that type of bill and then I've got a bill that's transfer on death deed that allows a person to sign over their home to a named beneficiary or a child and it would help so many families with end of life issues that they can just fill out this form and file it as an affidavit.

It's in the form of an affidavit, but there's people from all over the state that I'm very interested in that bill.

Some models are kind of in that van and of course where I live.

It's economic development to with the airport right there.

It's booming up there and we are really a driving force in the economy.

So I always KET that in mind to see what I can do in that regard.

♪ >> According to the most recent report card from the Kentucky Department of Education, there were 0 cases of corporal punishment in any of the state's 171 school districts during the last school year.

That's because for the first time every school board in the state has regulations banning the practice.

Our McKenzie spank has more on the details and what advocates hope for next.

>> We want our students to come to school, a safe environment, really trusted ministers with a trust teachers over a punishment or any violence in relationships and we I believe personally, that building safe school environment is fundamental to building was trusted relationships for the first time in recent history, Kentucky had 0 cases of >> Milestone achieved through the work of advocates like Alex Young who started this journey in middle school advocating for laws against corporal punishment in schools.

We're talking about corporal punishment, most predominantly with a paddle.

If an adult.

>> Were to use that same size instrument, another adult.

It would be considered assault.

And so we believe that prevent child abuse, Kentucky, that if the adult to adult would be considered assault, then an adult to a child.

It certainly >> Nationwide, we've seen it disproportionately affects communities and students of color in Kentucky.

We've seen just for impact on students who have disabilities.

The 2019, 2020 school year about 46% of incidents involved students with disabilities, about 87% of incidents involve students are economically disadvantage.

>> While there's still no legislation banning the practice, Young says changes have had.

>> And that the school board level and you found another cosi window through the state Board of Education.

Well, they are members of the school board to a pass and then straight in regulation.

But positively encourage every school district in our state to make the decision to in corporal punishment.

And that's >> Though, the Kentucky Department of Education Report found no cases of corporal punishment.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates insist paddles are still being raised in schools.

>> What I can tell you is what we still get.

Kohl's around the improper use of corporal punishment.

Is it much more rare today?

Then a few years Absolutely.

But I also don't want us as a commonwealth taking our foot off the accelerator.

>> However, prevent child abuse, Kentucky, another advocacy group against Corporal Punishment says they have not received any reports of corporal punishment leading them to believe the numbers from the Department of Education are correct.

>> I don't want to say that they haven't happened.

I'm just saying that they have not been reported or indicated to prevent child abuse.

Kentucky.

>> Both Kentucky's advocates and prevent child abuse, Kentucky.

I do agree on what they say needs to happen next.

Legislation banning corporal punishment in Kentucky schools when it comes to corporal punishment.

>> What we frequently heard was well, well, you know, I'm not for corporal punishment, but I don't want to tell schools not to do that.

Well, now that we have every school district.

Having taken a position around corporal punishment.

What I'd love to think he's that that gives the General Assembly a green light because school boards change.

Right?

So if we're at this point.

If there is a consensus that corporal punishment is ineffective.

Was and ethical.

And its very core discriminatory implementation.

Then let's go ahead and just finish it off as a topic for Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie Spank.

>> Thank you, McKenzie.

So far, this legislative session, no bills concerning corporal punishment in schools have been filed.

The deadline to file bills in the state Senate is February 18th.

It's a day later and the state House.

♪ >> The birth of a new college and a Kentucky county that never came to be.

Our Toby Gibbs has a look at some of the events that happened this week in Kentucky.

History.

♪ >> An estimated 400 Kentuckians died in the battle of Frenchtown also called the Battle of River Raisin in present day Michigan on January.

22nd 18, 13 during the war of 18, 12 British troops attacked a pioneer militia as it retreated south from Detroit.

The Kentucky General Assembly created Center college in Danville on January.

21st 18, 19 using the event common spelling of the word center.

>> Former Governor Isaac Shelby was on the first board of trustees.

Classes began in 18 20.

It was an all-male school until 1930.

A great Louisville lot was at its worst on January.

24th 1937.

As all sections of the Ohio River.

We're above flood stage for statewide damage from the flood would add up to 250 million dollars, the equivalent of 5 and a half million dollars in 2020 form.

Alvin Barkley Morning.

Graves County became America's oldest ever vice president on January.

20th 1949.

Serving under President Harry Truman.

Partly was 71.

It served as Senate majority leader and would return to the U.S. Senate after serving as VP.

Another Kentucky with ties to President Truman.

Fred Vinson, one January 22nd 18, 90 in Lawrence County.

Vincent served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the game.

Truman's secretary of the Treasury driven when appointments in as chief justice on January.

24th 1946.

It's the Kentucky County that wasn't General Assembly authorized the creation of Henrietta County made up of parts of Trigg and Marshall counties on January.

26th 18, 67.

But it never happened.

Majority of voters rejected the idea and Rihanna County.

>> And that's around out of this week in Kentucky.

History.

I'm Joe begins.

>> Thank you.

To obey our Kentucky schools receiving enough state funding.

What the new education commissioner say tomorrow.

Plus, Kentucky is seeing a surge in respiratory illnesses and other contagious infections.

Find out which virus is causing the most concern among health care providers.

Those stories and more for you tomorrow night on Kentucky edition at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire.

Facebook, X or Instagram to stay in the Loop.

Send us a story idea by email to public affairs at K E T Dot Org and download us on the PBS app.

>> On your smart device or other ways.

Thank you so much for watching.

I'm Renee Shaw that I see you again.

Take really good care tonight.

♪ ♪