November 13, 2025

How hemp advocates are reacting to the bill that reopened the federal government, a state legislator steps down from his leadership role, what's in a proposed omnibus bill that's already stirring up tension in Frankfort, and a preview of the upcoming session from lawmakers from Louisville.

Episode Transcript

(00:09):
>> We're coming out of the
shutdown. What's most important
is that the people in Kentucky
get the help that they need.
>> As the federal government
shutdown ends, how long before
important programs are back up
and running? How Hemp's future
is looking in Kentucky after
action in Congress that
supporters say protects kids

(00:30):
and critics say hurts
businesses.
>> We have made a lot of
progress and we should
celebrate that progress, but
know that we also have so much
more work to do.
>> Plus, what a new report is
saying about the state of lung
cancer in Kentucky.
>> Production of Kentucky

(00:52):
Edition is made possible in
part by the KET Millennium Fund.
>> Good evening and welcome to
Kentucky Edition for this
Thursday, November the 13th,
I'm Renee Shaw, and we thank
you for spending some of your

(01:13):
Thursday night with us. Last
night, the U.S. House passed
and President Donald Trump
signed a budget bill that
reopened the federal government.
The shutdown lasted 43 days,
the longest in U.S. history.
The Senate had already passed
the bill. It was a mostly party
line vote in the House.
Congressman Thomas Massie of
Kentucky's fourth district was

(01:34):
one of just two Republicans to
vote no today. Governor Andy
Beshear talked about what to
expect in Kentucky as the
government reopens and funding
resumes for Snap or food stamps
and other programs.
>> I've learned that the
federal government has now
provided the guidance we need
to start our state work on

(01:54):
providing full benefits under
the Snap program. We're going
to recognize a lot of great
workers who helped make sure
that people get those benefits.
But as an update, the federal
government is moving on their
side, and I know we'll move as
quickly as we can. When we have
an update on timing, we'll make
sure we provide that. Let me

(02:15):
just say that this didn't have
to happen in this shutdown.
This is the first president
that has ever refused to pay
Snap benefits during a shutdown.
Two courts told him that he
could pay full benefits during
a shutdown, and he went to
court to try to not pay those
full benefits. But we're coming
out of the shutdown. What's

(02:35):
most important is that the
people in Kentucky get the help
that they need and that no one
goes hungry, especially in a
month where we celebrate
Thanksgiving, there's going to
be a number of programs that
that should now be funded. I
don't know exactly how the
timing will work. TANF, which
helps families in need. We have
provided state funding for the

(02:56):
period of time of the shutdown.
We expect to get full
reimbursement of that, but now
we will have the federal
portion coming in. Head start
was seeing challenges, but one
of the most important parts is
we have about 20 to 30,000
federal employees in Kentucky.
They've been going without a
paycheck at all. Life's already
too hard right now. The bills

(03:18):
pile up. It seems like there's
nothing left over for most
people at the end of the week
and the end of the month, and
then imagine not getting a
paycheck at all for that period
of time. So certainly glad that
our federal workers are going
to be back on the job.
>> Michael Halligan, who is
president and CEO of God's
Pantry Food Bank, says the

(03:38):
government shutdown increased
public awareness about food
insecurity. He hopes that
support continues. In a
statement, he said, quote,
while the shutdown has
officially ended, we know that
its ripple effects will
continue to be felt across
Kentucky. Many families who
experienced disruptions to SNAP
or other assistance will need
time to recover, and our work

(04:00):
remains as critical as ever.
End quote. The budget bill that
ended the shutdown includes a
provision dealing with hemp
related products. Supporters of
the provision, including U.S.
Senator Mitch McConnell of
Kentucky, says it's needed to
clarify the law and protect
children from intoxicating
substances.
>> Companies have exploited a
loophole in the 2018

(04:23):
legislation by taking legal
amounts of THC from hemp and
turning it into intoxicating
substances, and then marketing
it to children and candy like
packaging and selling it.
Easily accessible places like

(04:45):
gas stations and convenience
stores all across our country.
So children end up being the
unknowing consuming of these
poisonous products and being
sent to the hospital at an
alarming rate.
>> Kentucky's junior U.S.
Senator Rand Paul, is against

(05:06):
this hemp provision. He says it
will effectively put the hemp
industry out of business. The
U.S. Hemp Roundtable says the
bill threatens to eliminate a
$28 billion industry and more
than 300,000 jobs. Former
Kentucky Treasurer Jonathan
Miller, a Democrat, is also
general counsel for the U.S.
Hemp Roundtable. I spoke to him

(05:27):
just a couple of hours ago.
Jonathan Miller, thank you for
a little bit of your time.
>> Thank you for having me.
>> So the provision in the
legislation that reopened the
government that President Trump
signed last night affects rules
for Americans who grow and sell
hemp. Now, Kentucky's U.S.
senators, as we have reported
and as you know, are they
differ on this issue. U.S.

(05:48):
Senator Mitch McConnell has
said these are dangerous
products that should be out of
the hands of children. While
Rand Paul says that this
provision will actually gut the
hemp industry. Tell us where
the U.S. Hemp Roundtable falls
on this and your opinion about
this provision?
>> Well, you never you never
would imagine this, but I would
I'm sitting on your show saying,
I stand with Rand and I always
stand with Rand Paul. But for

(06:09):
members of the delegation,
McGarvey, Barr, Comer and
Massie also agree with our
position, which is this ban
would eliminate 95% of hemp
products from the marketplace.
It would make it a federal
crime to to buy them. It would
destroy the industry, cripple

(06:29):
Kentucky hemp farmers and deny
consumers products that they
value for their health and
safety, health and wellness.
>> But that's not the intent
that Senator McConnell had with
this. Right? So where are the
wires being crossed here?
>> So Senator McConnell makes a
good point. Under the current,
under the previous legislation,
there are products that have
been sold that are marketed to

(06:52):
kids. They are copycat products
that look like Cheetos or candy
bars, but really have high THC,
and some of them are made
synthetically or using bad
manufacturing practices. But
the way to tackle that is
through regulation, not a ban.
Because what you're doing is
you're not only crippling the
bad actors, but you're you're
cutting the feet out from under

(07:12):
the good actors who produce
products that help our, our
seniors and our veterans and
which are enjoyed by average
Kentuckians across the state.
>> Is this the final word on
this? Is there a way to cut a
different deal that would
affect an undo the harm that
this could have for legitimate
good actors and impact only the
bad?
>> Yeah, there's a silver

(07:32):
lining. So the the, the the
compromise was reached that
this would not go into effect
for a year. And so we have 365
days to, to regulate, not to
ban these products. And there
has been an outcry over the
last 48 hours all over the
internet. And I know many
politicians have been hearing
from their constituents that
they do not want these products
to be taken away. A lot of

(07:53):
farmers are furious. They were
promised that they'd have this
opportunity to sell these crops
in the middle of a very tough
agricultural economy. It's
being taken away from them. So
I really am confident that in
the next 12 months we'll be
able to fix this.
>> But why does it take another
12 months to get there? I mean,
was this sentiment not already
out there before this vote?
>> You know, we've been

(08:13):
fighting this issue for a
couple of years. Unfortunately,
Senator McConnell is a master
tactician. He was able to take
this in a back room without any
hearing, without any any votes
on it and attach it to a must
pass bill to reopen the
government. So there was a vote
later on the bill, but senators
were deciding whether to
protect hemp industry or or to
let government open. And, you

(08:34):
know, the Snap benefits and the
the airline delays. And so he
put them in a very difficult
position. It was brilliant. But
it is also devastating.
>> You've got a prop there.
Tell us about this. And is this
going to be something that
folks can't get now.
>> Yeah. This is something
that's made in Louisville. It's
a cornbread hemp tea CBD. It is

(08:55):
something you put on your
tongue. People use it for sleep
or for anxiety or for other
wellness benefits. It has a
half a milligram of THC in it
per serving per droplet. It
doesn't get you high. But, you
know, seniors and veterans
really use this. And average
citizens as well use this for
their benefits. This bottle

(09:15):
right here, if the law goes
into effect a year from now, it
would be a federal crime. It's
a schedule one drug narcotic
equivalent to fentanyl or to to
heroin. And my mother who uses
these products, I don't want to
be considered a fentanyl or
heroin addict. This is
something that average
Americans really rely on. And
also there, the hemp beverages
that are so popular all over

(09:37):
liquor stores in the state,
they might have 5mg or 10mg.
The average customer is not a
teenage stoner. It's a middle
aged woman who is replacing a
glass of wine with hemp
beverage. And this is these are
the types of products that
would be considered federal
crimes. And so we're very
hopeful over the next 12 months
that we'll be able to reverse

(09:58):
that, regulate these problems
so that the bad actors are
eliminated, but allow farmers
to survive, small businesses
survive and consumers to have
the products they need.
>> What kind of criminal
penalties could be levied for
possession of such?
>> It's it's the same as heroin,
fentanyl. So it is it would be
a crime under the federal level.
And you know big question as to
whether they would enforce it.

(10:18):
But you know, because of that,
it would really crimp any
commerce in it and would hurt a
whole lot of people.
>> And in Kentucky, this is a
viable market in our Kentucky
agriculture ecosystem.
>> Kentucky is the ground zero
for hemp. We not only were
doing this back in the days of
Henry Clay, but it was in

(10:39):
Kentucky where James Comer
really took the lead and got
legislation passed in the in
the Kentucky legislature. And
then, ironically, Mitch
McConnell took it to the
federal level and got federal
support for hemp and for CBD.
And so it's really troubling to
see backing off like that in a
way that really pulls the rug

(11:00):
out from under farmers who have
been relying on this crop.
>> Yeah. Well, we'll keep our
eye on it. Jonathan Miller,
thank you for stopping by to
share with us.
>> Thanks for having me.
>> So more reaction on this
issue. Republican State
Representative Savannah Maddox
is also critical of the hemp
provision. She put out this
statement, quote, by working to
criminalize Kentucky grown and

(11:21):
regulated hemp products.
Congress is not protecting
children. They are punishing
farmers, entrepreneurs and
consumers who have played by
the rules. This move represents
the worst kind of Washington
overreach a top down, one size
fits all mandate that erases
the work of state leaders who
have already addressed their
own issues. End quote. In other

(11:42):
news, politically today, State
Representative Al Gentry of
Louisville has stepped down
from the House Democratic
leadership in Frankfort. Gentry
says it's so he can spend more
time as a senior advisor to an
adaptive golf initiative.
Representative Lindsey Burke of
Lexington will move up to
Gentry's position of Democratic
Caucus chair, and Democrats

(12:03):
will vote to replace Burk as
Democratic whip tomorrow, weeks
before the start of the
Kentucky General Assembly 60
day session, some lawmakers are
already talking up their ideas.
Representative Nancy Tate of
Brandenburg, a Republican,
wants a massive omnibus bill
aiming to protect Kentuckians

(12:23):
from conception through death.
During a legislative hearing
this week, Tate and former
state representative and now
pro-life activist Addia Wuchner
talked about it to lawmakers on
the Joint Health Services
Committee. Our McKenzie Spink
tells us what's in the bill and
why it's already stirring up
tension in Frankfort. More in
tonight's legislative update.

(12:45):
>> It would be called An Act to
Protect Vulnerable People, a
proposal seeking to increase
criminal penalties or otherwise
tighten up Kentucky laws
regarding illegal abortion,
pill trafficking, abortion,
travel targeting minors,
commercial surrogacy, medically
assisted death, and organ
procurement systems. Addia

(13:06):
Wuchner executive director of
Kentucky Right to Life, says
out of state companies are
marketing abortion pills to
minors in Kentucky, as well as
practicing so-called death
tourism to attract pregnant
people out of state to seek an
abortion.
>> Let's say that you want to
get into selling socks, and you
decide to order a case of socks,
and then you want to repackage

(13:28):
them and sell them, you know,
three pairs for $1 out of your
home and out of your basement.
That is also happening here
with abortion pills by people
who are not even medical
providers, by individuals who
are there to profit off the
market, you know, buy a three
pack. And unfortunately,
sometimes these come in a kit
called Kill pills.
>> The Act to Protect
Vulnerable People would also
ban or restrict commercial

(13:48):
surrogacy in the state. Wisner
says the industry commodifies
women and children making the
womb into a marketplace.
>> We are not talking about
having carrying a child for
your sister or helping someone
very close to you. We are
talking about the large
commercialization or carriers
are hired for a price. There

(14:08):
are ads in Texas that say be a
surrogate for 60 for $100,000.
They're contracted carriers for
these for children. Under these
contracts, the carriers are
required to terminate the
pregnancy. If the carrier if
the purchasers change, changed
their minds, or if there's a
fetal anomaly.
>> Several Democrats on the
committee spoke in opposition

(14:28):
of the bill, saying that the
measures in the bill haven't
been proven effective by data
and that the language was
unnecessarily inflammatory.
>> I would really encourage you.
I plead with you as you craft
this omnibus legislation, to
really look at research,
supported solutions, and not

(14:50):
just. Maybe popular political
talking points.
>> When we talk about death
tourism, but we fail to work on
exceptions for fatal fetal
anomalies. We set people up. We
push them into a trap where we
then call them death tourists.
What an ugly thing to say about
someone who wants to be a

(15:11):
mother.
>> There was also issue with
the way that these policy ideas
were being presented.
Representative Burke felt that
putting so many measures in one
massive bill would hamper a
thorough vetting of each
individual issue that she felt
should be considered separately.
>> It's clear to me that it's
not about doing the right thing,
because doing the right thing
is taking a slow and methodical

(15:33):
approach, looking at things in
great detail, filing each one
of these as a single bill and
workshopping them all. I don't
think that every member who is
forced to vote yes or no is
going to have alignment on
every one of these issues, so I
would welcome a conversation
where we could find things that
could move forward as
bipartisan legislation, as

(15:54):
opposed to an omnibus bill that
I promise you I would fight.
>> Although the majority of
comments on the bill came from
the Democrats on the panel,
Republican Senator Lindsey
Titchener said she feels it
will have a lot of support in
the Republican dominated
legislature this upcoming
session.
>> I just want to say thank you.
I know you've gotten a barrage
of negative comments about this

(16:15):
legislation and the efforts
that you're taking to preserve
and protect human dignity and
life in its most vulnerable
form. And I think the majority
of the people that sit on this
committee do support these
measures.
>> Intended to be filed
separately from the omnibus
bill, is a measure that would
require schools to show a video
called Meet Baby Olivia, which
is a computer generated video

(16:37):
meant to represent fetal
development. But critics claim
the animation isn't based on
science. This would be the
third time the Baby Olivia
measure has been in front of
Kentucky lawmakers for Kentucky
Edition. I'm Mackenzie Spink.
>> Thank you, Mackenzie, for
that report. This was the last
meeting of the 2025 Interim
Joint Committee on Health
Services. Co-Chair, Senator

(16:59):
Stephen Meredith says the
Senate Health Services
Committee will be hearing fewer
bills per meeting during the
regular session that begins in
January to allow more time to
discuss each measure. Kentucky
lawmakers from Louisville
shared how they'll they'll
proceed in the upcoming
legislative session, which will
determine the state's two year
budget. Our June Leffler has

(17:20):
more in this report.
>> This Louisville Republican
is ready to cut the state
income tax again.
>> The message should be loud
and clear to everyone who hears
our voice. We are getting to
zero income tax in Kentucky.
>> That's despite a slump in
state revenue failing to
trigger an income tax reduction
as set by law. Of course, state

(17:41):
lawmakers make the rules.
>> So I'm fully for a reduction
in another, a full half of a
percent from 3.5% to 3% of our
income tax. If I can't get that
done, if I can't convince my
colleagues to do that, which,
by the way, we did not miss the
trigger, we measured it at the
wrong time. But if I can't
convince my colleagues to go
down a full half of a percent,

(18:01):
we need to go down a quarter of
a percent.
>> Even Democrat's earlier
opened a tax reduction. Say now
is not the time.
>> I'm actually pleased that
there was some sort of
responsible action to to talk
about these reductions. But I
do think the Senator is correct.
I think we do not know what's
happening in the federal policy
day to day and for everyday
people. You can't plan a future
around chaos.

(18:21):
>> A state senator leading
budget negotiations recently
said federal cuts just to SNAP
would cost Kentucky $180
million. The state does have a
healthy, rainy day fund that
some lawmakers on both sides
say needs to be tapped into.
>> When we look at our overall
fiscal policy, one of the

(18:42):
things that's on my mind is
money does us no good when we
hoard it as a state and when we
don't put it to work. Working
for the people of Kentucky.
There are a lot of needs in our
community, and I hope we got a
big bank account. Right now is
the time to start putting that
bank account to use.
>> So what we've decided to do
was we think 45 days is the
right amount. We're about 60

(19:02):
right now. That's a couple
billion dollars over, over. So
we'll have that money to spend.
And what do we do on that? We
spent it for water projects all
over the Commonwealth. We spent
it for ports all over the
Commonwealth. We spent it for
infrastructure. That's what we
did. And then we gave a lot of
money to Louisville for
important things, for the least
among us. And we're looking
hopefully, that we're going to
be doing very similar thing

(19:24):
this coming session.
>> While Democrats support more
funding for public schools,
Republicans are reluctant to
give district officials more
money.
>> We have an explosion in
central office and no money
going to the classroom, going
to the teachers, going to the
schools. That's what the
problem is. And that's why I am
so frustrated with JCPS.

(19:44):
>> What could gain bipartisan
momentum are ways to increase
housing supply.
>> If we don't get serious
about housing, we won't have a
Kentucky that our future
generations will be proud of.
>> As far as housing goes,
anything and everything is on
the table, and I'd love to hear
your all's ideas about your
experiences. Or, you know,

(20:06):
because when we go into session
in January, everything's on the
table.
>> Session starts January 6th
for Kentucky Edition. I'm June
Leffler.
>> Turning to health news, lung

(20:28):
cancer remains the leading
cause of cancer deaths among
both women and men when it
comes to new lung cancer cases.
Kentucky now ranks worst in the
nation, according to a new
State of Lung cancer report by
the American Lung Association.
But there are some areas where
the state is showing
improvement, according to
Shannon Baker, the director of

(20:48):
advocacy for the American Lung
Association. In today's medical
news, she says vaping is
becoming the state's biggest
challenge in the fight against
lung cancer.
>> We are back to being the
second highest smoking rate in
the nation. We had dipped down
to four, but now we are back to
the second highest, trailing

(21:10):
only West Virginia. And we all
know that smoking is the number
one cause of lung cancer. And
so we have so much more work to
do as it relates to our our
smoking rate in Kentucky. While
it's true that Kentucky ranks
highest for lung cancer
incidents or new cases

(21:32):
diagnosed every year, and for
mortality or deaths due to lung
cancer, we have made a lot of
progress and we should
celebrate that progress. But
know that we also have so much
more work to do. And when I
talk about progress, I'm really
focusing on the fact that
Kentucky is a national leader
in screening for lung cancer.

(21:55):
We rank 12th in the nation with
over 20% of high risk
individuals being screened. And
that's above the national
average, which is around 18%.
And the reason that's so
important is because early
detection is the key to
successful treatment. Our
survival rate has increased by
32% over the past five years.

(22:17):
So we are again moving in the
right direction. But lots of
ground to gain to make up for.
We know that nicotine addiction
is very, very powerful. Right.
And and one of the greater
challenges is the fact that
young people who would have
otherwise probably never
touched a traditional

(22:39):
combustible cigarette have been
targeted and lured with these
newer vaping products. People
who begin with the use of these
vape products often become
addicted to high levels of
nicotine and become dual users,
with also the use of

(23:00):
combustible cigarettes. So we
are calling for the jewel
settlement funds that Kentucky
receives as the result of a
lawsuit against Jewel for
targeting our children to be
directed to tobacco prevention
and control, as opposed to just
absorbed in the general fund

(23:22):
and used for anything. These
funds are coming into Kentucky
for a limited amount of time,
and should be appropriately
directed to right the wrong
perpetrated on Kentucky's kids.
And so we are calling for that
roughly $1.2 million a year
over the next few years to be

(23:43):
directed toward youth
prevention and cessation. Let's
keep kids from ever starting
using these products through
programs to educate them about
the risks. And then those who
have already become addicted
and are ready to quit and want
to quit. We need to support

(24:04):
their quit journey. So that's
one thing that the Lung
Association and our partner
organizations are calling on
the legislature to do. But a
second thing is also we need to
increase the funding, the
regular source of funding for
the Tobacco Prevention and
Cessation program. And so

(24:25):
currently, Kentucky directs $2
million toward that program.
But this is a budget session.
So we are calling on the
legislature to double that
amount. Let's address this
nation's highest lung cancer
burden with appropriate
programs to prevent initiation

(24:47):
ever use. Right. And then also
to help those who want to quit
do that.
>> Earlier this year, the
Kentucky General Assembly
passed House Bill 11, mandating
that only FDA authorized vape
products can be sold in the
state. Also passed into law
with Senate Bill 100 requiring
all tobacco and vape retailers

(25:10):
to get a state license with
enforcement and inspection by
the Department of Alcoholic
Beverage Control. Tomorrow is
Friday. Yay! And we go inside

(25:30):
politics with the Pantsuit
Politics duo Sarah Stuart
Holland and Beth Silvers as
they discuss the end of the
federal government shutdown and
how things might reflect on
Congress and President Donald
Trump. That and more tomorrow
night on Kentucky edition,
which we hope that you'll join
us for again at 630 eastern,
530 central, where we inform,

(25:50):
connect and inspire. Do join us
and connect with us on the
social media channels Facebook,
Instagram and X, formerly known
as Twitter. You also can send
us a story idea. We welcome
that by email to Public Affairs
at ket.org and look for
Kentucky Edition and other
public affairs programing on
your PBS app that you can

(26:11):
download on your smart devices.
And there's also a KET app that
you can download as well, and
you can stream video online on
demand online at ket.org. I'm
Renee Shaw, thank you for being
with us tonight. And I'll see
you right back here again
tomorrow night. Take good care.