Economic Justice News

Poor People's Campaign Truth & Poverty Tour in Kentucky

April 20, 2019 at 08:18am
Southern Kentucky

The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival’s National Emergency Truth & Poverty Bus Tour will visit western Kentucky on April 29, making stops in Eddyville, Hopkinsville and Bowling Green.

Read more

KFTC Members Speak Out About Louisville Metro Budget Crisis

April 17, 2019 at 12:30pm
Tax Reform, Jefferson County

  No More Business As Usual

Read more

Mitch McConnell is silent on coal while Kentucky miners suffer and die

February 22, 2019
The Courier-Journal

McConnell has repeatedly failed to do right by our coal workers and communities.

Read more

Sweeping changes aimed at Kentucky aid programs called 'war on poor'

February 25, 2019
The Courier-Journal

Top House Republicans have filed a bill that would enact sweeping changes in Kentucky's system of public benefits — including Medicaid, food stamps and temporary cash aid for the poor — adding work requirements, drug tests and benefit cuts that opponents say would be disastrous.

Read more

Exciting! Benham$aves energy efficiency project receives $200,000 pledge

February 13, 2019 at 01:51pm
Just Transition, , Communities Taking Action, , Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Harlan County

IMG_2358 (1)

KFTC members took part in a special called meeting of the Benham Power Board on February 12 to share the good news that an anonymous donor pledged $200,000 to support the Benham$aves Program.

Read more

Hailing Cesar NKU screening

January 24, 2019 at 01:31pm
Northern Kentucky

This past Wednesday the Northern Kentucky chapter joined other organizations for a celebration of Cesar Chavez Day at Northern Kentucky University. As part of the celebration, Latino Program and Services at NKU brought in Cesar Chavez's grandson, Eduardo Chavez, to show his new film Hailing Cesar.

Read more

Fighting to Save the Black Lung Trust Fund

December 15, 2018
WMMT Making Connection News
Just Transition, Big Sandy, Just Transition, Cumberland, Just Transition, Harlan County, Just Transition, Perry County
Read more

Sen. McConnell Hints at Support for Black Lung Disability Trust Fund

October 24, 2018
Ohio Valley Resource
Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Big Sandy

At a public meeting in Pikeville, Sen McConnell was asked whether he would support strengthening funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. Currently, the fund is running out of money because more miners are getting sick and more coal companies are going bankrupt.

Read more

Fixing What's Broke: why Congress must support a Just Transition for miners with black lung and communities

October 21, 2018 at 06:00pm
Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Big Sandy, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Cumberland, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Harlan County, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Perry County, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Rowan County, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Energy Democracy, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, Western Kentucky

A new report from KFTC describes ways Kentuckians are organizing to demand action from Congress – and especially from Senator Mitch McConnell – in support of a Just Transition for miners with black lung disease, retired and laid off miners, and their communities.

To build a new economy in coal communities, the report says Congress should start by "fixing what's broke," including strengthening funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, passing the RECLAIM Act, and protecting miners' pensions.

Read more

Local black lung resolution is picking up steam

October 16, 2018 at 11:22am
Just Transition, , Communities Taking Action, , Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Big Sandy, Just Transition, , Communities Taking Action, , Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Cumberland, Just Transition, , Communities Taking Action, , Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Harlan County, Just Transition, , Communities Taking Action, , Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Perry County, Just Transition, , Communities Taking Action, , Energy Democracy, , Sustainable Energy, Rowan County

Most recent update as of Jan 2, 2019: Sixteen local governments in Kentucky have passed local resolutions in 2018 calling on Senator McConnell and other members of Congress to do right by our miners and communities by passing the RECLAIM Act, strengthening funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, and protecting miners' pensions. 

* * * 

The resolution was first adopted by the City of Benham in Harlan County in September 2018. That action was followed quickly by local governments in the cities of Jackson, Morehead and Whitesburg, and in Breathitt, Knott, Letcher, Rowan and Pike counties. 

Knott, Letcher, Rowan and Pike counties became the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th local governments in eastern Kentucky to pass a local resolution calling on members of Congress to pass several bills needed to help sick, disabled, retired and unemployed coal miners and their communities. The fiscal courts in Letcher and Knott counties took the unanimous action at their respective monthly meetings on October 15, and Pike and Rowan counties acted the next day.

Update 11.30.2018: The Floyd County Fiscal Court became the 10th Kentucky community to pass the resolution on October 18. Magoffin County quickly became the 11th, followed by Ohio County, in Western Kentucky, Knox County, and the City of Lynch in Harlan County. 

Update 12.10.2018: Johnson County's Fiscal Court passed the 15th resolution in Kentucky by local governments calling on Senator McConnell and other members of Congress to do right by our miners and coal communities!

Update in late December: Harlan County's Fiscal Court passed the 16th resolution urging Congress to pass the RECLAIM Act, strengthen the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, and protect miners' pensions. 

Read more