House Bill 585 is about making sure Kentucky works for the people who do the work, not just those at the top.

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• Kentucky’s 2017 “right-to-work” law has weakened unions and is being blamed for stagnant worker wages.
• A recent poll indicates that a majority of Kentuckians support making it easier for workers to form unions.
• House Bill 585 seeks to repeal the “right-to-work” law and strengthen unions.

“Right-to-work” isn’t working in Kentucky. 

Kentuckians are struggling to keep up with rising costs and it’s not hard to see. Workers’ wages are not keeping up with basic needs, such as housing, groceries, health care and childcare. Some people need multiple jobs just to feed their families. While hardworking Kentuckians struggle, the wealthy and well-connected continue to receive tax breaks and special treatment from politicians in Frankfort and Washington. 

This didn’t happen by accident. This was by design. 

In 2017, we saw a dramatic shift against working families. The first order of business for the new Republican majority in the Kentucky House was passing so-called “right-to-work” legislation, House Bill 1. This legislation weakened unions and led to lower pay for workers. Nearly a decade has passed, and workers are not thriving in Kentucky like they said they would.

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Kentuckians want support for workers

Big business has virtually no limits on their influence in Frankfort. They spend exceedingly large amounts of money on lobbying the Kentucky supermajority to shape laws to further enrich themselves. When workers try to organize, demand fair wages, safe workplaces and decent benefits, big business uses the profits they’ve gathered off the backs of working people to directly advocate against them. 

Some wealthy business interests claim “right-to-work” has contributed to the state’s economic growth over the past several years, but whose growth is it, really? The fact of the matter is corporate profits are soaring and executives are cashing in, while families are left scraping by.

It’s true Kentucky has seen record-breaking economic momentum under the leadership of Gov. Andy Beshear, including $43 billion in private sector investments and over 63,000 new jobs. However, Beshear agrees Kentucky can attract businesses and investment without simultaneously suppressing unions. 

A recent statewide poll conducted by KyPolicy found that 85% of Kentucky voters want the state legislature to prioritize raising worker pay and improving worker benefits. This poll also found that 60% of Kentuckians support making it easier for workers to join or form a union.

Kentuckians are telling us they want us to focus on supporting workers, and our colleagues in the General Assembly should listen.

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A fight worth having

Bad faith politicians in Frankfort will tell you we have a worker shortage. They pin the problem on Kentuckians not willing to work, and absolve big business from any accountability. But in reality, we have a wage problem. Repealing “right-to-work” is a necessary step toward fixing that imbalance. 

That’s why we have introduced House Bill 585, legislation to repeal Kentucky’s “right-to-work” law and restore Kentucky’s ability to have strong unions fighting for workers’ rights. House Bill 585 is about making sure Kentucky works for the people who do the work, not just those at the top. 

Across the country, states with stronger unions have higher wages, better benefits and safer workplaces. Union workers earn more, are more likely to have health insurance and retirement security and are better protected on the job. When unions are strong, workers are strong. 

This is a fight worth having. It’s a fight working people are ready for, and it’s a fight we cannot afford to keep putting off. 

Standing together is how workers have always won dignity, fairness and opportunity. This is how Kentucky can build a stronger future for everyone.

Working Kentuckians deserve better.

Agree or disagree? Submit your letter to the editor.

Rep. Chad Aull represents Kentucky’s 79th House District in Lexington

Rep. Adrielle Camuel represents Kentucky’s 93rd House District in Lexington

BURKESVILLE, Ky. (WSMV) – A man was arrested Friday after a search warrant was executed at a Kentucky home, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

The search warrant comes after a weeks-long joint investigation between the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police.

CCSO said a search warrant was executed at a home at 4426 Glasgow Road about 1 p.m. Friday.

During the search, deputies found about one pound of methamphetamine inside the home.

Stephen Eaves, of Cumberland County, was arrested following the search, CCSO said.

“The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with all first responding agencies to keep our community as safe as possible,” CCSO said.

Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A bill that would change how alcohol and cannabis-infused beverages are taxed is under consideration in Frankfort.

House Bill 9 would impose a 4% state retail regulatory license fee on all sales of alcoholic beverages and cannabis-infused beverages to consumers by retailers.

The bill would also establish state wholesale regulatory license fees on those same products and, for the first time, bring kratom, hemp-derived, and cannabinoid products into the formal tax structure.

How the tax would be calculated

Annie Rouse, CEO and founder of CannaBuzz, said the tax itself is not the problem, but how it is calculated could be.

“Right now it kind of seems like nickel and diming at every part of the supply chain,” Rouse said.

Rouse said the introduction of House Bill 9 means retailers may not be able to absorb the cost of supply chain and retail taxes, eventually passing those costs on to customers. She said the tax would be applied per milligram of THC in a product, rather than on the product’s value — a structure she said mirrors a similar shift happening in the alcohol industry.

“That is also happening with alcohol — they’re moving away from the value tax and moving it to a by-alcohol-volume tax,” Rouse said.

“So kind of taxed on multiple levels. There’s still some work that needs to be done to kind of maybe move some of those taxes around so it’s just one tax,” Rouse said.

Rouse said she is working with legislators to help them understand the best way for the state to earn tax revenue from the products without harming the industries.

“We need to find that sweet spot so that people aren’t going out of state and instead they’re staying here, they’re buying it here and then we’re continuing to support the economy,” Rouse said.

What customers say

Until the bill is passed, it is unclear how much of a financial impact the tax would have on customers. Customers told WKYT that because cannabis-infused drinks and alcohol are entertainment purchases, those products would be among the first cut from their budgets.

“It’s already an expensive product and, you know, I don’t want to spend an extra four dollars on my sleep gummies or my beer,” said Will Partain, a customer who buys products in both industries.

Partain said a price increase would stop him from shopping local. He said if local companies raise their prices, he would shift to major brands and buy less overall.

What else is in the bill

Beyond the new fee structure, House Bill 9 would repeal Kentucky’s existing excise and wholesale taxes on alcoholic and cannabis-infused beverages on July 1, 2027, replacing them with the new regulatory license fee system.

The bill would also direct 0.5% of collected state retail regulatory license fees to the Alcohol Wellness and Responsibility Education Fund and create new public health laboratory and testing standards for cannabis-infused beverages, kratom, hemp, and cannabinoid products.

Under the bill, local governments in moist or wet cities and counties would gain new authority to impose their own local regulatory license fees. Existing local fees would be required to drop to 3% within four years; future fees would be capped at 1%.

The bill also includes a permanent prohibition on retail licensees using a premises where alcohol was sold to minors three or more times within 24 months.

Timeline

The bill includes an emergency clause, meaning most provisions could take effect immediately if signed into law. The full tax overhaul — including the sunset of existing excise and wholesale taxes and the full implementation of the new regulatory license fee system — would not take effect until July 1, 2027.

Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.