Sunshine Week is an annual event established in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors and celebrated across the United States by the media, access advocates and citizen groups in recognition of the importance and impact of open, transparent government. It was inaugurated in March 2005 to coincide with the birthday of President James…
Sunday, March 11, marks the first day of Sunshine Week 2018. Each year since 2005, when the week-long event was inaugurated by the American Society of News Editors, the media, government watchdogs and ordinary citizens have celebrated the importance and impact of open government. The celebration takes various forms across the country — including…
Bluegrass Institute president and CEO Jim Waters made the following comments at a recent meeting of the Kentucky House of Representatives’ State Government Committee opposing a proposed amendment in House Bill 216 which would exempt certain aspects of built-to-suit selection committees from requirements of Kentucky’s open meetings and records laws, including the identity of committee…
An Open Letter to Kentucky Legislators from the Bluegrass Institute: Dear Legislators, Twenty years ago, a group of community leaders met and wondered how they could make the biggest difference in poor children’s lives in the inner city of Louisville. Their passion resulted in School Choice Scholarships and was based on the founders’ vision that children…
A new bill in the Kentucky House presents notable problems for Kentuckians interested in homeschooling. House Bill 574 from Representative Chris Harris, D – Forest Hills, would add significant new state mandates on the shoulders of parents who decide to homeschool. The bill requires: Parents to submit an affidavit attesting a homeschool student received 1,062…
The Bluegrass Institute Center for Open Government opposes Section 11, Subsection 6 of HB 465, an act “establishing and creating various sections of KRS Chapter 308, relating to Public Protection Cabinet oversight of state occupational boards,” which will authorize professional licensure boards to impose secret disciplinary action consisting of a “private letter of admonishment. .…
Regarding claims about Kentucky’s NAEP Reading progress The Late Paul Harvey was a master at giving us “The rest of the story,” and we at BIPPS find ourselves continuing the tradition of filling in important, missing information in comments from others. Our newest case in point just chirped up in Twitter, where the Kentucky Department…
How much does my child’s school really spend each year? It’s a very reasonable question, one we get asked at the Bluegrass Institute. Unfortunately, we’ve had to answer for years that we really don’t know. The reason is that the data provided by the state, such as in the Kentucky School Report Cards system, just…
The Herald-Leader reports that the Pike County School Board has voted to allow certain carefully selected and trained teacher volunteers to become armed protectors of their schools. Candidates will get a background and drug tests, mental evaluation, and a qualification course with firearms training. The Pike County Sheriff’s Office will provide this for free, keeping…
Education Week reports that Kentucky is one of 17 states that still have not submitted acceptable plans to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and will now get more time to do so. As EdWeek puts it: “State departments and the boards that oversee them have been grappling with how best to comply…