Moving Kentucky Forward

This week we’re talking with Honi Goldman and Talley Russell about a new effort to get more people to vote, called VoteNowKY. Their tag line is “It’s your right to fix what’s wrong,” and they’ve got some great info and some solid partners. Listen in to learn more about this important work!

This is an early and shortened MKF episode, as we were able to line up an interview with Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-03) on the same day that hearings began on the whistleblower complaint. We ask Cong. Yarmuth he was hearing from both Democrats and Republicans, and where he thought this was headed. We also asked him about warning signs, and he gave us one eventuality to watch for.

This week we talk with Krystal Ball, who’s well-known to folks across Kentucky, and is now co-hosting a new show called Rising. We talk with her about her new show, the Democratic race for president and what’s going to happen there, about what the Democratic party should be doing to get back to its roots, and about a little thing called UBI. If you haven’t heard of that, just listen and we’ll explain it!

Every election season, Kentucky Democrats put together a "coordinated campaign." People are saying that this year's CC is really doing well. We talk with Michael Bowman, candidate for state treasurer, and Lisa Tanner Norkus, long-time political consultant, to see how well things are REALLY going.

In this week's show, we talked with Jacqueline Coleman, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, running with Andy Beshear. We talked with her about education, the race, and why people should vote for her and Andy this fall. It's a shorter episode than usual, but even so, we covered a lot of ground. Give it a listen!

We're joined by Dr. Alexandra Owensby, a candidate for Congress in Kentucky’s 4th district with an inspiring personal story who is not afraid of a challenge — and that includes taking on the incumbent, Thomas Massie. I really enjoyed getting to know her, and I bet you will too!

This week we're joined by Chuck Eddy, founder of the group "Republicans for Andy Beshear and Jacqueline Coleman." Mr. Eddy is a lifelong Republican who nevertheless is fed up with Matt Bevin, and is working to get the Beshear/Coleman ticket elected. Listen to our interview to learn more about the issues that drive his passion to get Beshear elected and Bevin out.

As part of our Fancy Farm coverage, we got a five-minute stand-up interview with AG Andy Beshear, just outside the Marshall County Bean Dinner on Friday, August 2, 2019. We asked Beshear, who is running for governor, about how the campaign is going, what he thinks of Matt Bevin's strategies in the race, and how he would answer the question "Why should I vote for you?" It's five good minutes with lots of info, so give it a listen!

Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson joins us this week to talk about the new Commonwealth Caucus, a group formed to find "commonsense solutions for the common good." We ask her why she helped form the group, what they hope to accomplish, and what her Republican colleagues think of the whole thing. And, at the end, we've got an announcement about a new event coming to Forward Kentucky this fall. Be sure to listen all the way to the end to learn what it is!

In this week's Moving Kentucky Forward podcast, we're joined by Matt Morrison, executive director of Working America. We'll bet that most of you have never heard of this group, but if you listen to this episode, you'll learn about their work, and how they may make a significant impact on this year's gubernatorial race and on Kentucky politics.

This week we're doing a group interview with five women running on the Democratic ticket in Bullitt County. We learn how that local party found enough candidates to fill up their slate, including a number of women, and what sort of experiences these women candidates are having as they campaign. And, we ask if there are lessons from what's happening in Bullitt County that can be applied across the state.

Our guest is Sam Quinones, reporter, and author of "Dreamland," the best-seller about the opioid crisis. Sam talks about the causes of the crisis, including the drug companies and the doctors, and shares the solutions people are finding across the country. And, he gives a surprising answer to our closing "magic wand" question.

Sometimes, in order to get where you want to go, you have to look back at where you've been and learn from it. This week, former Attorney General and Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo helps us do just that, with advice on how to take back the state, as well as advice for those persons thinking of running for governor. And that list might include Stumbo himself! Finally, we ask him what he would do with our proverbial magic wand, and he lays out a compelling vision for dealing with the opioid crisis.

This week we’re joined by Kentucky’s attorney general, Andy Beshear. We discuss the judge’s decision in the pension case and where the Attorney General thinks the case will wind up. We look at the work of his office, including how the AG’s office works with the rest of state government. And, we get his thoughts on his relationship with Governor Bevin, and what that might mean for the future. Finally, of course, we ask him whether he is going to run for Governor in 2019, and what might motivate him to do that. It’s Sunday, June 24th, and time to move Kentucky forward. Let’s get started!

This week we talk with Blair Haydon, executive director of Emerge Kentucky, the organization devoted to getting more Democratic women elected to office. We talk about all the women that are running, the training they go through and what it costs, and what Blair is seeing as she travels the state. It’s Sunday, June 10th, and time to move Kentucky forward. Let’s get started!

This week's guest is Tom Fitzgerald, the director of the KY Resources Council (KYRC.org). He talks about the good and the bad of this year's legislative session, including the difference between the fight with the electrical utilities versus the collaboration with the oil and gas companies. We talk about whether the environment matters in our elections. And, at the end, he identifies a coming threat that we are not paying enough attention to, but that needs to be on our radar.

The primaries are over, and there is much excitement among Dem voters across the state. We talk with Mary Nishimuta and Ben Self of the KDP about the primaries and what they mean, as well as what KDP is doing to get ready for the fall elections. We also explore running as a progressive in Kentucky, and how KDP works with other groups to move the state forward.

Brent McKim, the head of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, joins us to talk about the proposed takeover, the upcoming contract, and what he thinks of the comments and emails that have been made public in the past few weeks.

We're joined this week by Rep. Rocky Adkins, the Democratic leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives. We’re going to see what he thinks of the legislative session that just finished, including the way the Republicans ran it. We’re going to find out about Democrats across the state, and what he thinks is going to happen this fall. And, we’re going to ask him if he’s running for governor.

This week we talk with Linda Belcher, fresh off her landslide win for state House in the Bullitt County special election, and Rebekah Witherington, the chair of the Bullitt County Democratic Party. We talk about how they won so convincingly, about the future of the Dems in Bullitt and across the state, and about the issues that resonate with the people in their county. We also talk about the opioid crisis, and about the surprising amount of unity around medical marijuana.