February 2019 – balancing the scales

Volume 38 Number 1

UPDATES INSIDE KFTC leaders set ambitious goals for 2019-20 elections .................. 5 ORSANCO plan delayed ............ 6 Green New Deal and the national conversation ................................ 8

February 13, 2019

Members get insight into the life of Cesar Chavez............................ 11 Utilities, Senate again try to kill rooftop solar ............................... 14 General Assembly updates .. 12-17 … and much more inside

Justice issues affect people every day, in significant and harmful ways, governor told

Meeting resulted from sit-in by Kentucky Poor People’s Campaign … page 12

Change Service Requested

scales

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth P.O. Box 1450 London, Ky. 40743

balancing the

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

2 | Balancing the Scales

is a statewide grassroots social justice orga­­ni­ zation working for a new balance of power and a just society. KFTC uses direct-action organizing to accomplish the following goals: • foster democratic values • change unjust institutions • empower individuals • overcome racism and other discrimination • communicate a message of what’s possible • build the organization • help people participate • win issues that affect the common welfare • have fun KFTC membership dues are $15 to $50 per year, based on ability to pay. No one is denied membership because of inability to pay. Membership is open to anyone who is committed to equality, democracy and nonviolent change.

KFTC Steering Committee Meta Mendel-Reyes, chairperson Cassia Herron, vice chairperson Christian Torp, secretary-treasurer Amy Copelin, at-large member Mary Love, at-large member Chapter Representatives Mikaela Curry, Big Sandy Carly Muetterties, Central Kentucky David Miller, Cumberland Chase Gladson, Harlan County Chandra Cruz-Thomson, Jefferson County Rebecca Tucker, Madison County Melissa Roth, Northern Kentucky Chanda Campbell, Perry County Amelia Cloud, Rolling Bluegrass Fannie Madden-Grider, Rowan County Joy Fitzgerald, Shelby County Summer Bolton, Southern Kentucky Amanda Groves, Western Kentucky Shannon Scott, Wilderness Trace Alternates: Katricia Rogers, Big Sandy; Kaelyn Payton, Central Kentucky; Damien Hammons, Cumberland; Sheyanna Gladson, Harlan County; Connor Allen, Jefferson County; Adam Funck, Madison County; Lauren Gabbard, Northern Kentucky; Russell Oliver & Susan Hull, Perry County; Carol Hurn, Rolling Bluegrass; Ezra Dike, Rowan County; Cynthia Dare, Shelby County; Teresa Christmas, Southern Kentucky; Jim Gearhart, Western Kentucky; Margaret Gardiner, Wilderness Trace

Table of Contents KFTC News Executive Corner: This is what happens when a vision takes hold! ..................................... 3 Workshop reminds us ‘we all do better when we all do better’ ............................................ 4 We Did It! Thanks to you........................ .............................................................................................. 4 Racial justice, 2019-20 elections top steering committee agenda .................................... 19 KFTC Calendar of Events .................................................................................................................. 20 Voter Empowerment KFTC committed to growing Action for Democracy in 2019-20........................................... 5 Action for Democracy 2019-2020 purpose and goals . ............................................................ 5 Environmental Justice Many support ORSANCO’s essential public health mission ................................................... 6 Powerful stories about water shared at hearing ......................................................................... 6 New Energy and Just Transition LG&E/KU proposal would undermine solar, hurt low-income................................................. 7 KFTC members involved in the evolving Green New Deal national conversation ......... 8 Economic Justice Members learning effective new ways to talk about taxes ..................................................... 9 Movement growing to bring back postal banking . .................................................................. 18 Local Updates – Building Grassroots Power SOKY members explore ways to increase energy efficiency ............................................... 10 2019 Berea Pie Auction ....................................................................................................................... 10 NKY members learned about Cesar Chavez from his grandson .......................................... 11 Third Annual Pikeville Women’s March .......................................................................................... 11 Kentucky General Assembly Members reclaim access to public areas of the capitol .......................................................... 12 Voting rights strategy evolving with new energy, cleaner bill ............................................. 13 Rooftop solar again threatened by Senate bill pushed by utilities .................................... 14 Cruel restrictions prevent access to crucial black lung care ................................................ 15 KFTC Bill Tracker .............................................................................................................................. 16-17 Ways to stay informed of KFTC’s work in the Kentucky General Assembly .................. 17

Like our new KFTC T-shirt?

You can get one – as well as other cool merch – at shop.kftc.org Balancing the Scales is published by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and sent as third class mail from Louisville. Reader contri­butions and letters to the editor should be sent to P.O. Box 864, Prestonsburg, KY 41653 or jhardt@kftc.org. Subscriptions are $20/yr.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 3

executive committee corner

This is what happens when a vision takes hold!

By Cassia Herron KFTC vice-chairperson What’s all the Hype about Ocasio-Cortez and a Green New Deal? An Interview with (future) Candidate Cassia Herron The new year has brought lots of surprises and a new normal for me; the most exciting of which is my respect, and fawning really, over Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez is a 29-year-old former bartender and community activist representing the 14th District of New York City (Bronx and Queens) in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is an unapologetic champion of justice, peace, fairness and truth and – in company with other freshman congressional representatives – is changing conversations on Capitol Hill.

Last month, I traveled to Washington, DC as part of the Climate Justice Alliance delegation to meet with Representative Ocasio-Cortez about her plans to propose a Green New Deal. CJA is a coalition of KFTClike organizations from across the country who are united toward building healthy, resilient communities with equitable economies.

At the center of CJA’s work is the vision to create a just, regenerative energy economy that centers equity, workers safety and health, community wealth creation and environmental sustainability. Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal could do just this.

I’m imaging myself a first-time candidate seeking to replace Senator Mitch McConnell and sitting down with myself as a reporter. I ask myself to reflect on meeting Ocasio-Cortez and this discussion about a Green New Deal. Here’s how the interview goes: I understand that you had the opportunity to meet with Representative Ocasio-Cortez in her first week in Congress. What was that like?

First, it was my first experience on the Hill. It was a bit strange at first. Our visit was during the government shutdown so the halls were pretty vacant. Furniture was being moved in and out, but not really. There were people working and despite Ocasio-Cortez’s team not having access to what’s necessary to set up a functioning office, they too were working and had invited CJA representatives to talk about our work.

We’d been told that Ocasio-Cortez wanted our in-

put and expertise about how a Green New Deal could support the work in which generations of our people have been engaged. She wanted our help in crafting the proposal.

She was punctual (and so were we), warm, engaging and expressed honor of being with us. She was attentive and let us know that she appreciates our work and stands on our shoulders as she matriculates through her first year as a congressional representative.

Did you have a chance to address her directly?

Yes I did. I was nervous as hell!

You were?

Of course I was. I almost always get nervous at public speaking opportunities. I’ve learned though to fight through the fear in order to get to the truth. And that’s what I did.

I shared with her and our CJA colleagues that in Kentucky we talk as much about a just transition as we do climate change; that we understand economic transition largely through the lens of the changes we have experienced in our agricultural economy. I believe that the same way we thought to invest Master Tobacco Settlement dollars into agricultural diversification is the same sort of thinking we need to apply to our energy economic transition. Innovation, research, risk – this is what we have to fund.

Funding. Money. That seems to be at the crux of what still seems to be in this ambiguous plan to eliminate the United States’ dependency on fossil fuels and move to 100 percent renewable energy sources. How does it get funded?

That’s 100 percent clean, safe energy sources – thank you very much. We can’t promote energy sources like nuclear or biomass that may seem “clean” but are potentially dangerous or that deplete another part of our environmental ecosystem.

Lots of critics with an old school mentality think, “Oh, here’s another government program with a trillion dollar price tag.” Its not. Yes, we must invest! And the only way to do that is to disinvest in fossil fuels.

We must find, train and develop new leaders who have the guts to move part of or all of the $26 billion dollars spent yearly on fossil fuels into energy efficiency retrofits and other investments that moves us to renewables. We must pass progressive legislation now that enables us to utilize alternative energy sources

within our existing system as we make the investments in entrepreneurs and innovators who are creating brand new options for us to safely power the planet.

Pass progressive legislation. Is that what you think Kentuckians want from their U.S. senator? Why are you running and why do you think you can win?

Call it progressive or whatever. Yes, Kentuckians want someone to represent us who is going to change the wealth disparities in this country. We want good health care access and service. We want quality education that’s also affordable and we want someone who will meet and listen to us.

Kentuckians are smart and want to participate in creating and implementing the change we want to see.

We want leaders who make choices that benefit the most of us – not the billionaire few. More so, we want someone we can champion! … and you think Kentuckians will rally around you? Why? At this moment in our country’s history we need bold leaders committed to equity and radical transformation. That’s what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez illustrated when she invited us to a conversation with her.

I am inspired by her audacious commitment to justice and people power. I’m moved that so many young people, including Kentuckians connected to the Sunrise Movement, are excited about her leadership. I want to take these and the other unheard voices of Kentuckians with me to DC … to give us the opportunity to create the future we want to see. Ocasio-Cortez is holding open the door for others to join her on the Hill. I’m running her way!

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cassia Herron, KFTC’s vice-chairperson.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

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KFTC News

Workshop reminds us ‘we all do better when we all do better’ In 2017, Heather McGhee, executive director of Demos at the time, spoke at KFTC’s annual meeting.

McGhee was working on a book, to be published this year, about the cost of racism to everyone in the U.S. During her keynote address, McGhee reminded us that, “We all do better when we all do better.”

It’s a simple message, and speaks to values deeply held by KFTC members and many Kentuckians. But for others, truly believing it requires the unlearning of a narrative crafted by conservative strategists and politicians.

McGhee summed up this opposition narrative as: Fear people of color. Hate the government. Trust the market.

McGhee worked with Ian Haney López, Anat Shenker-Osorio and others to conduct research aimed at creating a narrative that could beat the opposition’s strategic racism by engaging the progressive base and persuading many others. Their findings provide a framework for speaking up about the ways racial justice and economic justice are intertwined, and evidence that doing so is an effective way to grow support

Stories and narratives can change how people view for progressive policies and candidates.

Through involvement in the Just Cities Narrative themselves and the world around them. They can be a Project, KFTC had the opportunity to learn more catalyst for people to come together and create change. from Shenker-Osorio about what the researchers call When integrated with KFTC’s on-the-ground organizthe Race-Class Narrative. It’s expanded KFTC’s orga- ing, the Race-Class Narrative will help more Kentucknizational toolbox for talking about racial justice and ians hear, believe, repeat and take action around the idea that “we all do better when we all do better.” how it intersects with all of KFTC’s work.

Workshops on the Race-Class Narrative have been Learn more at www.demos.org/race-class-narraheld with KFTC staff, the KFTC Steering Committee tive-project or reach out to a local KFTC organizer. and a group of about a dozen state legislators from the DemoInstagram cratic House Caucus.

Facebook @jckftc @soky_kftc Each time, particiwww.KFTC.org/facebook @centralkentuckykftc pants engaged with For chapter Facebook pages, @northernky_kftc @kentuckiansforthecommonwealth visit: www.kftc.org/links the research, asked important questions To find our photos on Flickr: and contributed to @KFTC @JCKFTC @NKY_KFTC @WT_KFTC a version of the narwww.flickr.com/ @ScottCoKFTC @SoKyKFTC photos/KFTCrative that is rooted @MadCo_KFTC @VotingRightsKY photos in the experiences of @EKY_KFTC Kentuckians.

We did it!

KFTC on social media

thanks tO yOu.

$535,850 What We raised!

your membership and support helped kFtC exceed our grassroots fundraising goal in 2018. thank you!

$500,000 Our GOal!

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

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Voter Empowerment

KFTC committed to growing Action for Democracy in 2019-20 For more than 37 years KFTC has worked for a fair economy and a just tax system, a safe and sustainable environment, racial and economic justice, full and fair access to health care, and more.

None of these goals are possible here in Kentucky without a healthy democracy.

In a healthy democracy everyone is included, voting is accessible, elections are fair, and elected leaders are responsive to folks in their communities. To that end, KFTC is committed to working year-round to increase civic engagement, win on Election Day, and pass progressive local, state and federal legislation that improves the quality of life for all Kentuckians through our Action for Democracy campaign.

KFTC’s Action for Democracy work is designed to complement and elevate organizing work so that

we build grassroots power and create lasting change in our commonwealth. This work doesn’t happen in the days leading up to Election Day. It happens continuously throughout the year in four, interconnected phases.

During phase one, we work to identify and register voters, predominantly focusing our efforts on new and unlikely voters. We table at community events, host registration drives at public venues, canvass neighborhoods, and more.

The second phase includes educating residents, voters, and candidates about issues that matter to Kentuckians. This includes surveying candidates on KFTC’s issues and sharing the results online and in person, hosting candidate forums and public outreach at events, neighborhood canvassing, and more.

Phase three of Action for Democracy strategy is

Action for Democracy 2019-2020 purpose and goals At its February 2 meeting, the KFTC Steering Committee affirmed the purpose of KFTC’s Action for Democracy work and adopted some ambitious goals for the next two years.

The purpose of KFTC’s Action for Democracy Program of Work is to build a healthy democracy in Kentucky by engaging tens of thousands of voters, changing the public and political discussion to reflect our values and aspirations, elevating the public policy issues and solutions important to our communities, training and encouraging scores of new political candidates, and helping elect good candidates to represent Kentucky.

2019-20 GOALS = Outcomes We Want to Help Achieve in 2019-20 ❏ Build stronger Action for Democracy strategies and infrastructure ❏ Create a new, unifying, aspirational political discussion to shape the elections ❏ Register thousands of new voters all across the state ❏ Identify, educate, and turn out tens (hundreds) of thousands of informed voters ❏ Develop hundreds of skilled, experienced grassroots leaders ❏ Recruit, train, support scores of new, progressive political candidates to run … in order to ❏ Elect a new Kentucky Governor and Lt. Governor in 2019 ❏ Elect other new statewide officers in 2019 … and in 2020 ❏ Elect new, progressive leadership to local offices across Kentucky ❏ Flip the Kentucky House back to Democratic control, with a majority of progressives in the Democratic Caucus ❏ Elect new, progressive candidates to the State Senate ❏ Defeat one or two old obstructionist incumbents in the State Senate ❏ Elect at least two progressives to the U.S. House ❏ Elect a new U.S. Senator

To get involved with this work, join a KFTC Action for Democracy Team!

Contact your local organizer or Alicia@kftc.org.

what most folks are familiar with: voter mobilization.

KFTC has a robust mobilization campaign every election that includes door-to-door canvassing, mailings, phone banks, community events, email, social media, rides to the polls and more.

The final phase of our Action for Democracy strategy – Phase 4-Ever – happens continuously, all year round to educate, engage, and mobilize voters and community members. The issues facing Kentuckians don’t go away after Election Day, which is why we work to hold elected leaders accountable, engage folks with our issue work, and build – and use – long-term, grassroots power all year long, every year.

Phase 4-ever includes the breadth and depth of KFTC’s work. It’s base building and doing one-onones with folks. It’s engaging members in chapters and local issue work. It’s helping people lobby in Frankfort or attend a city council meeting to have their voice heard. It’s supporting folks in writing letters to the editor or talking with their neighbor about an issue.

It’s the ongoing work of educating members and the community at large about issues and also about building a movement, the role of oppression in this work, and more. It’s hosting rallies and fundraisers. It’s sustaining giver campaigns and work with allies.

Phase 4-ever is all the work that happens all year long to build and use grassroots power, leading up to, but far beyond, Election Day.

Thanks to thousands of KFTC members and friends who made donations in 2018, we exceeded our grassroots fundraising goal.

We worked throughout the year to raise $500,000, and we ended 2018 having raised $535,850. In addition to their donations, members pitched in by inviting folks to join KFTC, planning fundraisers, tabling at events, hosting house parties and PowerBuilder pages, and more. Folks stepped up in big ways.

The money raised supports KFTC chapters in powerful local campaigns, provides training for grassroots leaders, enables work with allies in Kentucky and across the country, helps KFTC register voters and hold candidates and lawmakers accountable, and more.

As a grassroots organization, we are our members. When we work together, we do big things.

Use the form on page 19 to help give us a good start toward our 2019 grassroots fundraising goal.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

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Environmental justice

Many support ORSANCO’s essential public health mission Last year a proposal was put forth to do away with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission’s (ORSANCO) water protection mission. KFTC members joined others to speak out about the importance of ORSANCO’s role to protect water in the Ohio River and its tributaries.

Speaking out has delayed a final decision by ORSANCO commissioners which had been expected on February 14.

ORSANCO, founded in 1948, is an eight-state compact with representation from Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as from the federal government.

Its mission from the beginning has been "to control and abate pollution in the Ohio River Basin."

ORSANCO standards on many of the more than 120 pollutants it monitors are stronger than Kentucky or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.

“Gutting regional standards would leave an uneven network of weaker individual state regulations,” wrote northern Kentucky resident and KFTC member Robin Ghee last summer. “And the proposal comes at a time when the federal Environmental Protection Agency is being undermined in Washington, D.C.” The Ohio River hosts 26 coal-burning plants along its banks, about one every 38 miles. Five million people from eight states rely on drinking water from

10 of Kentucky's water utilities intake drinking water directly from the Ohio River. And 29 utilities purchase and use this water.

the river. Thirty-nine Kentucky water systems get their water directly or indirectly from the Ohio River.

This is not the time to be deregulating, testified Colleen Kaelin at a public hearing last summer. She is retired from the Kentucky Department of Public Health where she served as the epidemiologist in

Powerful stories about water shared at hearing More than 110 people turned out on February 2 and the need for ORSANCO to continue its water to affirm the need for clean and safe drinking water. protection mission.

The crowd included folks from KFTC and allies KFTC members came from Big Sandy, Rolling like the Kentucky and Ohio Poor People's Campaign, Bluegrass, Jefferson County and Northern Kentucky Ohio Sierra Club, the Democratic Socialists of Amer- chapters. Speakers included KFTC members Tayna ica of Metro Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, the Fogle representing the Kentucky Poor People's CamIndiana and Kentucky chapter of the American Indian paign, Martin County residents Mickey and Nina Movement, and others in the Greater Cincinnati area. McCoy, and Debbie Smith working with the Ohio The hearing feaPoor People's Campaign. tured speakers discussing They spoke about the the importance of wabenefits of a healthy water to local indigenous ter system in helping people, the health benrelieve stress and keep efits of usable and clean down health care costs. water, Cincinnati water Folks at the hearing and sewer issues, busiwere ready to take acnesses that damaging the tion, including going to quality of local water, the ORSANCO comongoing work for clean Many turned out to support clean water and its im- mission meeting on Febwater in Martin County, portance in our lives at the water justice field hearing. ruary 14 in Covington.

charge of environmental health impacts.

“We need to increase the watchfulness over our water quality because we will see more infectious disease outbreaks, more situations similar to the lead poisoning in Flint if we do not consistently monitor our water quality and our water security,” said Kaelin.

To help protect ORSANCO’s important mission, KFTC worked with allies to share the stories of people impacted by water. That included working with the Poor People’s Campaigns and others on a Water Justice Field Hearing on February 2 (see related story).

Other activities included creating awareness among the media and public, and generating comments to Kentucky’s three commissioners, who are: • • •

C. Ronald Lovan, president of the Northern Kentucky Water District Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton former coal executive Charles Snavely, secretary of the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

The Ohio River’s status as one of the nation’s dirtiest rivers can be directly traced to companies that are pressuring the commission to end its mission, many with dozens of Clean Water Act violations.

“This is not sound science or policy making,” said Eira Tansey at the hearing last summer. “If the commission guts regional pollution control standards, it is selling out the health and safety of everyone living downstream from polluting industry.”

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 7

Just transition

LG&E/KU proposal would hurt low-income, undermine solar Kentuckians working for a clean energy future have been forced to turn attention to stopping a proposal by Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities that would undermine rooftop solar and add new financial burdens on low-income energy consumers.

LG&E and KU (both owned by PPL Corporation, one of the largest utilities in the U.S.) asked the Kentucky Public Services Commission to approve a rate increase and restructuring. They want significant increases in the basic service fee for electricity and natural gas service. This is the amount that consumers pay regardless of the amount of energy used.

“Particularly worrisome is the utilities' proposed increase in the basic service charge,’ wrote KFTC members Cathy Clement and Rachel Norton in an op-ed distributed to Kentucky newspapers. “The continued increases in this basic charge (it also went up in 2017) reduce customer control over our energy bills.

“We work hard to conserve energy, but our bills rise anyway. This discourages investments in conservation and renewable energy, and especially burdens low- and moderate-income Kentuckians who spend the highest proportion (up to 10 percent) of their incomes on energy.”

“That’s bad enough, but LG&E/KU also want to change the structure of the rate in order to concoct a rationale for dismantling Kentucky’s net metering statutes,” explained Steve Wilkins.

“The basic charge does not vary with energy usage. As it becomes a larger and larger proportion of the bill, money a homeowner sinks into things like added insulation, a new HVAC system or rooftop solar takes longer and longer to realize a full payback via reduced electricity bills.

Wilkins further explained, “Back in 2014, increasing basic service charges was the key strategy encouraged by the Edison Electric Institute to stifle rooftop solar growth (EEI is the lobbying and research body that serves investorowned utilities). Since that time, utilities in Kentucky have aggressively pursued that strategy. But now they want to alter the energy charge, as well – a completely new twist that LG&E and KU are employing to specifically target rooftop solar,” Wilkins added.

In the last two legislative sessions the utilities pushed a bill to devastate Kentucky’s rooftop solar industry by all but eliminating incentives for homeowners to make such investments. A board coalition of consumer, housing, small business, environmental and other groups stopped those bills, though another push is expected in the 2019 legislative session.

The rate proposal is another less public way utilities are attempting to accomplish what they could not

As a customer of LG&E and KU, or any Kentucky utility, now is the time to be heard by the PSC Email written comments to the PSC by March 5 at: psc.info@ky.gov. Be sure to put these case numbers in your subject line: 2018-00294 (KU) and 2018-00295 (LG&E). Tell the PSC commissioners: All Kentuckians need and deserve affordable and clean energy. KU and LG&E want to move us in the wrong direction. The LG&E and KU plan is bad for consumers, harmful to people on low and fixed incomes, and damaging to energy efficiency and rooftop solar. Kentuckians deserve so much better than this. The Public Service Commission must open up its public process and reject this rigged deal.

Attend and speak out at a public hearing Louisville: Thursday, February 21 - 5:30 p.m. EST - Health Sciences Auditorium, Health Sciences Hall, Jefferson Community and Technical College, 110 W. Chestnut St. Lexington: Tuesday, February 26 - 5:30 p.m. EST - Classroom Building, Rooms 105-106-107, Bluegrass Community & Technical College, Newtown Campus, 500 Newtown Pike Frankfort: Tuesday, March 5 - 9 a.m. EST - Public Service Commission, 211 Sower Boulevard, Hearing Room 1 (public comments are usually taken early in the day, before the formal hearing begins. So best to be there by 9 a.m.).

Find talking points and a sign-on letter to the PSC at www.kftc.org/lgeku-take-action

in the General Assembly.

Read Steve Wilkins’ Since LG&E, KU detailed analysis of and other utilities in Ken- this case at www.kftc. tucky operate as monoporg/lgeku-rate-case olies they are regulated by the PSC. Three PSC commissioners, all appointed by Gov. Matt Bevin, will make the decision.

Another disturbing aspect of the case is that PSC commissioners prevented several consumer advocacy groups from intervening in the case, which is unusual and perhaps unprecedented. Industry groups were allowed to intervene.

The groups challenged this decision and Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ordered that the public interest groups be allowed to participate. However, the PSC is appealing, making their action even more unprecedented.

“The behavior by the Public Service Commission is an outrageous abuse of public authority,” wrote Clement and Norton, members of KFTC's Energy and Equity Work Group. “Unfortunately, this seems in keeping with a trend in Frankfort to restrict citizen access.

“The PSC cannot act on behalf of consumers without understanding their situation. The excluded groups all represent the interests of low-income consumers who are most impacted by rate increases.

“The Public Service Commission should be welcoming the perspective and information that public interests provide. Taking the utilities at their word and refusing to hear from groups that represent a vulnerable portion of our population is a flagrant failure of PSC duties.”

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

8 | Balancing the Scales

Just transition

KFTC members involved in the evolving Green New Deal national conversation KFTC members are involved in conversations on the local, state and national level about the Green New Deal, a bold and broad proposal to address climate change, set the country on a sustainable energy future and tackle inequalities in the energy economy and across society.

“The beauty in the Green New Desk is that it's visionary, and it's collaborative, and it's collective and allows us to have different conversations with a lot of different groups of people based on what they are interested in,” said Cassia Herron, KFTC vicechairperson, a guest on the Michelangelo Signorile Show on SiriusXM Radio.

“It's something that's visionary and lifts up things that are happening in the local communities – folks are finding new solutions that are built in community,” added Herron, one of several Kentuckians interviewed by the national and international media about the Green New Deal and energy transition efforts.

"The Green New Deal is about being intentional about driving our energy economy away from fossil fuels to safe renewable sources that are good for our environment and our people, as well as our economy,” she added.

“In Kentucky we talk about Just Transition from a coal-based economy. Workers need to be taken care of. Families need to be taken care of who had negative impacts of being in the industry. Folks need to be invested in so they can be the front line for helping figure out how we go beyond coal.”

The Guardian highlighted the work Carl Shoupe and other KFTC and community members have done in Benham (Harlan County) to move beyond nearly a century as a coal-dominated community.

“Such ideas could now form the backbone of a national strategy that more and more Democrats are supporting and which will also aim to help slow the pace of climate change: a Green New Deal,” Emily Holden and David Smith wrote in The Guardian.

The term Green New Deal and the ideas have been around for years, though rapidly gained momentum since the 2018 elections with new voices elected to Congress and groups pushing establishment Demo-

crats to be bold in tackling the climate change crisis.

Though still largely conceptual, Green New Deal proposals began to take shape in early February with the introduction of legislation in the U.S. House by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ed Markey.

KFTC already is pushing important first steps needed for that transition in areas once dependent on coal mining. “We have things that are on the books right now that Kentuckians need Washington to act on,” Herron said. Those include securing funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, passing the RECLAIM Act and making investments in people and community devastated by the loss of coal mining.

In 2017, KFTC released the Empower Kentucky Plan (www.EmpowerKentucky.org) after an informed, creative and inclusive public conversation about the energy future Kentuckians want, and the best ways to shape a just transition to a clean energy economy.

The plan demonstrates that a just transition to a clean energy economy is possible.

By emphasizing energy efficiency and renewable energy and putting a low price on CO2 pollution, the plan would produce more jobs, less health-harming pollution, and lower average bills than Kentucky’s business-as-usual scenario over 15 years.

A national Green New Deal is much larger in scope, scale and commitment to the level of investment needed.

KFTC is a member of the Climate Justice Alliance – a national network of locally, tribally and regionallybased racial and economic justice organizations – which is helping shape Green New Deal proposals.

While welcoming the broad goal of “a national economic mobilization that seeks a fundamental systemic transformation and addresses the interlinked crises of a faltering democracy, growing wealth disparity and increasing human impacts from climate change and industrial pollution,“ CJA leaders also urge caution. They call for further reflection and refinement of specific ideas, and that the proposals put forth must not “continue to disproportionately burden Indigenous communities, communities of color and poor communities across the country.”

At kftc, you count!

•

Thanks for being part of a community of people who share a vision for Kentucky!

Contact members of Congress Sen. Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541 – Washington (502) 582-6304 – Louisville (859) 224-8286 – Lexington (859) 578-0188 – Fort Wright (606) 864-2026 – London (270) 781-1673 – Bowling Green (270) 442-4554 – Paducah Sen. Rand Paul (202) 224-4343 (270) 782-8303 (859) 219-2239 (502) 582-5341 (270) 689-9085 (270) 885-1212

– – – – – –

Washington Bowling Green Lexington Louisville Owensboro Hopkinsville

U.S. House Members Rep. James Comer, 1st District (202) 225-3115 – Washington (270) 487-9509 – Madisonville (270) 408-1865 – Paducah (270) 487-9509 – Tompkinsville Rep. Brett Guthrie, 2nd District (202) 225-3501 – Washington (270) 842-9896 – Bowling Green Rep. John Yarmuth, 3rd District (202) 225-5401 – Washington (502) 933-5863 – Louisville (502) 582-5129 – Louisville Rep. Thomas Massie, 4th District (202) 225-3465 – Washington (606) 324-9898 – Ashland (502) 265-9119 – LaGrange (859) 426-0080 – Crescent Springs Rep. Hal Rogers, 5th District (202) 225-4601 – Washington (606) 679-8346 – Somerset (606) 886-0844 – Prestonsburg (606) 439-0794 – Hazard Rep. Andy Barr, 6th District (202) 225-4706 – Washington (859) 219-1366 – Lexington

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 9

Economic Justice

Members learning effective new ways to talk about taxes Members of KFTC’s Economic Justice Committee are rethinking the way they talk about economic justice.

Using research from Topos Partners, Ian Haney Lopez, Anat Shenker-Osorio and Demos, members are reframing how we talk about tax policy and economic justice.

Below is a summary of this research.

A Problem

Advocates and reformers need stories and concepts that can compete with the views many have that taxes are already too high, unfairly burdensome to them and mostly wasted by politicians. People easily forget that taxes are not just money that they have to pay, but represent a critical shared investment in their lives and communities. It is a multitude of programs and services that they likely use everyday. Complicating matters, a great deal of public discourse about taxation and tax reform takes place at the state level rather than the local level where the benefits of public investments are most obvious.

A Solution Topos research efforts identified communications approaches that lead to greater support for progressive tax reform and increases to revenue streams that are crucial to so many important policy goals. Key to the strategy are two linked ideas: that a strong and prosperous society is built on foundations paid for with taxes, and that tax codes manipulated by the powerful give us less revenue to invest in our communities.

Another Problem At the current moment, a broad swath of people in the United States feel less like citizens and more like subjects of an elite ruling class. For marginalized groups in the U.S, a distant, even oppressive, government is nothing new. Yet the pain of declining community investments, the rise of a police surveillance state and the weight of inequality is felt acutely and consistently in their daily lives. Often, marginalized groups are not heard, yet engaging historically underrepresented and disenfranchised communities into collective action is a vital need.

Another Solution Topos listened to marginalized groups to better understand how to represent, communicate with, and engage historically disenfranchised communities into collective action. They learned that individuals there

are eager to tap into their community’s potential and and videos will lift up a main message that the wealthy that sharing stories of empowered people of color who and powerful are manipulating tax laws to benefits a have successfully engaged in social action to address small group while public budgets dwindle and cominequities can motivate people, by: 1) demonstrating munities are starved of critical public investments. that groups have been successful in the past; 2) model- This approach will be based on the above guidelines, ing steps people take to enact change; and 3) demon- focusing on the positive impacts of public investment strating the tangible benefits that improve lives when and showing there is a clear choice between public groups take steps beyond voting. investments that benefit everyone or tax breaks for the Bringing those stories together in a bigger vision wealthy and powerful. Because we can’t have both. for systemic change reveals a path that feels achievable. We expect these communications to be particu This research suggests that people can be skeptical larly important in 2019 because the Republican-conof the role of government and tax reform in creating trolled General Assembly seems poised to pass more meaningful improvements in their lives, but that the tax breaks for the wealthy and powerful in 2019 under majority of people also see the importance of “chip- the guise of a “clean-up bill” and the election of a new ping in for the common good.” And people are more governor in November. likely to support the wealthy and corporations paying KFTC members who would like to meet with a higher taxes if given success stories from the past. local elected official to discuss needed public invest The research also shows that marginalized com- ments, write an editorial or film a Facebook Live video munities often are skeptical that state and local gov- lifting up the positive impact of public investment in ernment officials have their best interests in mind due your community, please reach out to Tyler Offerman, to generations of exploitation. So focusing on unity KFTC’s Tax Justice Organizer, at Tyler@kftc.org or and solidarity, racial justice and the positive impacts of 859-209-0815. community investDos Dont’s ments can create a compelling message Orient toward the solution, the objective Focus solely on the problem where all Kentuckito achieve ans see themself betExplain how conditions, systems, and Reinforce the notion that “individual ter off in the future. structures create disparities amongst responsibility” is the problem or the Us i n g t h e s e racial and/or socioeconomic groups solution messaging guideEmphasize positive changes or goals Only react to negative events lines and research, Share success stories to build confidence Only focus on needs, problems, threats members KFTC’s that change can happen Economic Justice Start with tangible solutions before Start with big systemic challenges, or Committee will connecting to policies to advance or impersonal policies spend 2019 showing systems to fix the positive impacts of public investment Emphasize policies for change that Equate “government” with “politician” in their communioutlasts specific elected leaders ties through a comReinforce the power of collective action, Frame government as “them” or bination of meetings meaning, government is “us” as elected leaders, which reinforces a with local elected distant, elite ruling class officials to identify Include calls to actions with specific Rely on vague calls to “use your voice” investment needs, steps, like “one or two steps beyond writing letters-tovoting” or “Voting Plus One” the-editor and opInclude “Unity” as a desired goal and Make empty calls for unity with no action eds for local newspapowerful value steps, or imply that unity is the end-all, pers and using Facebe-all for bringing about positive change book Live videos to Use “potential” as a value-laden way to Focus only on what’s broken or wrong lift up our stories of talk about community rebuilding and public investment. community power These writings

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

10 | Balancing the Scales

Building Grassroots Power

SOKY members explore ways to increase energy efficiency As part of a statewide vision to build healthier communities and take action against extractive economies, a Power House energy efficiency workshop was hosted in Bowling Green on January 14.

Southern Kentucky chapter members found the workshop very informative and inspiring.

“I learned a lot about how to save energy. I didn’t know you were supposed to clean the shower head!” said Johnalma Barnett of Warren County, laughing. “I went home and told my husband that we need to clean the shower head, but he said he already knew. But I bet a lot of people didn’t know about that so I think it was really good.”

Ron Whitmore of Warren County learned some new tips, too. Particularly, he was inspired by “the point made about your furnace running on emergency heat,” referring to how setting the temperature too low may actually trigger the auxiliary or emergency heat setting that burns more energy. It is recommended to set thermostats at 68 degrees in the winter and 74 degrees in the summer.

Folks who gathered at Community Action of Southern Kentucky for the workshop received a

KFTC energy efficiency toolkit and instructions on how to use it in their homes to immediately save a little on their utility bills. The toolkit included items such as LED light bulbs, weather stripping tape and water aerators for faucets and showers.

In addition to teaching about practical ways to save energy, the KFTC Power House workshops aim to bring awareness of renewable energy alternatives and state policies that support them. The workshops also intend to bring together communities to build grass-

roots power to put pressure on their utility providers to support a vision for clean, affordable energy for everyone.

Members said the workshop gave them more inspiration to organize around energy efficiency programs for their area, especially with those who would most benefit from energy savings.

“It would be really good if we could reach out to more of the target audience – people who are directly impacted by high energy bills,” said Barnett.

Whitmore’s reflections of the workshop were similar, although he added that he wishes to see utility providers stepping up to help with the burden of high energy bills.

“Utility companies unfortunately are dropping rebate programs for brilliant energy efficiency appliance programs because they lose money if homes are energy efficient,” Whitmore said. “I wish there were more people who were directly impacted [at the workshop].

It would take door to door canvassing to raise awareness”.

These reflections are aligned with the greater vision of a Just Transition to a sustainable economy that leaves no one out. Burning fossil fuels for energy causes harmful pollution to air, water and soil that disproportionately impacts people of color and lowincome folks. This means that racial and economic inequality must be addressed in the process to end environmental injustices and strengthen communities most impacted.

Before leaving the workshop, folks made plans for action including, canvassing with KFTC to talk with people in their community about energy policy, asking their utility providers to offer on-bill financing, speaking with their legislators about supporting energy efficiency, and writing letters to editors about what they learned at the work shop.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 11

Building Grassroots Power

NKY members learned about Cesar Chavez from his grandson More than 80 people came out to meet filmmaker Eduardo Chavez and learn more about the legacy of his grandfather, Cesar Chavez.

Eduardo Chavez was at Northern Kentucky University to show his new film Hailing Cesar. It was part of the school’s Latino Program and Services celebration of Cesar Chavez Day. Northern Kentucky KFTC members joined in the activities.

The film followed Eduardo's journey to key locations in the life of Cesar Chavez and the success of the United Farm Workers in California. From working side by side with farm workers in Napa Valley, supporting legislation that guaranteed overtime pay for farmworkers in California, visiting workers' homes, and spending time at his grandfather's home/United Farm Workers offices in Delano, California, the film

Follow the Northern Kentucky chapter on social media: Instagram @northernky_KFTC • Twitter: @NKY_KFTC • Facebook.com/nky.kftc.

illustrates how the legacy of Chavez is still felt today.

Following the film attendees discussed what they were going to take away from the film.

There was a commitment from people to do more in their community to make change, and understand how Some of the participants at the Hailing Cesar film screening posed afterward with even though prog- Eduardo Chavez (back row, eighth from the left), grandson of United Farm Workers ress has been made organizer Cesar Chavez. on racial and ecohis grandfather, this was his fellow farmworkers. For nomic justice there is still a long way to go.

Eduardo Chavez ended the discussion saying the Eduardo, it's the related fight of just comprehensive most important thing to do was to find the issues each immigration reform. By doing little things for our one is passionate about, and find a way to live not just community everyday we make a lasting difference in for yourself but for others in your community. For the society we live in.

Despite rain and cold weather, folks turned out for the third annual Women’s March in Pikeville. Speakers included Kathy Burke, Autumn Parker, Karen Dollinger, Gypsy Cantrell from the Steelworkers, Karen Shipley from Women of Steel, and Rep. Angie Hatton with poetry by Mikaela Curry and music by the Appalachian Symphony.

12 | Balancing the Scales

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

2019 General Assembly

Members reclaim access to public areas of the capitol Access to public areas of the capitol, open com- the governor’s been doing for almost a year, trying mittee meetings, the right to offer testimony on bills, to keep regular Kentuckians out of this capitol. He respecting our voting laws and process – these issues doesn’t own this capitol. He doesn’t own our governfundamental to our democracy became the focus ment. The people do. And so we’re here to let our during the first weeks of the 2019 General Assembly. voices be heard and to take this House back.”

KFTC, the Kentucky Poor People’s Campaign “We still have a whole lot of work to do, whether and others let it be known that they would not let it’s taxes, whether it’s housing, whether it’s clean Kentucky’s democracy be undermined. energy – we need to be here in our House and we Chanting “Whose House? The people’s House! need to be heard,” added KFTC Chairperson Meta Whose House? Our House!” KFTC members sent a Mendel-Reyes. message to legislators and the governor that Kentuck- Since last summer, groups including the Kenians have a right to be in the capitol and be heard. tucky Poor People’s Campaign and Kentucky teach As the legislature resumed on February 5 after a ers were blocked from entering parts of the capitol recess, members were in Frankfort to lead a series of or told they couldn’t assemble. When folks gathered “spontaneous” mini rallies that started small and grew January 8 for the first day of the 2019 General Asin number as participants moved sembly, to the surprise of many throughout the capitol annex toward several public areas of the capitol and the governor’s office. annex were off limits to the public, Why mini-rallies? One of Gov. including the tunnel that connects Matt Bevin's new regulations to limit the capitol and the annex. Hundreds public participation defines a rally as of people use the tunnel daily. four or more people.

Guards at the annex side of Each rally focused on a section the tunnel refused to let the public of KFTC’s vision statement, such as go through the tunnel – most of the “The lives of people and communitime; the restriction was inconsisties matter” and “Discrimination tently enforced. Legislators, legislashould be wiped from our laws, habtive staff, registered lobbyists and the its and hearts.” media could still use the tunnel.

The tunnel was later re-opened In kicking off the first rally, after public outcry, so when members member Alan Smith of Warren gathered on February 5 they took County said, “We’re here to take time for a ribbon cutting ceremony. our House back. We’re mad at what © Tanya Stewart

The rallies culminated in front of the governor’s office, where Other troubling events during the KFTC members joined members first week of the General Assembly of the Kentucky Poor People’s Campaign who had organized a • the House held at least one unnoticed committee meeting sit-in. After the crowd shared some that was inaccessible to the public; speeches, chants and singing, they • House Republicans created an "election contest board" were told that the governor would to determine the outcome of Jim Glenn's election, which meet with them down the hall. has been certified by the Secretary of State; House leaders Members of the Poor People’s seized ballots from the Daviess County Clerk; Campaign and KFTC talked with • stakeholders were not allowed to testify in a Senate comthe governor about voting rights, mittee hearing on a bill that will impact their lives; health care, state pensions, safe • the governor held an invitation-only media briefing that schools and more. many reporters were prevented from attending.

KFTC member Serena Owen of Boone County reminded the "[This] something that shouldn't be happening in a democracy." governor that he had previously met — Scott Thile her and her daughter shortly after he

KFTC members held a ribbon cutting to mark the re-opening of the tunnel between the capitol and capitol annex. The tunnel had been closed to the public by the Bevin administration during the first week of the General Assembly in January.

was elected, when they needed his help with a health care matter. “Remember us, Governor?” Others joined in, telling the governor, “Remember us.”

Though not impressed with Bevin’s performance in the meeting, folks were grateful for the opportunity to lift up important issues. “We had a roomful of reporters who were reporting on the issues that are important to us,” said Rev. Megan Huston, a Poor People’s Campaign leader from Bowling Green.

KFTC member Amanda Groves traveled from Marshall County to take part in the day. “I’m here because it’s just so important that we have a voice and that we let our legislators know who they represent and that we pay taxes and we are citizens of this commonwealth. We deserve to have access to our House and to our legislators and to the people who are making decisions that affect our lives. They need to hear our voice.”

Rep. Patty Minter, a KFTC member elected in November from Bowling Green, also took part. “This is a commonwealth for us all,” Minter said.

Members also affirmed the election of Rep. Jim Glenn, who won a House seat by one vote in November. Glenn’s victory was certified by the State Board of Elections and he was seated in January. But Republican House leaders formed an “election contest board,” which chose to recount the votes resulting, amid controversy, in a tie. On February 8, when it was apparent that the House’s action would only result in litigation, Glenn’s opponent dropped the challenge.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 13

2019 General Assembly

Voting rights strategy evolving with new energy, cleaner bill A re-ignited Voting Rights Campaign is putting new energy in work to restore voting rights to people with felonies in their past.

Kentucky is one of just two states in the U.S. now that take away voting rights from everyone with any kind of felony in their past, for the rest of their life – unless they can take the extraordinary step of getting their rights restored through a governor's pardon or expungement.

“I want my rights back. I paid my dues to society.

I’ve been out of trouble since 2003,” said Corey Logan of Lexington, one of more than two dozen people who attended the January meeting of KFTC’s Voting Rights Strategy Team.

“Y’all do the math. That’s 16 years. For me to be told that I don’t have my rights to vote, it crushed me. I will not stop until I get my rights back to vote, because I am somebody. What does democracy look like? This in this room is what democracy looks like. I will not stop the fight until we all get our rights back.”

Strategy team members weighed various strategies moving forward including electoral work, litigation, helping people through the existing convoluted process and more. They settled on a program of work

that focuses long-term on a constitutional amendment that is the most permanent soDisenfranchisement Rates: lution to restoring voting rights, but want U.S. and Kentucky to focus significantly on this year's governor's election, trying to make sure whoever wins this year's election is willing to restore voting rights with broad gubernatorial pardons.

Current Governor Matt Bevin said he was strongly in favor of restoring voting rights as a candidate, but when he got into office immediately removed a process put into place by Governor Steve Beshear that made gubernatorial pardons easier to get.

Members laid out a five-year plan, started a conversation about allies that are part of the broader effort, and laid out a basic calendar for the 2019 General As- Source: League of Women Voters of Kentucky, January 2019 sembly, inviting people to come talk to legislators and build support around this issue.

They also discussed other improvements needed to strengthen Kentucky's democracy, from longer votFebruary 19 – State Capitol ing hours to same-day-voter registration to voting by mail.

Join KFTC members and allies from all over the state in Frankfort on February Several bills taking various approaches to restoring voting rights for people with a felony in their 19 to talk to legislators about voting rights past have been filed in the 2019 legislative session. KFTC worked with Representatives George and encourage their support for legislation Brown and Charles Booker to re-write a version of a voting rights bill that is as "clean" and simple to restore voting rights to people with as possible, restoring voting rights to everyone when they've served their debt to society. That bill felonies in their past. is expected to be filed by the February 19 deadline for filing new bills in the House.

Voting rights legislation won strong bipartisan support in the House for 10 years, from 2007 through 2016, but was killed by Robert Stivers and Damon Thayer in the Senate each time. Since Republicans took control of the House, the legislation has not received a hearing or a vote.

Voting Rights Lobby Day

Orientation begins at 8:30 a.m. and continues throughout the day The Kentucky Council of Churches Prayer in Action Day with a focus on Voting Rights begins at 9:30 a.m. Capitol Annex room 171 Lobby legislators throughout the day and eat in the cafeteria when you need a break Participate in Black History Month activities led by the Black Caucus 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Debrief at 2:15 p.m. in the capitol annex cafeteria Let us know you’re coming!

Register at: https://bit.ly/2TDTIXq

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

14 | Balancing the Scales

2019 General Assembly

Rooftop solar again threatened by utility-backed Senate bill Take Action now to support rooftop solar SB 100 passed the Senate as this issue was going to print. It will be received in the House and assigned to a committee, with early indications that it also will be fast tracked in the House. Check www.kftc.org/solarworks or www.kftc.org/bill-tracker for an update on the bill.

•

• • •

•

ments from being considered on the Senate floor.

SB 100 re-writes the rules to favor monopoly utilities and restrict Kentuckians’ ability to choose where they get their energy. It does so by gutting an existing law, known as net metering, that gives qualifying solar

Background information on Senate Bill 100 Net metering is the name for a policy that gives customers a one-for-one credit on their utility bill for energy delivered to the grid by rooftop solar panels or by other forms of locally installed renewable energy.

It is this policy that makes rooftop solar accessible for most Kentuckians, and allows farmers, low- and fixed-income residents, rural people, small businesses, schools and nonprofits to lower their bills and have a say in where they get their energy.

SB 100 seeks to reward and protect utility monopolies, while restricting consumer choice and hobbling Kentucky’s independent solar energy industry.

It would: •

•

Rewrite Kentucky’s net-metering rules so that monopoly utility companies – and not Kentucky’s residents, employers, workers or independent renewable energy businesses – benefit and profit from solar energy.

End net-metering as we know it and instead

The Legislative Message Line, 800-372-7181, is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (6 p.m. Fridays). Please leave a message for your state representative and "all members of the House leadership.” Suggested message: "Vote NO on SB 100. The bill crushes consumer choice and Kentucky's home-grown solar industry. It rewards monopoly utilities at the expense of residents, independent businesses and jobs.

Solar works for all Kentuckians. It's time our utilities did too."

Legislators also can be emailed at firstname.lastname@lrc.ky.gov.

Sign up to lobby with KFTC and a coalition of solar allies in support of solar energy in Frankfort on Solar Lobby Day (February 28). Or, sign up for any other day that works for you.

Support KFTC’s work in Frankfort; become a member or renew your membership with KFTC – www.kftc.org/support or use the form on page 19.

Write a letter to the editor, schedule at-home meetings with your legislators, speak about this with your faith community or civic group, or take other actions. Contact Nikita at nikita@kftc.org for support and other ideas.

•

•

credit rooftop solar customers for the energy they produce at a rate determined by the Public Service Commission. This rate would likely be substantially lower than the current one-forone rate under net metering, because SB 100 encourages the commission to consider only the costs claimed by utilities – and not the many benefits that net-metered solar energy systems deliver to utilities and all non-solar customers.

Deny rooftop solar customers certainty over their investments through the possibility of changing compensation rates at the request of utilities.

Grandfather in existing net-metered systems for 25 years. After this time, net metering will end for those systems, and owners will receive credits at the lower, PSC-determined rate.

As utilities seek to kill the policy of net metering, they also offer their own solar programs. It’s not that utilities are opposed to solar in Kentucky. They just want to make sure that they have a monopoly over it.

© Tanya Stewart

KFTC’s vision for Kentucky’s energy future is about clean, affordable energy for all – no matter one’s race, age, gender or class. It’s about Kentuckians having a choice in where we get they energy, and a government that backs up that choice despite the wishes of our monopoly utilities. It’s about reliable, safe jobs and energy bills that don’t make one have to choose between keeping the lights on or paying the rent.

Two years in a row, utilities have spent a lot of money during legislative sessions trying to push through a bad solar bill to cripple the growth of homegrown, rooftop solar energy – an option that more and more Kentuckians are turning to, as solar prices drop and utilities raise their rates.

A version of that bad bill is back in 2019.

Senate Bill 100 would put rooftop solar out of reach for most Kentuckians, crush growing small businesses across the state and stifle the creation of thousands of jobs. There’s much state legislators could be doing to support energy independence and a clean energy economy – but this bill takes exactly the opposite direction.

Sen. Brandon Smith’s bill, introduced February 11, passed both the Senate Natural Resource & Energy Committee and the full Senate (23-12) on February 13. Senate Republican leaders had the bill on the fast track to passage even before it was assigned to a committee. This maneuvering prevented favorable amend-

customers in Kentucky a one-for-one credit for energy their rooftop systems provide to the grid.

If SB 100 passes the House and is signed into law, rooftop solar would become financially out-of-reach for most Kentuckians.

SB 100 could bring homegrown rooftop solar, and the good-paying jobs that come with it, to a screeching halt across Kentucky, while ensuring that electric utility monopolies are the only ones permitted to benefit and profit from the power of the sun.

Even before the introduction of SB 100, Kentucky’s solar energy laws are among the most restrictive in the nation. For example, Kentucky already: • • • •

Caps the size of net-metered systems at 30 kW (the limit in West Virginia, Indiana and Virginia are 2,000, 1,000, and 500 kW respectively.)

Caps the total capacity of net-metered systems at 1% of a utility’s peak load, a fraction of what other states are already achieving.

Provides no state tax incentives for customers who install their own renewable energy systems.

Prohibits third party ownership of renewable energy systems, bans virtual net-metering (the ability to assign net-metering credits to other customer accounts), and prohibits independently owned community solar farms.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 15

2019 General Assembly

Cruel restrictions prevent access to crucial black lung care Rates of black lung disease have risen dramatically in recent years. Currently one in five coal miners in central Appalachia has black lung disease.

Rather than investing attention and resources on addressing a disease that is literally suffocating Kentuckians, in 2018, Governor Bevin signed House Bill 2, effectively barring the doctors best qualified to diagnose and review black lung cases from doing so.

This has exacerbated a previous backlog in cases, caused stress among miners already tied up in a months- or years-long process of diagnoses, followed by state or coal company appeals. The law bars qualified radiologists – whose training is to read x-rays – from reading x-rays to certify black lung disease. Who is left to assist miners are just a handful of pulmonologists, mostly located outside of coal mining areas, several of whom have been previously hired by coal companies.

“If one in five people who worked as nurses ended up with an incurable, chronic disease, people would lose their minds.

In any other work this would be completely unacceptable,” says Evan Smith, eastern Kentucky black lung lawyer. “It’s scary. It’s an incurable disease that will eventually lead to these people suffocating to death.”

As quoted by Austyn Gaffney in “As Black Lung Strikes Younger Coal Miners, Kentucky Restricts Medical Benefits” (https://on.nrdc.org/2Dva261)

Take Action now to support miners with black lung •

•

• •

Call your state representative (800-372-7181) and ask them to “support and cosponsor House Bill 75, Rep. Angie Hatton's bill that removes barriers to miners receiving the diagnoses and care that they need.”

HB 75 is assigned to the House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee (check http://kftc.org/bill-tracker for updates). Calls are especially needed to Republicans on the committee: Russell Webber (chair), Daniel Elliot, Lynn Belcher, John Blanton, Adam Bowling, Chris Freeland, Thomas Huff, Savannah Maddox, Jason Petrie, Bart Rowland, Diane St. Onge.

Legislators also can be emailed at firstname.lastname@lrc.ky.gov.

Participate in the Eastern Kentucky Lobby Day in Frankfort on March 6. Contact Jacob Mack-Boll at jacob@kftc.org for more information.

This year, KFTC members and many others plan to undo that.

Representative Angie Hatton (Letcher and Pike counties) filed House Bill 75 to reverse the damage done by last year’s bill.

“I think the bill Angie and cosponsor Rep. Goforth] Robert introduced is the best example we have seen in far too long of what we need, a bipartisan effort, not directed to help a political party, but to help the people, the miners and their families,” said Barry Johnson, a retired miner and member of the Pike County Black Lung Association. “Players on all stages could and should take a lesson from their playbook."

Learn more about the black lung crisis in Fixing What’s Broke: Why Congress must support a Just Transition for miners with black lung and their communities, a report from KFTC published last October. It’s available at www.kftc.org/fixing-whats-broke.

On the federal level, Congress failed last year to protect funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which helps thousands of miners with black lung disease and their families receive the health care and compensation they deserve. That already financially troubled fund is now receiving less than half the funding is previously had, while the need for the fund is growing dramatically.

It will continue to be a KFTC priority in 2019 to restore – and if possible increase – funding for this critical federal program.

The work in the legislature complements efforts on the national level to protect the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and UMWA pensions. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Congress failed to act in 2018, and as a result funded for the already financially overextended Disability Trust Fund lost more than half of its funding source at the end of the year.

Black lung – and more severe cases of black lung – is showing up in younger miners, and more coal companies are declaring bankruptcy. Not only have many elected leaders been ignoring this crisis, they have been making it harder for miners to get the care and compensation they have earned.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

16 | Balancing the Scales

2019 General Assembly

KFTC’s 2019 Legislative Issues Here’s a list of several bills KFTC has a position on so far in the 2019 General Assembly, through February 6. Other bills are under review, and more will be introduced. The KFTC Executive Committee serves as the legislative strategy team and reviews new bills and amendments weekly. For a more complete and updated list, visit www.kftc.org/bill-tracker.

Bills that KFTC supports Legislation: KFTC Supports

Issue

Summary

More information

Black Lung Benefits House Bill 75

HB 75 would repeal language in the 2018 worker comp law limiting who can perform evaluations in occupational disease claims; this law has been used to make it much harder for miners with black lung disease to qualify for compensation.

KFTC’s platform demand enactment and enforcement of occupational health and safety laws that protect all workers.

Clean Energy Opportunity Act House Bill 213

HB 213 would require utilities to use increasing amounts of renewable energy, take energy-efficiency measures and implement energy-efficiency programs.

KFTC’s platform supports the development of a clean energy economy in Kentucky. HB 213 could be an important step toward implementing the Empower Kentucky Plan (visit EmpowerKentucky.org).

Statewide Fairness House Bill 164

House Bill 164 would prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations and financial transactions on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

KFTC’s platform opposes and condemns discrimination. HB 164 would apply statewide what nine Kentucky cities have passed.

Minimum Wage Senate Bill 51 House Bill 182

SB 51 and HB 182 both would increase the minimum wage to KFTC’s platform calls for a living wage for all Kentuckians. $15/hour though some of the particulars and other provisions differ. SB 51 also would increase the minimum wage for tipped workers to $4.90/hour by 2022

Death Penalty Abolition House Bill 115

House Bill 115 would abolish the death penalty and create a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

KFTC’s platform supports the abolition of the death penalty.

Ban the Box House Bill 90

House Bill 90 would make it unlawful to require a job applicant to disclose his or her criminal history prior to an offer of employment.

KFTC’s platform opposes discrimination based on current or former incarceration status.

Other bills …

Voting Rights

Several bills proposing a state constitutional amendment for the automatic restoration of voting rights for many former felons have been filed. KFTC is working with sponsors for a cleaner, more inclusive bill that will be filed later in February. See page 13.

Renters’ Rights

The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act also has not been filed. URLTA would apply statewide minimum standards for the relationship between landlords and tenants to improve the quality of housing.

Public Utilities

House Bill 16 would establish pro-consumer provi-

sions to limit fixed costs charged by utilities; it would require the PSC to take into account if proposed rate changes are “affordable” to Kentuckians.

Marijuana

Several bills calls for the legalization of medical marijuana, the legalization of recreational marijuana, and the de-criminalization of possession.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 17

2019 General Assembly

Bills that KFTC opposes KFTC Opposes

Issue

Summary

More information

Anti-sanctuary Cities House Bill 38

House Bill 38 would require local law enforcement agencies and KSP to enforce immigration laws and prohibit local governments from adopting sanctuary policies; prohibits educational institutions from enrolling, employing, or contracting with undocumented folks.

Anti-Abortion HJR 81

Senate Bill 9 would require a person who intends to perform KFTC’s platform calls for quality, affordable, comprehensive an abortion to determine whether the fetus has a detectable health care including … reproductive health services and acfetal heartbeat; prohibit a person from performing an abortion cess to abortion … for all Kentuckians. after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.

Anti-Abortion Senate Bill 50

Senate Bill 50 would require a report when drugs intended to end a pregnancy are dispensed; make report public.

Other bills …

Education Funding

House Bill 205 and Senate Bill 118 would further erode funding for public education, shifting tens of millions of dollars into subsidies for private schools.

We’ll work instead for new revenue streams that restore funding for textbooks, resource centers, classroom supplies and pensions.

KFTC’s platform supports the right of residents who are undocumented to be treated with the respect and dignity that all human beings are entitled to. We also support open pathways to citizenship for people who are undocumented.

KFTC’s platform calls for quality, affordable, comprehensive health care including … reproductive health services and access to abortion … for all Kentuckians. with allies to defeat it. See page 14.

Taxes

We’re on the lookout for and will oppose bills that give more tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations at the expense of low- and middle-income folks. We’ll work instead for progressive tax reform.

Net Metering

As in past sessions, an effort is expected from the state’s monopoly utilities to undermine the rooftop solar industry. If a bill starts moving we’ll again join

Pension

A Public Pension Working Group (10 Republicans, 4 Democrats being “advised” by a libertarian think tank) has met several times and could return recommendation before the end of the session. We’ll stick with state workers and teachers on protecting the pensions they’ve earned and the integrity of a public employee retirement system.

Other bills that KFTC supports, opposes or is watching are on the Bill Tracker: www.kftc.org/bill-tracker

Ways to stay informed of KFTC’s work in the Kentucky General Assembly • Like us on Facebook: www.kftc.org/facebook • Make sure you’re on our email list for action alerts: www.kftc.org/get-involved • Visit our General Assembly web page for lobbying days, rallies and other actions, handouts and other resources: www.kftc.org/general-assembly • Join a local Action for Democracy Team in your chapter area, or join the at-large Action for Democracy Team; contact your local organizer or Alicia@kftc.org.

KFTC members and friends got together on February 7 at Wild Fig in Lexington to watch the governor’s State of the Commonwealth speech, share reflections and envision a different and more just future for Kentucky.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

18 | Balancing the Scales

Economic justice

Movement growing to bring back postal banking

By Rosanne Fitts Klarer Most of us know someone who has been taken advantage of by payday lenders. It can take years to clean up their credit.

Some never regain their credit rating. This creates deeper poverty and can harm families for life. We must infuse democracy into our financial services sector. It’s time to bring back postal banking.

This was one of my big takeaways from the 2019 Kentucky Center for Economic Policy’s “Building A Thriving Commonwealth” Conference. University of Georgia’s law professor, Mehrsa Baradaran gave the timely keynote address entitled: “How the Other Half Banks.”

Her proposal to offer basic banking services within our 30,000 post offices is a humane and solutionsbased proposal.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Yvette Clark, both of New York, introduced postal banking bills last year in Congress. This idea also has become popular with other Democratic candidates running for president.

As Professor Baradaran adeptly explained, big banks are no longer offering low-cost financial services.

Many towns in Kentucky do not have banks. One in four people in this country are excluded from mainstream financial services. They are forced to pay with in person with cash, or worse, use predatory alternative financial services such as payday lending or check cashing services.

These companies set very high interest rates

on people already struggling.

Interest rates on these loans The Postal Savings System in the Eighty percent of payday loans would be much lower than United States was authorized by are actually older loans that what the unbanked and underCongress in 1910 and operated have been rolled over into a banked people have access to from 1911 until 1966, when Congress new loan. Some cost 400 percurrently. These families spend abolished the system. It provided cent more to repay in just two on average about 10 percent of affordable financial services and weeks! Many people can never their annual incomes on interwas a success in financial inclusion pay them off and often end up est for financial services. Most ruining their financial futures. bank customers aren’t charged These unscrupulous services act as usuries with anything for these services. their high-cost loans and added fees. Almost 20 per Adding these community-based services will cent of people in this country are under-banked and strengthen the United States postal system. The USPS have to rely on these services. More than nine million is losing money due to competition from other mail people lack a bank account. That’s why we need to and shipping businesses. bring back postal banking which served our country Please do your own research on postal banking. well for almost 100 years until 1966.

If you’re convinced like me of its merits then contact The postal banking bills would allow people to members of Congress to show your support for this open a checking or savings accounts (up to $20,000). greatly needed service. One of my favorite resources is: There would be a cap of $500 for a one-time loan. campaignforpostalbanking.org.

Some of the Northern Kentucky chapter members and friends after their Grassroots Lobbying and Nonviolent Direct Action training in January

Are you receiving Kentucky Watch, with legislative updates and action alerts from KFTC, via email?

If not, then we don’t have a current email address for you.

To remedy that, send an email to Ashley@kftc.org and ask to be added to the list.

KFTC members and staff with the Central Kentucky chapter’s Energy and Equity Team met with newly elected state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson to discuss a variety of energy and concerns.

Pictured, left to right, Meredith Wadlington, Stevenson, Chris Woolery and Cathy Clement.

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

Balancing the Scales | 19

KFTC News

Racial justice, 2019-20 elections top steering committee agenda Racial justice and organizing for the 2019 and 2020 elections were the focus for KFTC Steering Committee members and guests as they met in Berea on February 2.

“We talked about how our system is designed by white supremacy from the get-go and how that impacts our world and behaviors,” reported Joyce Adkins of Warren County. She and other KFTC members attended the Facing Race Conference in Detroit late last year.

“Facing Race was an eye opener for me and gave me a thirst to learn more,” Adkins further noted. “I learned things that I never really thought of before.

One was the relationship between school suspension and mass incarceration, and the impact this has on people of color.”

Other members who attended the conference in Detroit shared in reporting back to the steering com-

mittee, including how they engaged during the conference to deepen their understanding of and skill set for racial justice organizing.

Tiffany Duncan of Fayette County shared that the conference was a powerful space to have many conversations with people of color. Attendees discussed, “the ways internalized anti-blackness shows up and ways that impacts how people of color view ourselves and each other.”

In describing the experience as “totally transformational,” Duncan emphasized, “We can’t always be in the fighting position.” For Duncan, this highlighted the importance of “holding space for people of color so that we can heal from the impacts of racial injustice.”

Chandra Cruz-Thompson of Jefferson County noted that the conference was a “paradigm strengthener to be around like-minded people. I feel empowered to walk that path [for racial justice] even more

Save the Date!

KFTC 2019 Annual Membership Meeting August 2-4 at Berea College

and sharing that with you.” She reminded the Steering Committee that “democracy has only existed when we made it so.”

Following the Facing Race report, the committee discussed the Race/Class Narrative framework for discussing issues and organizing for change. The Race/ Class Narrative emphasizes the importance of directly addressing race and class in political conversations and organizing.

“Watch out for divide and conquer strategies. Focus on the power and who has it,” emphasized KFTC Chairperson Meta Mendel-Reyes, pointing out that folks working for change face concerted strategies to undermine these efforts.

She asked folks to use their privilege to “lift others up. Not to act out of guilt, but out of solidarity.”

The Steering Committee also discussed ways that people have built grassroots power in Kentucky and across the country. Damien Hammons from Whitley County noted that one way to build people power is “being ourselves in our daily lives. This presents a great example of making people feel welcome.”

Other items the committee discussed include the 2019 and 2020 elections, as well as membership and fundraising efforts. A story about KFTC’s voter Action for Democracy voter work over the next two years is on page 5.

Support KFTC’s Action for Democracy year-round in Kentucky!

Name(s): ________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ City, state & Zip: __________________________________________

Give online at kftc.org/support

I would rather make a one-time gift of: □$100 □$50 □$25 □$15 □$5 Other: $__________ Suggested dues are $15-$50 annually, based on ability to pay. Any amount is welcome.

Step Two: Payment Method:

Phone: ________________________________________________

□ Check or money order enclosed

Email: ________________________________________________

□ Electronic Funds Transfer (best option for Sustaining Givers). Please return this form with a voided check.

Select which organization you would like to donate to: □ KFTC: Donations to KFTC are not tax-deductible. We encourage you to give to KFTC this spring to support our democracy work.

□ Kentucky Coalition: Donations to Kentucky Coalition are tax-deductible.

Become A Sustaining Giver: Sustaining Givers provide steady income to support KFTC’s

work throughout the year. And being a Sustaining Giver allows you to make a bigger impact.

Make me a Sustaining Giver!

I will contribute $ _____ every:

□ Month □ Quarter □ Year

To update an existing Sustaining Gift, contact Ashley at 606-878-2161 or Ashley@kftc.org

□ Credit card: Complete information below.

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Card Number: __ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ Expiration Date ___ ___ / ___ ___ Authorized Signature: ____________________________ Date: _________________ Mail this form with your check to: KFTC • P.O. Box 1450 • London, Ky. 40743

www.kftc.org | February 13, 2019

20 | Balancing the Scales

calendar of events February 17 and March 17 Western Kentucky chapter meetings Info: Laura@kftc.org or 502-599-3989 February 18 and March 25 Perry County chapter meetings 5:30 p.m., 420 Main Street, Hazard Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 February 19 and March 16 Northern Kentucky chapter meeting 7 p.m. at Center for Great Neighborhoods 321 ML King Boulevard, Covington Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 February 21 and March 21 Rowan County chapter meetings 6 p.m. at St. Albans Church, 145 E. 5th Street, Morehead Info: Nikita@kftc.org or 502-488-3830 February 21 and March 21 Shelby County chapter meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Stratton Center 215 Washington Street, Shelbyville Info: Carissa@kftc.org or 502-741-8759 February 21 and March 21 Central Kentucky chapter meetings 7 p.m., Episcopal Mission House 203 E. 4th Street, Lexington Info: Meredith@kftc.org or 859-276-0563 February 22 – What Is Democracy?

Film and Panel Discussion 6 p.m. at the Speed Museum 2035 S Third St. in Louisville Info: Molly@kftc.org or 502-589-3188 February 25 and March 25 Madison County chapter meetings 7 p.m. at the Berea Friends Meeting House 300 Harrison Road, Berea Info: Sasha@kftc.org or 859-358-9713 February 25 – Power House workshop St. Vincent Mission 6369 State Hwy 404 in David Info: Nikita@kftc.org or 502-488-3830

KFTC OFFICES and STAFF MAIN OFFICE

February 26 and March 26 Southern Kentucky chapter meetings 6 p.m. at The Foundry 531 W 11th Ave. in Bowling Green Info: Laura@kftc.org or 502-599-3989

Morgan Brown, Burt Lauderdale, Ashley Frasher and Angel Hill 131 North Mill Street P.O. Box 1450 London, KY 40743 606-878-2161 | Fax: 606-878-5714

March 3 and April 7 Cumberland chapter meetings 2-4 p.m., location rotates Info: Angel@kftc.org or 606-261-4955

FIELD OFFICES

March 4 Wilderness Trace chapter meeting 7 p.m. at InterCounty Energy 1009 Hustonville Road, Danville Info: Tyler@kftc.org or 859-276-0563 March 5 and April 2 Big Sandy chapter meetings, 6 p.m., KFTC Prestonsburg office (152 N Lake Drive) Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 March 5 and April 2 Rolling Bluegrass democracy meetings 7 p.m., Scott County Public Library 104 S. Bradford, Georgetown Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 March 7 and April 4 Rolling Bluegrass chapter meetings 6:30 p.m., Scott County Public Library 104 S. Bradford, Georgetown Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 March 11 and April 8 Jefferson County chapter meeting 6:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church 809 S. 4th St., Louisville Info: Molly@kftc.org or 502-589-3188 March 30 KFTC Steering Committee meeting 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location: TBD Info: Michael@kftc.org or 859-756-4027 August 2-4 – KFTC Annual Meeting Berea College

Louisville E’Beth Adami, Alicia Hurle, Carissa Lenfert and Molly Kaviar 735 Lampton Street #202 Louisville, KY 40203 502-589-3188 Bowling Green Laura Harper Knight and Alexa Hatcher 958 Collett Ave., Suite 500 Bowling Green, KY 42101 270-282-4553 Northern Kentucky Joe Gallenstein, Caitlin Sparks and Dave Newton 640 Main Street Covington, KY 41005 859-380-6103 Central Kentucky Jessica Hays Lucas, Beth Howard, Heather Mahoney, Erik Hungerbuhler, Meredith Wadlington, Tyler Offerman, Tayna Fogle and Nikita Perumal 250 Plaza Drive, Suite 4 Lexington, KY 40503 859-276-0563 Floyd County Jessie Skaggs, Jerry Hardt, Jacob Mack-Boll and Taylor Adams 152 North Lake Drive P.O. Box 864 Prestonsburg, KY 41653 606-263-4982 Berea Lisa Abbott, Amy Hogg, Sasha Zaring and Michael Harrington 210 N. Broadway #3 Berea, KY 40403

859-756-4027

Email any staff member at firstname@kftc.org except for Beth Howard use bethhoward@kftc.org