Kentucky doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. After decades of spending, borrowing and piling on debt, Kentucky’s families are stuck with Frankfort’s IOUs. As of last year, Kentucky’s $54.6 billion in debt equals $12,261 for every man, woman and child in the state. It is time for Frankfort to Stop Over Spending.
Government should pursue policies that create a level playing field where everyone is bound by the same set of rules. Instead, the game is rigged by powerful special interests, allowing government to pick winners and losers through subsidies, tax carveouts, regulatory barriers and protectionist policies. AFP-Kentucky is leading the way in the fight against corporate welfare and cronyism.
Every child is unique, meaning education can’t be one-size-fits-all. Families need choices to ensure they are getting the education that best fits their children’s needs. It is time for the Kentucky General Assembly to enact real educational options to empower parents and students.
Kentucky spends $1.2 billion on prisons every two years. Jails are overcrowded with low-level, non-violent offenders.
We urge the General Assembly to put their constituents first and prevent tax dollars from being unjustly diverted to organizations, such as the Center for Rural Development, that don’t create value for the public, but use political connections to delve out crony contracts such as Kentucky Wired.
AFP-Kentucky supports policies that will make our streets safer and help Kentuckians get a much-needed second chance. We strive for an effective criminal justice system that protects people, respects human dignity, preserves property rights, restores victims, provides second chances to those who’ve paid their debt to society, and ensures equal justice under the law. Kentucky’s criminal justice system should provide public safety, protect the unalienable rights of all, and create access to opportunity for those who’ve paid their debt to society.
Second chances help create safer streets and more harmonious communities. Restoring the eligibility to vote to people who have done their time and paid their debts in full will make our society safer, our system more just, and provide for real second chances for returning citizens.
Under our current bail policies, the rich and guilty often get a better deal than the poor and innocent. The decision to jail someone before they get their day in court should be based on an individual’s flight or safety risk, not their financial status. It’s time to reform our outdated bail laws and move to a fairer, evidence-based approach that protects Kentuckians’ constitutional right to due process.
Currently, the government can legally seize and keep your property without the burden of proof of a crime. This system lacks transparency, can easily be abused, and creates bad incentives for the hard-working men and women who serve as our police. It’s time we stand up for the property rights of ALL Kentuckians.
All children across the Commonwealth deserve an educational opportunity that best meets their unique needs—one that embraces the freedom of innovation and the dignity of the individual. We must allow educators the freedom to provide innovative solutions to educate our children. Educational empowerment for parents and their children is critical to ensuring all students are given the knowledge and tools to find their passion in life.
All families must have the freedom to select educational options that meet the unique needs of their children. Educational opportunity must be available to all students, regardless of their zip code or income level. Two avenues that we’d like to pursue in Kentucky to expand options for students, educators, and their families would include enacting scholarship tax credits and funding charter schools.