by Richard Nelson | Jan 9, 2017 | Blog
An interesting thing happened in Frankfort a few days ago. For the first time in the history of the legislature, bills actually passed the House and Senate during the first week of business. Traditionally, it was an "organizational" week where little was...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 9, 2017 | Blog
It's been a momentous time in Kentucky's Capitol in Frankfort. Seven bills became law in a week when very little is usually accomplished. Rallies were held. Testimonies heard and opposition to the bills ensued. In fact, one group was so upset by the passage of...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 6, 2017 | Blog
Good afternoon. My name is Richard Nelson, executive director of the Commonwealth Policy Center, a Kentucky-based nonprofit public policy group. I appreciate the opportunity to testify in favor of HB 2—the Ultrasound Bill. CPC favors HB 2 because it is...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 4, 2017 | Blog
Good afternoon. My name is Richard Nelson, executive director of the Commonwealth Policy Center. I'm testifying on behalf of SB5—the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. I'll make my remarks very brief. I do have handouts that provide further...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 3, 2017 | Blog
Political commentators and celebrities are bidding good riddance to 2016 largely because of the ideological divide and politics that separates the nation. It's a singular way to gauge a year, as if politics is the measure of all things. Coming off a holiday...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 1, 2017 | Blog
Political commentators and celebrities are bidding good riddance to 2016 largely because of the ideological divide and politics that separates the nation. It's a singular way to gauge a year, as if politics is the measure of all things. Coming off a holiday...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 27, 2016 | Blog
When it comes to sports, its fair to say that all sides want a level playing field. So when its discovered that when one team's playbook comes into the hands of their opponents, the playing field is no longer level. In fact there is a breech. This is what the Wake...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 26, 2016 | Blog
Christmas is in the books, and after all the anticipation, the gift-giving, the feasting and family gatherings, do you ever get that feeling of disappointment? That feeling that there should be something more? Of course, in this case, there is something more. And that...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 23, 2016 | Blog
2016 has been a momentous year. Eight years of authoritarian and far-left ideology under Pres. Barack Obama imposed upon the American people led to a backlash at the polls and a presidential election that took the nation by surprise with Donald Trump winning. Kentucky...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 22, 2016 | Blog
Kentucky children are unfortunately first in the nation when it comes to having a parent in jail. This is one of the findings recently released in the 2016 Kentucky KIDS COUNT data book. Kentucky Youth Advocates compiled the report and one of the biggest if not...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 21, 2016 | Blog
There's a mistaken belief that politicians can say whatever they want without any consequences—especially when it comes to spreading falsehoods about their opponent. This was recently underscored when a jury in Eastern Kentucky found a former Democratic...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 20, 2016 | Blog
You've heard of driving under the influence, well in Northern Kentucky, they have a problem with "drugged driving," which is the latest fallout from the heroin epidemic. Since October 1, Kenton County prosecuted 38 drivers for felonies because they...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 18, 2016 | Blog
The pro-life organization, Americans United for Life released a ground-breaking investigative report about just how unsafe abortion clinics are to women's health. Their investigative report is called Unsafe: How The Public Health Crisis in America's Abortion...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 15, 2016 | Blog
There's much talk about tolerance these days, but those who advocate tolerance are often unwilling to be tolerant of others, especially when it comes to another's perspective. Nick Kristof, a self-identified liberal writer at the NY Times criticizes the...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 12, 2016 | Blog
Just when we need it, there's good news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding one of the hottest social issues of our day: The numbers of abortions are declining. According to their latest report 664,435 abortions were reported to CDC...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 10, 2016 | Blog
Chip and Joanna Gaines are the hosts of the popular cable show Fixer Upper but now they're in hot water because they refused to divulge to a probing reporter their personal beliefs on same-sex relationships. As a result, the "reporter" dug up old sermons...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 8, 2016 | Blog
One of the greatest gifts we enjoy in this nation is the freedom of speech and association which are both protected by the First Amendment. This means that we can speak in public about religion and political ideas. We can also choose our associations. In other words,...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 8, 2016 | Blog
In the time of the year when elections come to an end and average citizens suddenly grow tired of the bickering and vulgarization of discourse, a new idea comes along that undermines partisan provocateurs bent on belittling and maligning their opposition. The idea is...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 6, 2016 | Blog
In the time of year when elections come to an end and average citizens suddenly grow tired of the bickering and vulgarization of discourse, a new idea comes along that undermines partisan provocateurs bent on belittling and maligning their opposition. The idea is that...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 5, 2016 | Blog
Elaine Chao was recently appointed to serve as the Secretary of Transportation in the Trump administration. This is good for Kentucky and the nation. Chao is Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife and formerly served as Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush. Joining...
