Episode Transcript
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(00:10):
>> The NTSB releases a
preliminary report on the UPS
plane crash in Louisville,
Kentucky. Voter registration
numbers keep coming in strong,
indicating major interest in
the 2026 elections. New
proposals are floated ahead of
the upcoming legislative
session, and an important
report card is in for Kentucky
(00:31):
students. Grab some
Thanksgiving leftovers and join
us. Comment is next on KET.
Good evening. I'm Bill Bryant,
and we welcome you to comment
(00:52):
on Kentucky Tonight, a look
ahead to the rest of 2025 and
ahead to the New Year, and some
analysis of all the news. The
guests on our panel of working
Kentucky journalists tonight
are Isaiah Kim Martinez, senior
reporter for Whas 11 in
Louisville, Phillip Bailey,
Louisville based chief
political correspondent for USA
(01:12):
today. And joining us remotely
is Jess Clark, education
reporter for the Kentucky
Center for Investigative
Reporting. We taped this
program on Friday, November
21st, so that our panelists and
KET crew could enjoy the
Thanksgiving weekend. We'll
catch up on the news we may
have missed when we return live
on December 5th, but we have a
(01:34):
lot to discuss this evening,
the National Transportation
Safety Board released a
preliminary report on the UPS
cargo plane crash in Louisville.
Isaiah. That crash killed 14
people, and that report
confirms 23 others were hurt on
the ground.
>> And, Bill, there were some
tragic details that came out of
this preliminary report. There
was no initial cause that was
(01:54):
revealed. But if you look at
that picture number four right
there, you can see that left
engine essentially fly over the
fuselage of the plane. That's
the problem in this case is
that engine. We know the plane
according to this report,
didn't get higher than 30ft.
30ft. That's not even as high
as the traffic air traffic
control tower. So it was a
tragedy, no doubt about it. But
(02:16):
I want to point to a specific
detail in page nine, actually,
of this 12 page report. They
said that in their examination
of the left pylon, which
basically connects the engine
to the wing of the plane, they
said that they examined and
found evidence of fatigue,
cracks and areas of overstress
failure. So that is really what
everyone's keying in on right
(02:38):
now and seeing what went wrong.
Could we don't believe it was a
maintenance issue, like there
wasn't enough maintenance. But
we know these planes have been
grounded across the country. So
the investigation moves on.
>> Just as Isaiah was saying,
there was a 12 page report and
indications are that everything
was normal until the plane
started to try to lift off the
(03:01):
ground.
>> Yeah, it was gaining speed.
Everything, you know, while it
was, you know, going along the
runway, it was all according to
going according to plan. And
then as it tried to lift off,
as Isaiah mentioned, that left
engine detached from the wing,
started a fire, flew over the
wing and the highest the plane
got was 30ft. It cleared the
(03:22):
airport fence but clipped
several businesses and just
never gained the altitude that
it needed. And it rolled left
and then crashed in that fiery
explosion that many of us saw
on the news and online.
>> As it will be a while before,
there's a full report with all
the details, right?
>> These usually take a long
(03:44):
time, several months, sometimes
over a year. I know the
governor has said that he's
been happy with some of the
details that have been made
public fairly quickly by the
NTSB. He credited them, and
it's worth noting that they
said that this preliminary
findings would be issued within
about 30 days of the crash, and
it came out within 14 days of
from November 4th or 16 days.
(04:04):
Excuse me. So if that's any
indication, they are taking
this very, very seriously.
>> Some of the photos and video
tell a lot of the story.
>> They do. And it's a key
detail here too. And while it's
visually very clear for
everyone to see, oh my gosh,
something went terribly wrong
on the Ascension. The report
clearly says this, and others
are experts have said this too.
(04:25):
The pilots did what they were
supposed to be doing. You
cannot go back down after that.
You have to keep rising and it
just didn't work, unfortunately.
>> Well, very difficult time
and we await more details as
further investigations come out.
Let's talk politics and
(04:46):
Frankfort. And the 2026
legislative session is quickly
approaching. There was a lot of
work done by interim committees
in recent weeks. Folks now are
unwinding for the holidays, of
course, but lawmakers are
getting ready to return to
Frankfort on January 6th. It is
a 60 day session. Lawmakers
will be crafting a two year
budget. And Isaiah, we keep
(05:06):
hearing rumblings that there
may be a further cut in the
income tax, despite the state
budget director saying the
Kentucky did not hit the
triggers that was put in place
by lawmakers themselves as
guardrails. As you reduce that
income tax.
>> And bill, you mentioned this
has been a big Republican
priority right across the
country and in Kentucky
(05:27):
specifically over the last few
years. And Representative Jason
Nemes, obviously, in state
House leadership actually told
this was in Louisville. He said,
I do not accept the premise
that we didn't meet those
requirements. He believes that
essentially they measured the
trigger at the wrong time, and
he believes that at least a
quarter of a percent decrease.
So that would bring it down, I
(05:48):
believe, to 3.25 should and
will happen.
>> Philip, you know, this
probably is the highest
Kentucky Republican priority
right now. Right. And so
they're looking to continue
down the path.
>> Well, I would think that
it's the number one signature
achievement for the Republican
legislature. Right. Like as we
face affordability and as it
(06:09):
becomes, whether you're Zoon
Mamdani, the democratic
socialist candidate or mayor
elect out of New York City or
Donald Trump, right.
Affordability, the cost of
living is going to be at the
forefront in 2026. And I think
for Republicans, the easiest
way to tackle affordability
issues or cost of living issues
is going to be tax reductions.
>> There's a lot of discussion
about every dollar as they're
(06:30):
putting it together, the state
budget. And yes, we have heard
some key lawmakers say they
have no interest in bailing out
the state's two largest school
districts, both of which have
financial challenges. We also
know that state Auditor Alison
Ball's team is looking into the
finances of JCPS, as well as
the Fayette County Public
(06:51):
Schools.
>> Yes, Fayette County Public
Schools, the second largest
school district in the state,
has a $16 million budget
shortfall, and that became
apparent, you know, during, you
know, the last year, there is a
lot of kind of tension between
school board members and the
(07:11):
leadership over just how that
budget shortfall seemed to
appear similar. There's a
similar dynamic in JCPS with
the incoming new superintendent,
Brian Yearwood. He came in and
under his leadership, the staff
have said that there is a much
(07:32):
larger budget shortfall than
was previously predicted.
They're predicting $132 million
budget shortfall next year. So
these are some major challenges
for these two largest districts
in the state. And as you
mentioned, Alison Ball, the
state auditor, is looking into
both of these districts. She
has an audit coming out of
Fayette County Public Schools.
The timeline for that is the
(07:53):
end of 2026. So end of next
year. The JCPS audit is already
underway, and she anticipates
that being out by the end of
the summer, next summer.
>> On the day that we tape this
program, November 21st, the
Jefferson County superintendent
had a news conference where he
proposed a possible solution to
some of the financial
(08:13):
challenges. And even that is it
strong medicine.
>> Certainly strong medicine
for the folks who would be
directly impacted. So Yearwood
has proposed closing or
consolidating several schools
in Jefferson County public
schools. Most of these are in
school buildings that are under
(08:35):
capacity that have facility
issues. So they have expensive
upkeep and are in areas where
the district says they do not
see. They don't they don't
expect enrollment to grow. And
so they're looking at closing
those schools or consolidating
them to save money. Now, we
heard today from Yearwood that
(08:55):
they're only expected to save
$4 million by doing that. And
so that's a very small drop in
the bucket when you're looking
at $132 million budget
shortfall. Yearwood, in
response to that criticism,
said that it is these small
pieces add up. And so he is
still looking at that moving
(09:17):
forward.
>> Bill, when you have dozens
of millions of dollars, sort of
the elephant in the room is and
just mentioned this as well.
Will there be layoffs? Right.
And the superintendent hasn't
ruled them out. Who will get
laid off? Because we know there
are hundreds of employees
within the district who are
making six figures, some of
them fairly high, six figures.
Right. And our community has
(09:38):
constantly told us when there
are money issues, let's get
some of these folks, maybe
possibly administrative
administrative jobs and get
them in the classroom where we
obviously have a lot of
vacancies in our district. But
until those positions are
seriously looked at and the
superintendent says they are
looking at Central office, I
think the 4 million here or 5
million there isn't really
going to move the needle. For
(10:00):
many people who are paying
close attention to this. On
what this means for the future
of the district.
>> All right. Well, that
legislative session now just
over a month away, and Senator
Steve Rawlings of Burlington is
sponsoring a bill that would
make it a felony to use public
resources to push any kind of
political position that rolls
out to 2024, when school
districts use their resources
(10:20):
to oppose amendment two. Jess,
that could have allowed tax
dollars to go to private
schools.
>> Yes. So this legislation
seems to go back to a social
media post by, I believe it was
Pulaski County schools that
encouraged the public or said
something like amendment two
will harm our school district,
(10:42):
and amendment two was the
amendment that would have
allowed the state to fund
private schools. And there was
a lawsuit over this. And so,
you know, this legislation
would strengthen a law that's
already on the books to prevent
tax dollars from being spent,
to advocate for and against
(11:03):
ballot questions. But this
legislation would actually make
it a class D felony to do so.
And so people who would be, you
know, charged with this could
face five or 1 to 5 years in
prison. So it's a pretty steep
penalty for, for for the, you
(11:23):
know, the infraction that's
being proposed here.
>> Politics and speech, Philip.
>> Right. I mean, it also
compares, I mean, by making it
a class D felony, you're
putting this in with third
degree rape, you're putting
this in with burglary. You're
putting this in with assault. I
would just point out to our
viewers that this state senator,
Senator Rollins, he had a
(11:44):
similar bill doing the same
exact thing, trying to make a
class D felony for procuring or
selling out abortion pills. And
that went nowhere fast in the
legislature. So this may just
be a scare tactic, but I think
look again, once again, when
Republicans mess with teachers
in this state, it doesn't turn
out well for them, politically
speaking.
>> Representative TJ Roberts
plans to introduce a bill that
would require local police
(12:05):
departments to enter agreements
to enforce federal immigration
policies.
>> Isaiah and Bill, it's
interesting, as we sort of seen
this wave of similar
legislation again across the
state, Kentucky sort of
following suit. And this bill
would be interesting because he
makes it very clear in, you
know, the Representative
Roberts here that this would
(12:26):
not be, in his words, a
partnership where local law
enforcement supersedes Ice or
that they are go and they're
leading immigration raids on
their homes on their own. He
describes this as more of a
situation where if there is a
traffic, a traffic situation,
right, that you pull somebody
(12:46):
over and they already have
outstanding warrants for
arrests, or maybe that they
have previous charges or
current charges that they can
put it upon themselves, they
being local law enforcement to
question them. Right. Hey, do
you have these documents? And
he these are key words here. He
says if they deem there to be
some sort of reason to believe
(13:08):
that there there's a suspicion
of something along those lines,
which I thought was interesting.
I also asked him, I said, what
are the biggest areas in the
state where you believe there's
need for this? And he said,
counties that border
interstates and parkways are
the most needed in areas that
border other states as well.
>> Well, this is part of a
larger debate though, right,
Bill? I mean, we see the Trump
(13:29):
administration being very
aggressive with particularly
with local communities and
sending in Ice. But these 287
agreements, which is based upon
and stems from the 1996
Immigration and Nationality Act,
we've already seen historic
highs of these agreements. I
think there's at least 1000 of
them that Ice has already
entered into. But there are
already lawsuits across the
country, particularly, like I
would say, in New York with
Nassau County, where they're
(13:49):
challenging, where opponents of
Trump administration on this
are challenging, you know,
working with and cooperating
with Ice and immigration
enforcement. You're already
seeing, for example, in
California state law saying
that, hey, you can't have masks
and you have to early identify
yourself if you're going to be
doing immigration enforcement.
And we're seeing a similar
situation like that pop up in
Louisville. I think it's
(14:10):
Louisville Metro Councilman JP
Leininger who's introducing
that legislation.
>> Kind of a nexus of state and
local and federal issues right
there together.
>> Wasn't it struck down before
Trump's executive order in the
second term, I believe. Yeah.
So I mean, that's it's in the
front forefront.
>> All right. We will watch
that. And more than 7000 new
voters registered last month
(14:30):
despite no regular elections
here in Kentucky this year.
Philip, is that a clear
indication, despite the fact
that a lot of those were
independent registration, by
the way, we'll mention that.
But there seems to be robust
interest in next year's
elections.
>> Yeah. Secretary of State
Michael Adams says we have at
least, I think, 100 plus people
who've already filed mostly
(14:51):
judicial candidates. But, look,
we're going to have an open
seat. You know, Senator Mitch
McConnell stepping away, a
massive leader like him
stepping away for any state, I
think would put that Senate
seat in major debate. I think
we're also seeing and Secretary
Adams has been at the forefront
of this, a lot of
misinformation is really
dominating for these
secretaries of state across the
country. So there's a lot of
calls for more civic education.
(15:13):
But we are I mean, you and I
remember when there was more of
a Democratic leaning state and
now Republicans have overtaken
that. But for the past few
years, really for the past 4 or
5 years, we've seen independent
voters really be the fastest
growing group of voters in
Kentucky. And I think Secretary
Adams and others have made the
argument that, look, if you're
going to run statewide, you're
going to have to appeal to
those independents. I don't
(15:33):
think anyone's ever done a
study of who those folks
actually are. Are they more
right leaning or are they more
left leaning? But as more of
our ancestral Democrats become
more of extinct and a small
margin of our population, I
think you are going to see
independents, particularly in
some of our county seats, have
more sway than ever before.
>> And those independents are
registering that way despite
being barred from the primaries.
>> Right. I think that's a
(15:54):
clear sign, like as we get to
more of this era of political
experimentation and populism,
what's interesting to me is
will we see a third party or
independent voter say, hey,
look, other states are
experimenting. We've already
seen it in this state.
Experimenting with our politics
and our electoral process.
Should we do the same thing
here in Kentucky?
>> This is our first program
since the decision to release
the Epstein files. Kentucky
Congressman Thomas Massie, who
(16:14):
pressed hard for it, thanked
the Epstein victims who came
forward.
>> I want to start by thanking
the survivors. I mean, they're
giving everybody hope in this
country. There are survivors of
other sex crimes in this
country wondering if they
should come forward. They're
clouded with shame and concern
that law enforcement will do
nothing. And these survivors
(16:36):
have stepped forth taking that
same risk, worried that they
will be defamed themselves.
They have been defamed for
stepping forward. But we're
going to get justice for them.
>> Philip, this was obviously a
lot of hard work by Congressman
Massie. President Trump
eventually supported the
release. Earlier, he had called
it a Democratic hoax. How
(16:57):
determined is the president to
defeat Massie in that fourth
district GOP primary?
>> Well, look, I think if
there's anyone who's in Donald
Trump's crosshairs, it would be
Thomas Massie. But I think
people should understand here
what this remarkable situation
we have and Congressman Massie
being at the forefront of it.
Right. You had the MAGA
movement essentially bucked
Donald Trump, who did not want
to get on board with this at
(17:18):
all. And then this massive sort
of change here led by
Congressman Massie and, of
course, Congresswoman Marjorie
Taylor Greene of Georgia. So,
look, there's been this effort
by Donald Trump before to
unseat Thomas Massie. I think
if there's a time to do it, it
would be, you know, in the past,
because now what we're seeing
is with MAGA and particularly
these survivors of Epstein
coming forward, the MAGA
(17:39):
movement, really looking at
Donald Trump very differently.
And Thomas Massie, I think,
will get a certain level of
political protection as a
result of that, that he maybe
didn't have 4 or 5 years ago.
>> It's interesting, too,
because prior to this, a lot of
his no votes, so to speak, that
has drawn the ire of Trump and
other leaders in the party have
been on sort of the fiscally
conservative right, budget,
hawk, fiscal hawk kind of
(18:01):
decisions that we see Senator
Paul do a lot. This is the
first issue, at least
nationally, that we've seen
Massie sort of separate himself
almost out on his own, like we
have gotten calls from
Democratic viewers on our air
who said, hey, I don't I
wouldn't agree with this guy in
most situations, but all of a
sudden I agree with him here.
Maybe I'll vote for him here.
(18:22):
And maybe that's a stretch for
most Democrats. But the fact
that that's even being uttered
right now, I think, is showing
that, you know, the issue of
the Epstein files has sort of
separated him beyond the party.
>> And because it was a
bipartisan issue, I mean, as
Thomas Massie, not just bucking
Donald Trump and the MAGA
movement doing that, but it's
also him working with Ro Khanna
of California, a Democrat, out
of one of the more liberal
(18:43):
parts of our country. Right.
And I think for Thomas Massie,
who is always associated with
these no votes, his breakout
moment being this really
populist moment here, I think,
separates him from any other
Republican. He even said that,
look, these discharge petitions
that we often do never really
work, and it did in this case,
and it did in a big way, where
it got a unanimous vote,
basically in the House, except
(19:04):
for one lawmaker out of
Louisiana and a unanimous
consent in the Senate. It's
pretty unprecedented.
>> All right. Well, we have
these engaged political
reporters here. There will be
races up and down the ballot.
The U.S. Senate race will be at
the top. Kentuckians will be
choosing a replacement for
Senator Mitch McConnell, first
elected in 1984. Phillip
McConnell won seven six year
(19:24):
terms, the first time that many
voters could ever even remember
or can relate to McConnell not
being on the ballot.
>> Yeah, I mean, Mitch
McConnell, someone who changed
not just national politics but
changed Kentucky politics and
really made the Kentucky
Republican Party the powerhouse
that it is. There wouldn't be a
Republican Party. I think the
modern way we think of it,
(19:46):
there was a time long ago where
Democrats dominated Kentucky,
both in the legislature and at
the national level, with
presidential elections as well.
Mitch McConnell has certainly
been a revolutionary in that
regard. But I think this is
going to be a real test for
where the MAGA movement is
going to be and where Kentucky
Republicans are going to be
right in the future. We have
this sort of mixed up politics
now that it's not the old
(20:06):
Republican Party of George H.W.
Bush or even George W Bush, we
saw the passing of former
president Vice President Dick
Cheney. And I think now that
Donald Trump has seized the
Republican Party from Mitch
McConnell and that old guard,
what is now that party look
like post Donald Trump.
>> We have a sound bite here
from Congressman Andy Barr
about his campaign and his
support for President Trump.
>> We're surging in the polls.
(20:26):
We're the only campaign in the
Republican primary where we're
actually growing in the polls.
The other candidates are either
stuck in the basement or
declining in their support. And
the reason is that they
recognize that and they
appreciate the Republicans of
Kentucky, appreciate the fact
that I was chairman of
President Trump's campaign in
2024 and Kentucky and that, you
know, these other candidates
(20:47):
like to talk about supporting
President Trump. I'm actually
doing it.
>> He's in a primary that
includes, of course, Daniel
Cameron and Nate Morris. Do the
Republican candidates have to
be in that no daylight position
between themselves and
President Trump?
>> It's only going to become
more that way the closer we get
to the primary. I mean, they've
obviously been jockeying hard
(21:08):
for the endorsement. The
question is, does Trump give
one? Who does he give it to?
And we've seen, you know, so
much of this outside influence
too, particularly for Nate
Morris that has been so public.
These people in DC out of state
endorsing him, folks from Ohio
from Indiana. So I think it'd
be really key to I mean, they
haven't been able to really
answer the McConnell question
(21:28):
as far as how will you be
different from McConnell?
They're focusing simply on how
close they are with Trump as
they seek his endorsement.
>> And look, morning consult
did a poll here in Kentucky.
And Donald Trump has about a
57% approval rating in Kentucky.
The real question for Kentucky
Republicans is going to be,
what type of senator do you
want? You're losing a
powerhouse like Mitch McConnell.
And this is where I think Andy
(21:49):
Barr distinguishes himself. He
said, look, I'm already in
leadership, in the pipeline of
leadership in the House. I'm
already someone who is able to
get major resources to this
state. I think the question for,
and I think we're talking about
it really now, is do does the
MAGA movement have an answer to
that? If it's all about power
and it's all about money and
all about bringing resources
back to Kentucky, does Nate
(22:09):
Morris and the MAGA movement
have someone who can do that?
Because Rand Paul is your
senior senator? Bill, I'll tell
you, a lot of Republicans,
county level Republicans, tell
me that, look, what they're
worried about. Who's going to
bring home that bacon for
Kentucky the way Mitch
McConnell did.
>> All right. There's that
crowded Democratic primary as
well. Amy McGrath announcement
got attention. Then you have
horse trainer Dale Romans
getting in. Is it hard to keep
(22:31):
recalibrating the Democratic
primary?
>> I think Democrats have the
opposite problem that
Republicans have outside of
Andy Beshear in 2019. There is
no bright spot for Democrats.
So in this race, it's really an
open field, even though you
have a lot of older candidates
from previous races like Amy
McGrath and maybe even Charles
Booker will jump in that race.
So I think for Democrats, it's
a different question than
(22:52):
Republicans. The question is,
can you even still compete?
Right. Statewide, I think
there's a lot of
disillusionment on the
Democratic side that whoever
wins this primary will even
have a chance in November.
>> And that's why you hear Dale
Romans really point out the
fact in his campaign is I am
the old Kentucky Democrat. I'm
the Wendell Ford kind of
Democrat. I'm the independent
Democrat that Kentucky has sort
of lost track of. And when
(23:13):
you're in that kind of wide
open of a race on the
Democratic side, why not try
that?
>> We keep hearing Charles
Booker may get in. We'll wait
on that. Louisville will hold
its first Nonpartizan city
elections. Mayor Craig
Greenberg visible and unopposed
right now.
>> Right. It's the bully pulpit,
right? You get to any time
there's a big event, right?
You're automatically, you know,
in front of your community. And
(23:36):
he is campaigning hard and he
has campaigning early. And as
far as other candidates in this,
I'm hearing that really on the
Republican side, we're not
really seeing much of a
conversation on who they might
put up. I don't think that they
probably will. And on the left,
I mean, are you hearing
anything to his far left?
Probably not.
>> Look, for all the folks who
expressed dissatisfaction
behind the scenes with Mayor
(23:56):
Greenberg, you don't see anyone
really jumping at the
opportunity to take him on at
this point. Republicans were
fearful that Booker or someone
from the left would get in, and
they were thinking maybe they
would have to get behind. Craig
Greenberg. I'm waiting for
maybe a mainstream Democrat
like a Steven Riley, or someone
who has some money in their
pocket to maybe give this a
consideration, but right now
everyone's just talking really
good behind the scenes, doing
(24:16):
nothing.
>> All right, tight on time
here real quickly. Who's more
likely to run for president in
28? Is it Andy Beshear or Rand
Paul or both?
>> Oh, both. I mean, when you
look at the moves that they're
making.
>> Rand Paul easy answer.
>> Yeah, both of them. Both of
them.
>> Kentucky's Department of
Education released assessment
and accountability data for the
year. Overall, the education
commissioner said he is proud
of Kentucky students.
>> And first of all, I want to
(24:38):
start off by saying how proud I
am of our students. Our
students have really done a
great job in this past year on
their assessments, and the
results of this year show
students perform better across
several grade levels and
subjects than they have in my
recent memory as commissioner
or as a as a superintendent or
as a as a principal, as a
matter of fact. So again, it's
(25:00):
very good to see our students
perform at the levels that
they're doing.
>> Yes, in a few seconds. How
rigorous is that testing? What
does it tend to show.
>> So the tests are the tests
that students take every year
in grades three through 12. And
overall, they show some mild
improvement across most grade
levels in most subjects. So
(25:22):
some slow progress out of kind
of the dip that we saw both in
Kentucky and nationally due to
the pandemic and all the
disruptions to learning.
>> All right. And that testing
is done on a regular basis and
at certain grade levels. Right?
>> Yes. So it's grades three
through eight and then grades,
(25:46):
different subjects are tested
in grades ten, 11 and 12. But
yeah, these are the tests that
students take every spring. And
you know, nationally we saw
this dip post Covid. Kentucky
is really kind of on par if
you're looking at the national
test scores, the national
(26:06):
landscape Kentucky is kind of
right on average, with the rest
of the national average on most
reading scores. And so, you
know, and other states are also
starting to kind of come out of
the pandemic dip. So this kind
of is on track with that as
well.
>> Kentuckians are remembering
long time Northern Kentucky
lawmaker and former Secretary
of State Ken Harper. Harper
served as secretary of state
(26:27):
from 1971 to 72, and in the
House of Representatives for
many years. Harper was 94. We
certainly hope you enjoy the
holiday period ahead. We thank
you for joining us for comment
on Kentucky and have a good
week.
(26:48):
>> There you go.
>> You said Beshear Rand Paul.
>> Both of them. I like that.
>> Actually, I like that.