by Richard Nelson | Jan 23, 2018 | Blog
Governor Bevin started his budget address with the famous words of Thomas Paine. In 1776 Paine said "These are the times that try men's souls…." The analogy is clear. Kentucky is in difficult and trying financial times. His budget proposal...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 22, 2018 | Blog
Today, is the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. In 1973, the court legalized abortion on demand for any reason all the way through the 9th month of pregnancy. The ruling has sharply divided the nation. It's left an estimated 60...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 19, 2018 | Blog
According to the Kentucky Association of Food Banks, over 700,000 Kentuckians, don't always know where their next meal will come from. That's 1 in 6. This is tragic because we are a major agriculture region of the country. This prompted Agriculture...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 18, 2018 | Blog
It's no secret that Kentucky is facing a budget crunch. This year alone it needs to come up with one billion dollars in revenue to address the pension shortfall. So how should they do it? Several legislators say expanded gambling is the answer. Former governor,...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 17, 2018 | Blog
It seems that pro-life legislation comes up every legislative session and this one is no different. One bill modifies the recently enacted Ultrasound law to require abortionists to provide a written medical description of sonogram images an unborn child prior to an...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 16, 2018 | Blog
Whenever things get bad in our government, term limits seem like a good idea. But There are two sides. On one hand, political leaders understand the process, and carry important institutional knowledge. In a way, term limits are already here. They're called...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 16, 2018 | Opinion Pieces
A New Approach to a Healthy Kentucky Kentucky became the first state in the nation to receive a federal waiver to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work, go to school, or engage in community service at least 20-hours per week. Gov. Bevin said "This marks...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 15, 2018 | Blog
Paducah became the ninth Kentucky city to make sexual orientation and gender identity a civil right. The move was controversial. Several speakers warned about similar ordinances that were used to punish business owners who tried to do their business according to their...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 12, 2018 | Blog
Have you ever said something that as soon as the words left your mouth you regretted saying it? It's likely happened to all of us at one time or another. Our words have tremendous power. They can build up or they can tear down. They can be used with a tone of love...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 11, 2018 | Blog
Did you know that 44 percent of Americans get their news from Facebook? I'm a newsy. I read several newspapers a day in order to keep abreast of what's going on in Kentucky and around the world. But I don't just read anything. I look for credible balanced...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 10, 2018 | Blog
Pro-life means more than just defending unborn life in the womb. It means caring for human life in all its stages. The Kentucky General Assembly is considering legislation that seeks to protect and value life. One bill mandates suicide prevention training for...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 9, 2018 | Blog
The headlines of a major state newspaper questioned whether Republicans can lead Kentucky's state government in the aftermath of a sexual harassment settlement. The question of leadership in the 2018 General Assembly is real. So what makes for a good leader? It...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 9, 2018 | Blog
Being a state that is closely tied to the horse racing industry, it’s not a surprise that expanded gambling is frequently discussed in Kentucky. Even more, it’s no surprise this issue comes up when the woes of Kentucky’s economy are...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 6, 2018 | Opinion Pieces
Paducah's City Commission will vote this Tuesday to modify the human rights ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) language. The idea is to protect members of the LGBT community from unjust discrimination in areas of housing, employment...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 5, 2018 | Blog
Will Rogers once quipped, "I don't make jokes. I just watch Congress and report the facts." It's easy to poke fun at our political leaders. But have you considered that in this country we have the freedom to do that? Political leader have made many...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 3, 2018 | Blog
It's still early enough in the year to make a resolution. Let me suggest a good one. How about contributing to civility? One way to do that is by engaging in more conversations—civil conversations with those you disagree with. Not arguments. Not rants. But...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 2, 2018 | Blog
The Kentucky General Assembly is meeting today and it promises to be a challenging session. Fixing the state's broken pension system is a priority. So is modernizing our tax system. Gov. Bevin has also called for significant cuts to state government....
by Richard Nelson | Dec 29, 2017 | Blog
During the holiday season we have the opportunity to enjoy foods that we don’t get the rest of the year. Sometimes it tastes good going down, but we have to deal with the heartburn that comes later. It’s the same with our holiday purchases as...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 28, 2017 | Blog
Does God have a place in the local city commission? On your local school board? How about in the courthouse where you live? We believe He does and He uses to people to establish that presence. Some political leaders and commentators believe...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 27, 2017 | Blog
In recent years, we’ve witnessed the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage. This harms marriage and its important role in society and in the family. Dr. Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family says, “Marriage is the bringing together and...
