by Richard Nelson | Jan 24, 2017 | Blog
It's been a week of marches and protests and major policy shifts, but in the pursuit of a story that seemed the pinnacle of "what's important," the institutional media neglected some major news The Women's March on Washington, while an...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 23, 2017 | Blog
Thanks to a new law recently signed by Gov. Bevin, Kentuckians can finally find out how much their state legislators will receive in public pensions. It was kept secret by House members who refused to divulge their pensions to the public. That might be one reason...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 23, 2017 | Blog
Recently I heard a young lady describe a whirlwind season in her life. She met a young man and a relationship began. Their relationship moved quickly and they came together in what she described as a night of love and passion. The next few weeks of...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 19, 2017 | Blog
Assisted suicide was legalized in Canada last June. And since then it has claimed the lives of 744 people. Now some bioethicists are pushing to allow the harvesting of organs from patients who seek physician-assisted suicide. This move is alarming when you consider...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 16, 2017 | Blog
Race relations in many of our cities may be their poorest since the late 1960's, but today we celebrate the courage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who dedicated his life to restoring racial equality under the law. Dr. King, who navigated an even tougher political...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 16, 2017 | Blog
One way to bridge the partisan divide is to engage in more conversations with those you disagree with. Not arguments. Not rants. But conversations. This is where mature individuals dialogue and discuss ideas that they may not agree with. And in case you were...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 13, 2017 | Blog
In order for a democratic republic to effectively work, it takes trust and lots of it. Voters must trust election results. They also must trust that elected officials will act honorably and obey laws that apply to them once in office. Unfortunately, trust in our state...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 12, 2017 | Blog
Attorney General Andy Beshear created a controversy last week when he publicly refused to defend a duly enacted law by the legislature. SB 5 bans late-term abortions after 20 weeks and passed with over 80 percent of the vote. It's based on science that tells us...
by Richard Nelson | Jan 10, 2017 | Blog
The newly enacted ultrasound law requires abortionists to provide an ultrasound picture of the unborn child at least 24-hours before an abortion. It took 12 years to pass such a law and opponents are still decrying the law as a burden to women seeking an abortion....
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...
