Moving Kentucky Forward: Recent Episodes
Forward Kentucky
A podcast by Forward Kentucky that is focused on Kentucky politics, politicians, and policy, from a progressive point of view.
A card-carrying member of Democratic Socialists of America won a seat on Louisville's Metro Council. How did he do it, and what was his message that propelled him to a decisive victory?
We talk with Morgan Eaves, the sorta-new executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party. She talks about the shape of the party, about her goals and plans to hit those goals, and about the upcoming special KDP dinner. At the end, we give her three wishes, and ask how she would use them.
A wonderful interview with Erin Marshall, who is challenging Jamie Comer in Kentucky's 1st District. We talk about why she got into the race, how people have responded, and whether she is ready to really go after Comer.
We talk with Josh Buckman, who is running in the Democratic primary for Kentucky House District 76. He shares his "front line" experience, which he thinks makes him the best person to serve in Frankfort. And, we get into his top issues if elected.
We talk with Cherlyn Smith, running against Steve Bratcher for House District 25. We talk about her background working for the military, about her campaign, and about "executing the plan."
We talk with Jamie Palumbo, who is running for the KY House seat currently held by his mother (who is retiring). We dig into why he's running, and what issues are top of mind for him.
We talk with Anne Donworth, one of the Democratic candidates for House District 76. She shares why she is running, the extensive experience she brings to the table, and her passion for the lives of the people in her district.
Her website: https://www.annegaydonworth.com/
An interview with Democrat Adam Moore, running for the Kentucky House in District 45
Website: https://www.kydeservesmoore.com
We interview the just-reelected Lt. Governor of Kentucky, Jacqueline Coleman. We talked about her accomplishments in her first term, what she wants to get done in her second term, and what, if she had a magic wand, she would stop.
We talk with Rachel Roberts of Northern Kentucky about issues and politics in that part of the state, about her relationships with other electeds from both parties, and about the upcoming legislative session, including both the budget and abortion. Her comments were insightful, direct, and definitely worth listening to.
We talk with first-term Congressman Morgan McGarvey of Louisville, and discuss his work, his colleagues, and how DC is both different from, and similar to, his work in Frankfort.
One of the most impressive candidates we have ever interviewed, Sierra Enlow is perfect for the Ag Commissioner role. Listen to find out why!
We talk with Adam Edelen about his exciting project of building out solar arrays on the tops of mountains that had been flattened by mountain-top removal. He tells us about the jobs this is creating, who is buying the power, and the difference this can make for both the climate and the economy. Listen to learn more!
We interview Kim Reeder, a native Kentuckian running for state Auditor this fall. She has both an impressive resume and an impressive backstory, and is by far the best qualified candidate for the job. Listen to learn more!
Remember, if you are a paying member of Forward Kentucky, you can read the transcript on the site.
And check out all our other media publications as well!
We interview Dr. Jeremy Porter, who specializes in climate risk by location. We used his data in our recent series on climate risk in Kentucky.
Climate risk series: https://ForwardKY.com/kentucky-climat...
The Risk Factor site: https://riskfactor.com
First Street Foundation: https://firststreet.org
Michael Bowman is running for Kentucky Treasurer this fall, and in this interview, we learn why he is the obvious choice for the role.
Buddy Wheatley is the Democratic candidate for KY Secretary of State in this fall's election. He's fairly well-known in the northern part of the state, but not as well elsewhere. So in this interview, we talk about why he's running, what he hopes to accomplish, and what sets him apart from his opponent, the current SOS Michael Adams. Listen and learn more about Buddy Wheatley!
As you may know, a small weekly newspaper in Kansas was raided last week by their local police department. You may be thinking, “I live in Kentucky. Why should I care about this?”
To answer that question, I interview Al Cross, long-time journalist in the state, and the director emeritus of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. Al goes into not only why we should care about what happened in Kansas, but why we should all care deeply about our own local journalism.
Stevenson is a retired colonel, a state rep, an ordained minister, and one of the most inspiring and passionate persons we’ve ever interviewed. Enjoy the interview, then plan to vote for her!
This week we talk with Emma Curtis, who is running for the seat in the state House left vacant by the sudden death of Lamin Swann. Emma is a well-known activist who is smart, well-spoken, and passionate about both the issues she cares about and about representing the people in the 93rd district. In addition, though, she has an interesting "day job," as well as a lifelong hobby that we learn about. Come learn more about Emma Curtis!
The KY GOP has a problem – with all the people running for governor in 2023, it’s possible they will nominate someone that most Republicans won’t support. The solution is simple: Ranked Choice Voting. In this podcast, we interview Mathew Ruberg of Rank the Vote KY. He explains what RCV is, how it works, and the problems it solves. Best of all, RCV makes our elections better for everyone, no matter their party. It is a non-partisan way to improve our elections. Listen to learn more!
Trent Garrison has done extensive analysis of Kentucky voters and voting over the years, and this time his question was: How much did the redistricting affect the outcome of the midterms? Join us for geeking out on data and graphs, and even some points of good news for Dems!
One of the most popular and respected representatives in the KY House nevertheless lost his reelection bid a few weeks ago. Why did this happen? We talk with Buddy Wheatley to get his take on his loss, what caused it, and what comes next for him.
It's a Robert Kahne Redux Show! We've got Robert on for a second episode to talk about the mayor's races in Louisville and Lexington, as well as the various judicial elections across the state. Dig in for more insights from Robert!
Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson talks about her campaign and how she won her new district, as well as the issues facing the KY General Assembly when they gather again in January.
Elections analysis guru Robert Kahne lays out what he saw in Tuesday's election in Kentucky.
We're baaaaack!! Yes, “Moving Kentucky Forward” is back after a too-long hiatus. And for our first show back, we interview Kate Turner, who is running against Jason Nemes for KY House district 33. This was a great interview, and Kate is a great candidate! You can check out her campaign at KateForKentucky.com. Enjoy!
Do you know about the justice bills passed this year in Frankfort? Jazmin Smith does, and we've got her on MKF to tell us all about them. Join us!
Col. Pam Stevenson (AF-Ret.) is running for her second term in the state House. In our interview, she talked about why she ran the first time, what she has learned, and why she is running again. Her passion for democracy and her commitment to serving all people are truly inspiring. Give it a listen, and share it with others!
Growing inequality is “ripping the country apart” – but the Patriotic Millionaires have a solution. Learn who they are, why they say "Tax the Rich!", and what their solution is. (PS – They're right.)
Here's a situation so partisan and so mean that it will leave you shaking your head. Attorney Anna Whites tells us why she is suing the KY legislature's leadership, what caused it, and what's next.
There are some people in public service who have such an impact that they are iconic. One such person is Tom Fitzgerald, the long-time leader of the Kentucky Resources Council. In this interview, we asked how KRC came to be, what were the best and worst bills he saw in his time ... and about the shoes!
In this week's Moving Kentucky Forward, we talk with Hank Linderman, Congressional candidate in KY's 2nd district. It was a wide-ranging conversation, and one I think you will really enjoy.
Debby Angel ran a write-in campaign in 2020, and got beat pretty thoroughly. So why come back and run again? “Because the people of this district are not being served by Maddox – and because I can do the job a lot better than her.” Listen and learn about this candidate and her many connections to her district.
State Senator Morgan McGarvey took time out from his campaign for Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District to talk with us about reaching out to voters across the city, about what he has accomplished in Frankfort, and what he wants to be known for if elected to Congress. It was an insightful and wide-ranging interview; give it a listen to learn more. And if you follow Kentucky politics, subscribe to Moving Kentucky Forward in your podcast app of choice.
Running for office is pretty much a full-time job. Being a teacher is definitely a full-time job. And yet Chris Preece is doing both as he takes on Andy Barr for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District. Why is Preece doing this? And how is it going?
State Rep. Joni Jenkins, who has served in the Kentucky House for many years, is not running for re-election this fall. We asked why she isn't running, what her best and worst memories are of her time in Frankfort, and what Kentucky Dems need to do going forward. Give a listen to this stateswoman as she looks back over her time serving our state.
Lawyer and political analyst Teri Kanefield says that Republicans have a choice: democracy or anti-democracy. Listen as she lays out the history of the Republican party that got us here, and if they choose against democracy, what we can do.
We talk with Christina Trosper of KY 120 United AFT, to see what the group is up to now, AND to discuss Senate Bill 1 and what is wrong with it. If you care about education, this is an important podcast. (Just want to hear the SB1 discussion? Jump to 15:28.)
The Repubs in the General Assembly have released and passed their redistricting maps, all in one week. There is already talk of suing over the maps – but, is there actually anything to sue over? Professor Josh Douglas walks us through the legal issues surrounding the new maps.
Did you know your poop can talk? Well, it can – at least when it comes to detecting COVID. We talk with Dr. Ted Smith, the director of the Wastewater-Based Epidemiology study at the University of Louisville. What is it, how does it work – and most importantly, what are they seeing? Listen in to learn more!
We talk with Ben Carter, senior counsel for the KY Equal Justice Center, about the legality of the Republican maps, and whether they can and should be challenged – and whether our message should be "slow down" or "Stop!"
We talk with Dee Pregliasco of the KY League of Women Voters, to hear what the League finds wrong with both the maps as drawn and with the redistricting process itself.
We talk with data scientist Robert Kahne about his work reverse-engineering the Republican PDF maps into actual map shapefiles with precincts, and what he found when he did so.
As the KY General Assembly prepares to open tomorrow, we spoke with Senator Morgan McGarvey and Representative Joni Jenkins, the two minority leaders in the legislature. We talked about redistricting, including both the process and the result. We also got into what to expect in this year's session, and what the Democratic leaders hope to accomplish.
A special education funding task force recently released nine recommendations for increasing funding for Kentucky's schools, including having the state be required to fund full-day kindergarten. These are exciting recommendations, so we were glad to talk with Rep. James Tipton and Rep. Tina Bojanowski, two members of the task force. They explain what some of the recommendations mean and why they were included, and weigh in on the chances of them passing the General Assembly in this session.
The recommendations can be found on the LRC website in this PDF.
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Dr. Neal Turpin is challenging Tom Burch for the Democratic nomination for House District 30. (Disclaimer: He is a contributor to ForwardKY.) We interviewed Dr. Turpin to ask him why he decided to run for this seat at this time, what his goals are, and what he is passionate about.
In this episode of Moving Kentucky Forward, we interview state Rep. Attica Scott about her campaign for Congress in Kentucky's 3rd district. We ask her why she decided to run, how her campaign is going, and what key issues she wants to address if elected. Give a listen to this progressive champion as she speaks with passion and vigor about what her campaign is about.