by Richard Nelson | Jan 12, 2015 | Blog
A firestorm over religious freedom and human sexuality has long been brewing in the nation. Legalization of gay marriage and the ascendency of sexual orientation protection into law has fueled the debate and kindled controversies from coast to coast. Casualities...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 11, 2015 | Blog
An organization called Local Investments for Transformation (LIFT) is lobbying the legislature for the possibility of a new tax. Their slogan “let the people vote on investing in their communities,” has garnered the support of 42 Kentucky organizations and...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 5, 2015 | Blog
The saga of alleged harrasment in Kentucky's state House continues. State employee Yolanda Costner, embroiled in a sexual harassment lawsuit which resulted in state Rep. John Arnold's (D-Sturgis) resignation, reports that retaliation against her is in...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 31, 2014 | Blog
The pro-life movement has made great gains in the last several years. A majority of Americans now identify as pro-life. Prudent laws requiring parental consent, full disclosure, and clinic standards on par with non-abortion facilities have all combined to reduce...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 21, 2014 | Blog
The Pew Research Center recently reported that nearly three-quarters of Americans are OK with religious displays on public property. Apparently, America still has room at the Inn, or at least the public square for baby Jesus and a nativity scene. Only 20 percent...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 17, 2014 | Blog
Earlier this week, the Pew Research Center reported that nearly three-quarters of Americans are OK with religious displays on public property. Apparently, America still has room at the Inn, or at least the public square for baby Jesus and a nativity scene. Only...
by Richard Nelson | Dec 2, 2014 | Blog
The Murray City Council is scheduled to hear the first reading of an ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) as protected status into its nondiscrimination code on December 8. The proposed ordinance was postponed last month after concerned...
by Richard Nelson | Nov 18, 2014 | Blog
Hired guns sometimes misfire: The outside group Mark It Red was hired to run Republican state House races. They were given a sizable war chest—an estimated $1.2 million. They had a state to work in that is leaning conservative—in fact, the only state in...
by Richard Nelson | Nov 12, 2014 | Blog
The Lexington Herald-Leader printed a rebuttal to my recent opinion on how "Fairness" ordinances jeopardize religious freedom. Here's the scoop. In late October, the Lexington Human Rights Commission found Blaine Adamson and his company Hands on...
by Richard Nelson | Nov 5, 2014 | Blog
Commonwealth Policy Center endorsements fared well in yesterday's elections. Five of six state Senate candidates endorsed or recommended by CPC won their election. The biggest surprise of the night was when Ralph Alvarado (R-Winchester) defeated Senate Minority...
by Richard Nelson | Nov 5, 2014 | Blog
Last night the party of President Obama was routed in spectacular fashion, as Republicans gained more than enough to take control of the Senate and fortify their healthy numbers in the House of Representatives. There’s no shortage of reading this morning for the...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 30, 2014 | Blog
In her review of the newest pro-choice manifesto by Katha Pollitt, Hanna Rosin expresses frustration at the “muddled middle” of the pro-choice movement. These are the kinds of people who believe abortion should be legal but avoided, who give lip service to...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 30, 2014 | Blog
In her review of the newest pro-choice manifesto by Katha Pollitt, Hanna Rosin expresses frustration at the “muddled middle” of the pro-choice movement. These are the kinds of people who believe abortion should be legal but avoided, who give lip service to...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 21, 2014 | Blog
Thinking how one would want to be interred after death is probably not a regular pastime of most American people. Recently, though, The Washington Post highlighted a contemporary movement towards “green burials.” According to Ellen McCarthy’s...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 21, 2014 | Blog
Thinking how one would want to be interred after death is probably not a regular pastime of most American people. Recently, though, The Washington Post highlighted a contemporary movement towards “green burials.” According to Ellen McCarthy’s...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 16, 2014 | Blog
Earlier this week, Houston mayor Annise Parker and attorneys representing the city in a civil suit created outrage across the nation by issuing broad-reaching subpoenas for Houston pastors’ sermons and other communique discussing homosexuality, gender, Mayor...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 14, 2014 | Blog
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 10, 2014 | Blog
Most civically engaged folks would probably agree on two things. One, honesty is an important character trait. Two, many politicians don't have it. Rarely, though, does a candidate make her lack of transparency as transparent as Alison Grimes has done. The...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 7, 2014 | Blog
Yesterday the Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from five state legislatures regarding same-sex marriage. The non-action lets stand judicial rulings that struck down voter-approved traditional definitions of marriage in those states. Thus, as of Tuesday, same-sex...
by Richard Nelson | Oct 3, 2014 | Blog
Feminist Amanda Marcotte wrote an op-ed this week for USA Today in which she claims to have pro-lifers cornered: If they really believe abortion is murder, then they also believe anyone who has an abortion should be executed. If abortion is murder, then women who get...
