Kentucky
Kentucky Allowed to Enforce Trans Care Ban, Appeals Court Rules
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has again allowed a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth to be enforced.
The ruling came Monday in a case out of Kentucky. The same three-judge panel of the court had ruled similarly in a case from Tennessee, making the Sixth Circuit the first court to decide in favor of any gender-affirming care ban.
In the Kentucky case, a lower court had issued an injunction in June blocking the ban from enforcement while a lawsuit against it proceeds. But the judge in that case, U.S. District Judge David Hale, lifted the injunction in July after the Sixth Circuit ruled that Tennessee’s ban could go into effect. The Sixth Circuit covers Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan. The seven trans minors and their parents who had sued over the ban filed an emergency motion with the appeals court to have the injunction reinstated.
But Judges Jeffrey Sutton and Amul Thapar, who had ruled that Tennessee’s ban could be enforced while the suit against it is heard, did the same for the Kentucky law. Judge Helene White dissented in both cases.
Sutton and Thapar held that those challenging the Kentucky ban are unlikely to prove that it violates the constitutional rights to due process and equal protection of the laws. They noted that the young people affected by the ban are given time to wean off puberty blockers and hormones, which they said lessens the harm done by the law. However, in Kentucky the law requires the weaning period to begin immediately, while Tennessee gives doctors and patients until next year to start it. This did not make a difference to the judges, though.
In Kentucky, unlike in Tennessee, some state officials disagree with the ban, and the judges recognized this, but this did not make a difference to the judges either; they said the state has the same interest in making and enforcing its laws.
Kentucky legislators passed the ban over Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto in May. It was part of a broad anti-LGBTQ+ bill that also bars public schools from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity, restricts restroom use by trans students, and requires school personnel to out LGBTQ+ youth to their parents.
White, in her dissent, contended that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their constitutional claims. In addition, the fact that Kentucky trans youth must begin weaning immediately makes it more likely that they will suffer harm, she wrote. “I would lift the stay [of the injunction] at least with regard to those who were undergoing the now-banned treatments when the law took effect,” she explained.
The Kentucky case is known as known as Doe v. Thornbury. The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. The Advocate has sought comment from the lawyers but has yet to receive a response.
The Sixth Circuit court is one of the most conservative appeals courts in the nation. If it and other courts eventually rule differently on whether bans on gender-affirming care are unconstitutional, it could result in a case going to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court’s 2015 ruling in favor of marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges came in a case out of the Sixth Circuit.
Gender-affirming care bans have been temporarily blocked (while cases are heard) in Alabama, Florida, and Indiana because federal judges believed that those who are challenging them are likely to prove unconstitutional discrimination, and a judge in Arkansas has gone further by striking down that state’s law, the first ruling on such a law’s merits. In a suit in Oklahoma, the state and the challengers have agreed that the law will not be enforced while the case proceeds.
BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — As farmland values continue to rise, experts warn that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for farmers to acquire land.
With the future of America’s farmlands at risk, agricultural advocates are urging for the passage of a new bill aimed at protecting these vital resources. Recently, Senator Mitch McConnell introduced the Protecting Americans Farmland Act.
In Bourbon County, one family of farmers is voicing support for the legislation. Unlike many of the multi-generational farms of Kentucky, Ben and Savannah Robin didn’t inherit their land, but built it from the ground up. They’ve seen firsthand the viable farmland that’s rapidly declining.
Ben Robins said, “A lot lately has been sold into development, and that’s what we don’t want to happen. We see highly productive farmland that’s now a subdivision.”
In the 2022 Census of Agriculture, stats showed that from 2017 to 2022, Kentucky lost 546,000 acres of farmland, averaging about 290 acres lost each day. In Bourbon County, 20% of farms have ceased operations in the last 40 years.
Savannah Robins emphasized the need for balance.
“If we look around and see where we were, we need housing and people to come to rural spaces, but we have to find a balance and we have to protect what we currently have,” she said.
Agricultural experts point out that many families do not wish to continue farming once the head farmer retires. When these farmers sell their land, the options to retain it for agricultural use are limited.
What’s more, outside investors are increasingly purchasing land for non-agricultural purposes or leasing it back to farmers, which restricts farmers’ ability to build equity.
“We have a lot of incentive to get into farming, and there’s been work on young farmers or beginner farmers to get them to buy into farming and get that access to capital, but there hasn’t been a lot of incentive on the other side to sell that property into an agricultural space and keep it in ag production,” Savannah said.
As agricultural land increasingly gives way to developments like housing and office space or industrial use like solar farms, those in the agricultural sector are concerned.
Ericka King, Director of National Affairs and Government Relations with the Kentucky Farm Bureau, stressed the importance of maintaining farmland.
“We promote development that is good for the country, it’s good for everyone, but we also have to strike that balance to ensure that we have enough farmland to feed, clothe and fuel the country,” said King.
King explained the purpose of the Protecting American Farmlands Act, telling LEX 18, “This bill would allow a farmer or landowner who has land in active production to sell that land to another active farmer. If the buyer promises to keep the land in active agricultural production for at least 10 years, the gains from that sale can be placed into a qualified retirement account so that that seller is able to have a viable retirement option.”
With increased incentives for farmers to keep farmland within ag production, families like the Robins hope for a brighter future for the next generation, which includes their daughters.
“If we want to be able to create a space for them to come back to the farm or have their own entities or to even grow our own farming operations, we’ve gotta be able to purchase land and we have to have land to be able to purchase,” said Savannah.
As discussions surrounding the Protecting American Farmland Act continue, advocates remain hopeful that the bill will make it across the finish line, saving vital farmland before it’s too late.
This is the first of several planned locations in NKY.
Shutterstock photo.
(Walton, Ky.) – Publix is now open in Walton.
Publix at Triple Crown Shopping Center on Richwood Road opened its doors today at 7:00 a.m.
The 55,701-square-foot facility features traditional services such as deli, produce, bakery, meat, seafood and pharmacy, while also offering special services like Publix Liquors, Publix Delivery, pharmacy drive-thru, catering, Pours (beer, coffee, smoothies), burritos, nachos, bowls, pizza and pasta, and specialty popcorn.
“We are excited to expand across the Bluegrass state with our first store in Northern Kentucky,” said Publix Media Relations Manager Jared Glover. “We look forward to our new customers experiencing the Publix difference and being active members of this vibrant community.”
The Florida-based grocer has announced other upcoming locations in Hebron, Independence, Florence/Union, and where Alexandria Pike meets the AA Highway.
RELATED: Publix Announces Plans to Open Hebron Store
It is officially state tournament time in Kentucky as the 2025 KHSAA boys basketball Sweet 16 tips off at Rupp Arena in Lexington this week.
The Kentucky boys basketball tournament begins with first-round matchups on Wednesday and Thursday. The quarterfinals will occur on Friday, and the semifinal and state championship showdowns will be on Saturday.
Here is the link to the KHSAA Sweet 16 bracket, as well as all of the first-round matchups for this week’s tournament.
Ashland Blazer vs. Calloway County
Bowling Green vs. Adair County
South Oldham vs. Danville Christian Academy
Jeffersontown vs. St. Xavier
North Laurel vs. Breathitt County
Lawrence County vs. Montgomery County
Daviess County vs. Great Crossing
Henderson County vs. Cooper
Playoff Pick ‘Em is a brand-new bracket prediction challenge for high school sports, where users compete to pick the most accurate bracket. The contest is free to play and is available nationwide for most sports on High School On SI. Enter today and pick your favorite teams to take home the title!
Think you know who will win each game? Log in or create a profile, then make your picks here.
To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app:
Download iPhone App | Download Android App
— Sam Brown | sam@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
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