to temporarily lower the price of gasoline in Kentucky as early voting begins.

Republican Senate candidates Andy Barr and Daniel Cameron fight for support.

Congressman Thomas Massie appears alone on TV as his primary challenger declines the invitation.

[MUSIC] More reorganization at the University of Kentucky brings more questions.

Heading into a weekend full of graduations.

And, of course, Mother's Day.

Comment is next on KET.

Good evening.

I'm Bill Bryant, and we welcome you to comment on Kentucky.

A look back at and some analysis of the week's news in the Commonwealth and the guests on our panel of working Kentucky journalists tonight are Isaiah Kim Martinez, political reporter for WHAS11 in Louisville.

Janet Patton, reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader, and Mario Anderson, anchor and host of InFocus Kentucky on Spectrum News one.

Also tonight, fancy farm organizers pick the emcee for this year's political speakings, and the state auditor is seeking more information about Fayette County Public Schools.

So we have a lot to discuss tonight.

Let's start with this.

Governor Andy Beshear this week signed an emergency regulation to suspend an upcoming hike in the state gasoline tax.

He is also proposing a ten cent reduction that would be immediate in the tax, citing the price increases that have followed the war and the situation going on in the Middle East.

Isaiah Beshear says this would save Kentuckians $27 million a month.

>> He says.

It will really add up.

I think he said it could actually save as much to $0.28 per gallon as it's all sort of put together.

Obviously, we'll have to see how that plays out.

But what I found so interesting here is, you know, he in my time covering Governor Andy Beshear, there aren't a lot of sort of impromptu called press conferences.

It's typically events team Kentucky's ribbon cuttings to see that come in on Monday night after Derby of Governor Beshear is going to talk about rising prices and affordability.

I mean, he talked about the state of the country for about three minutes before really going into what he was going to be signing.

It's just very interesting.

But I mean, to be fair to him, we're seeing a lot of other governors do the same thing Republican Mike Braun of Indiana.

>> But when he started in on the national issues, some immediately calling it politically motivated and noting his apparent interest in the 2028 presidential race.

>> Republicans were quick to say, listen, they they realize that he knows this is a big issue for folks right now.

And yeah, they say they say he's focused on his future aspirations.

>> Mario Attorney General Russell Coleman has some standing on the issue and what he's saying about it, because he has to sign some documents to trigger some of what the governor, governor wants to do.

And he did that.

>> He did.

And, you know, the attorney general, according to state law, he is required to sign off on these executive orders that go into place and these regulations.

And he did say when he released the statement that he does support a lowering gas prices, but he did make sure that Governor Beshear has vetoed almost every tax cut that's come to his desk or gas tax proposal.

And he said that Governor Beshear is just playing politics because he's running for president.

He used those words, but he went ahead and signed that executive order.

>> Janet, will Kentuckians care what the governor's motivation is if it can save them a little on gasoline?

>> I don't really think so.

I think they're pretty agnostic about that.

They just want cheaper gas, especially going into the summer.

You know, we're getting to Memorial Day weekend.

People are going to be going somewhere.

It'd be great if something cost a little bit less.

Right now.

>> You cover restaurants and the entertainment business.

Are they seeing an impact right now from people who are having to invest more in their gas tanks?

>> Oh it's huge.

I think that almost every restaurant has seen a decline in some kind of purchase, whether it's alcohol or food or just, you know, the frequency of visits.

Yeah, it's all adding up.

>> And Isaiah, this goes into effect Monday, right on the on.

>> The May 11th.

Yes.

>> Yeah.

On the the immediate reduction.

Yes.

And then it then it does not go up as scheduled in July.

>> July 1st would be normally when it would trickle up.

So it's kind of that compounding going into the summer.

>> So it's been interesting to watch that.

And we'll see what it does for prices in the state, which by the way can vary.

It can be still higher in some cities than it is in other parts of the state.

Absolutely.

Isaiah Beshear also this week announced a pre-K pilot programs in Rockcastle and Robertson counties.

That is one of his favorite issues.

He has been pushing for several years.

And then the Republican Senate president and the House speaker were both quick to question where the money for that is coming from.

>> Well, that's what two big executive orders that the governor has signed this week, that that tends to be a, you know, a point of frustration for lawmakers is they feel he's sort of legislating on his own.

This is a case with pre-K, that it's an agreement with two counties, like you had mentioned, and it's an agreement with their school boards to essentially provide all day pre-K through the school system.

It's going to be through the Education and Labor Cabinet, which is under Beshear's administration.

He basically said that they found some funding, I guess, in workforce programs, that they didn't feel they were really getting a return on investment.

So they went ahead and move that over.

They didn't give a lot of specifics there, which is what Republicans are saying.

Well, how did we know these programs weren't working and how much of this money is going over?

And oh, by the way, their point when we were passing certain laws that you said you didn't have the money for, why all of a sudden can you move the money for this?

So it's very much arguments with history behind that.

Of course, Governor Beshear has been pushing pre-K for lawmakers to pass universal pre-K for years.

>> Of course, they appropriated the money.

So they want to know what the governor is shifting around.

Right?

>> That's right.

And when those the governor made this announcement, the two superintendents from Robertson and Rockcastle County, they were there with the governor in person in very full support of this.

So we'll.

>> See a lot of kids there.

>> Too, a lot of kids.

>> Well, the governor believes in pre-K and that it makes a difference in getting kids a good start.

>> I think it's the biggest thing right now.

It seems to be private versus public, because Republicans wanted to make it clear in their statement that, in their words, they're trying to look out for the private child care providers across the state.

And what would it do to them?

That's their argument.

The governor's argument is like, listen, there's just not enough funding for this.

And kids are going into kindergarten.

I think.

What was it, more than half of them behind to begin with?

So a.

>> Dearth of child care in the state in places, their whole deserts for child care.

It's not like this is going to cut out.

I think a lot of private providers.

>> That's just their argument.

And, you know.

>> Well, we'll see.

The Kentucky primary is May 19th, but that's actually just the last day to vote in the primary.

In reality, early excuse absentee voting got underway this week.

Then unexcused early walk in voting will be next week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday ahead of the May 19th primary day when all the polls are open.

Secretary of State Michael Adams is predicting about 1 in 5 voters will turn out for the primary.

Are you prepared at this point to make a prediction about turnout and this May primary?

>> Well, I've been pleasantly surprised that we're on track.

It appears, for a higher turnout than we had this time four years ago.

I'd love for it to be very high.

It won't.

But right now we expect about 20% of registered voters to vote.

That's pretty high for a primary in Kentucky.

We're typically in the 10 to 15% range, but we're looking at a slightly higher notch just based on what we're seeing.

>> And Kentuckians have been treated to a lot of TV and radio ads and yard signs, but the history of the May primaries is that regardless of all the noise and the big decisions that are made, most voters don't go to the polls.

>> Generally speaking.

No.

And, you know, weather can play a factor in this.

You know, bottom line, you know, Michael Adams has said this to me before.

The thing that motivates people the most to go, especially in primaries, special elections, is an issue they're really, really frustrated about.

Or maybe a candidate, you know, we're going to talk about the fourth congressional coming up.

We've seen what a Trump endorsement can do to turnout in Indiana for those state Senate races.

Turnout was way up because the Trump circle, the orbit, the allies are running these ads.

People showed out.

We'll have to see how it affects it.

>> Janet Adams, who favors an open primary where everybody can vote regardless of registration, says leaving out the growing segment of independents, which is now, you know, around 11% or so, is also a factor in the low turnout.

>> Yeah, he said about two thirds of the newest voters that have been registered are registering as independents.

And when it comes to primaries like this, they won't have a chance to vote.

>> And they can, of course, vote in the nonpartisan races and the judicial races.

But it's slim pickings for those who are independent or registered other.

Yeah, right.

>> Not the ones that, you know, as we're talking about that really count for the the main, the main seats.

>> Yeah.

At the top of the ballot this year is the big battle for Senator Mitch McConnell's U.S.

Senate seat.

The Republican race got a real shakeup last week when President Trump endorsed Andy Barr, and Nate Morris dropped out.

But this week, Daniel Cameron made it clear that he is staying in and fighting for the GOP nomination.

>> I've been communicating with the president not only throughout this campaign, but since my first since his first term.

We've been working together for a long time.

That's why he has confidence in me.

He knows that I've been with him all the way, and I'll be his number one champion in the United States Senate as well.

So it was it was great for him to personally call and and, and give me that endorsement.

>> What I'm focused on is garnering as much support since that decision has been made for people to come to this camp because they know authenticity means something, and they know that if I say something, I'm going to stand firm by those things.

So there's no dropping out.

There's only victory for Team Cameron on May 19th.

>> Yeah.

>> Mario Cameron shifted his message a little, it seems, but expressed support for President Trump, who endorsed Barr.

And then he also announced this, a two week blitz.

He is traveling all over the state.

>> He sure is.

And I'll also say I was there when Andy Barr was making those statements.

And from the second we started to the second we ended.

Andy Barr had a smile the entire time, very happy because he was just hours after getting that notification from the president.

But yeah, Daniel Cameron, he's been shifting his campaign from Derby Day to that press conference.

We didn't hear him reference Donald Trump at all by name.

But previously to that moment, almost every comment referenced the president.

But he is now using the term Kentucky first conservative as the way he's leading his campaign.

And he's got 34 stops over the next two weeks, and he is leaning into his faith.

And that's what his he's sharing Bible verses in social media posts and campaign ads, and leaning into that to, to try to target that conservative Christian base voters in the Republican primary.

>> I mean, how much has the Trump endorsement just changed things overnight, right?

I mean, Daniel Cameron was coming into this, especially in sort of GOP, whether it be a debate or public fields.

He was sort of I'm not going to throw shots, right.

I'm going to let the other two candidates, Nate Morris, Andy Barr, go back and forth.

All of a sudden in that press conference, he was saying that Congressman Barr is part of the DC swamp.

You know, he's the political insider.

I mean, would Daniel Cameron have been saying this three years ago when he was running for governor?

I mean, things have completely flipped.

Now.

He's kind of arguing that that Barr's beholden to the big corporations.

Of course, Congressman Barr, his argument is President Trump would never endorse somebody who would be for some of the things that Daniel's accusing him.

>> Well, they were almost face to face.

I confirmed with Todd Faulkner from just a few minutes ago, there was to be an event in Paducah today.

And there was with the Paducah Chamber of Commerce, and Cameron and Barr were both there.

However, they were not on stage at the same time.

There was a change that was requested, apparently, and the rules were that there were two one on one interviews.

>> So.

So we still haven't gotten a debate since the Trump endorsement.

I mean, because that's just two separate interviews, basically.

I mean.

>> Yeah, I thought it was interesting about him saying authenticity, like he's trying to say Barr isn't authentic.

Is that do you think what he's leaning into with change in message there?

>> Some would say, but you know, Daniel Cameron, he's just trying to you know, it appears to again, talk to those voters one on one and try to, you know, smile and let people know that he he's as you as he is from day one.

>> You mentioned he's not saying President Trump as much like he's not really touting the name, right?

>> Yeah.

He's kind of, again, shifting and just wanting to say that he stands on his conservative values and the conservative values of Kentuckians and but still also still touting America First, but now just dialing it back and not including President Trump.

>> Well, that's the question that remains.

How much advantage does Barr have with President Trump's backing?

So that really would be one to watch.

Mario, does the Democratic Senate nomination appear to be Charles Booker's to lose?

>> We've only had a few public polls that have been released, and each of those have shared that Charles Booker has had a sizable lead over the field, including Amy McGrath, who they were challenging each other back in 2019 for the 2020 nomination.

Dale Romans, the horse trainer is in that race, has not been polling well, but he's got some ads on on television.

Pamela Stephenson, the House Democratic floor leader, she from the public polling is not registering too well across the state.

But Charles Booker at this point, you know, from what it appears, seems to have the advantage from what we've been seeing.

>> This is a two person race.

It's very clear that Charles Booker and Amy McGrath are coming at it from very different strategies.

Charles Booker, generally speaking, has been in Louisville, Lexington, Franklin County.

So like Frankfort area, he knows where his progressive base is.

Amy McGrath has been trying to find those Democrats in areas that might not always vote blue.

She's been at, I think, 50 plus counties that she's been campaigning different stops, different strategies.

But to your point, Charles has been pulling ahead.

So we'll have to see.

>> We will.

All right.

The state's premier political event at Fancy Farm is coming into view this week.

The picnic organizers announced that Kentucky Broadcasting Hall of Fame member Dave Baker will emcee the political speakings.

Baker, who works for KY Tea, was on the UK Sports Network for 37 years.

Mario.

We know that Baker will have his work cut out for him on that stage, keeping order, but we also know that Dave Baker can pretty much handle whatever.

>> He sure can.

And he's got a wide old nickname as Buzz Baker, so I'm sure he'll be creating a lot of buzz when he's there on the first Saturday in August, and he's not afraid to light things up.

Obviously, he's known for his sports, but he's had some very high profile interviews in the political field through the years.

I interviewed Governor Matt Bevin several times when he was in office and was kind of a go to type person that could be able to get the governor at that time to speak.

But then Governor Dave Baker, he also is a big fan of wrestling.

So he's used to that pomp and circumstance and getting people riled up and excited.

>> So you don't know what you're going to get, but who knows when when it all starts out there.

All right, let's talk some other races.

Longtime political journalist Al Cross opined this week that President Trump's top interest in Kentucky's elections is his desire to see Congressman Thomas Massie defeated.

Massie appeared with Renee Shaw on KET this week.

Editor Gowron declined KET invitation to appear.

>> I don't think you're well served by a rubber stamp.

The problem with Congressman that I serve with in Washington, D.C.

is they make promises while they're campaigning, and then they go up there to go along to get along.

The guy I'm running against promises to go along, to get along.

Nobody is well served that way.

The founders never intended for the legislative branch to be a rubber stamp.

And in the few times that I do disagree with Trump, I voting for the voters of Kentucky, for the constituents here and for our future, and to put America first.

>> All right, then go.

Ryan spoke at a Kenton County Lincoln Day dinner.

We have a little bit of that.

>> Here's what I commit to you that I will fight for as your champion in Congress.

It's more than a representative.

I've got to do more than that.

One seat of 435.

Secure the border, grow the economy, restore law and order back the blue, strengthen our military.

And like President Trump, protect the sanctity of life.

The most pro-life president in history is President Trump.

And fight career politicians like Thomas to enact term limits and fight the radical Democrats at every turn.

>> As it's interesting, Massie acknowledges, the race is very close.

>> Very tight.

There was an interview, obviously, he talked with Renee, and just a couple of days ago, he talked with Tucker Carlson as part of his podcast.

And I believe Thomas Massie said there is they're polling internally is showing a one point difference.

I clarified with his campaign that they're saying single digit.

But then Tucker came right back and said, he's like, so a couple point difference you could lose here.

And Congressman Massie didn't really refute that.

So, I mean, this is very tight, you know, for for all intents and purposes.

So we'll just it could be a really, really close finish.

>> Listen to that as well.

And Massie, he made sure also to remind people that in 2024, he won his primary by 75%, 2022 won by 76%.

And then in 2020, he won by 81%.

And those were primaries.

But again, this time around, with about ten plus million dollars from the president's, a PAC aligned group.

We'll see how those numbers shake out.

>> Could there be another visit from President Trump before the primary?

>> Wouldn't be surprised.

I mean, this is one of his biggest focuses.

And then nationally, it's considered a litmus test of his power.

>> Yeah.

The sixth Congressional District is only the open seat in Kentucky on the ballot because of Andy Barr's decision to try for the Senate.

Ralph Alvarado now has President Trump's backing in the Republican primary.

Mario.

>> He sure does.

And he's got a lot of TV ads.

He's calling himself Maha Ralph and leaning into his background as a doctor, but then supporting the Make America Healthy Again initiative from the president, a cabinet.

So he has a lot of excitement from the president.

And that official endorsement, his competitor, Ryan Dodson, is still powering through and says that he's still has no concerns, even though the president has endorsed Ralph Alvarado.

But it seems to be Ralph Alvarado has a lot more of the name recognition.

>> The Democrats are hoping they can put Kentucky's sixth district race in play.

>> They've been calling it purple this entire time.

I think Republicans have pushed back on that.

I mean, they have candidates that are getting people's attention.

I would be really curious to see how these votes sort of split when it comes to maybe some of the frontrunners on the Democratic side.

You know, you have Zach Denver, who, of course, has Jim Gray's backing, but then you have Sherrilyn Stevenson, who has the backing of the lieutenant governor.

So it's really interesting, but we'll have to wait until the general to truly see whether it's it's purple right.

>> Now in the fifth district congressional race, not so much the primary as the general.

That's going to be closely watched.

And Republican Hal Rogers, the longtime incumbent, he's the dean of the House, the longest serving member in that chamber, Democrat Ned Pillersdorf, trying to make a race of it.

And this weekend announced this week announced former Governor Paul Patton and civil rights lawyer John Rosenberg have endorsed him.

And Janet.

He also says he's picking up some union support.

>> That's right, the United Auto Workers and the United Mine Workers of America, which have two large voting blocs, have backed him.

>> And it still would be a tall order to take out Hal Rogers.

>> He has significant name recognition in the area.

It's.

Yeah, it's tall, but not impossible.

>> Isaiah.

Louisville city races have long been Partizan.

That's changed this year to Nonpartizan.

>> Yeah, they have to say whether they're conservative or progressive, they have to use other words.

I mean, here's the thing.

It really affects people at the ballot box because if you're not paying attention, you can't just sit here and go with, okay, I vote Republican or I vote Democrat.

It's Mayor and Metro Council.

So it is very it's a big deal, right?

It could affect races.

The mayor, obviously the incumbent, Craig Greenberg, you know, has the edge just being the incumbent.

But Metro Council, I think what was it.

13 of our 26 seats are up for grabs with no already by the name.

So and there are a lot of candidates.

So it could be a shake up this year.

>> There's one announced candidate for governor next year, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman.

Mario, you interviewed her.

Does she like the reception she's getting?

>> She sure does.

She's been very excited.

She says, everywhere.

She's been traveling since she officially launched her campaign.

It's been positive feedback.

She's been having people in the middle of the day, hundreds of people meeting her in rural parts of the state.

So they're really impressed with that.

And she feels that she's getting a lot of extra attention to her campaign.

And again, we're still more than a year, year and a half away until that campaign actually gets underway.

>> As you spoke with Rocky Adkins this week, is he getting in the race?

>> He didn't make an announcement today.

I talked to him in Northern Kentucky, but he did say he's receiving.

These are his words, unbelievable encouragement to get in.

Look, this is not a secret.

I mean, Jacqueline Coleman and Rocky Adkins, we've been saying for a while that they would probably be at least two of the real heavy hitters on the Democratic side.

But he said it's something he's strongly considering is the words he used.

And then what was interesting is he sort of talked about his calling card if he were to get in, he said based on his years in the House, his experience working across the aisle, his words, he could pick up the phone and he could call just about anybody, and he would at least have their respect or their ear.

And he sort of an early indication of what his campaign could be.

>> So could be interesting.

And you were in northern Kentucky today because of the groundbreaking of the Brant Spence Bridge, a corridor that projects more than $3 billion.

It's a doozy.

>> More than for now.

>> For now.

>> And the sort of the scuttlebutt going in is how much more are these costs going up?

I mean, every official there said it's getting done, but it's getting expensive.

>> All right, Janet, lots of questions about how the University of Kentucky is moving forward in some areas.

This week, a federally required Warn notice dropped after it was revealed that Aramark and the university are parting ways.

Mid-contract.

>> Yeah, yeah.

They were scheduled to be on contract through 2029, and that's been ended now.

And they've said more than 900 workers will be laid off across the campus.

A lot of dining workers, and they are expected to be rehired by the new contractor in UK is in negotiations for a new company.

>> Well, the governor continues to ask questions about some of the operations at UK, some of the LLCs that have been formed and so on.

>> Yeah, I think it's going to be interesting to see where that all plays out.

I know that he's putting it sounds like he's putting a lot of pressure behind the scenes to make some things happen that he wants.

>> The Fayette County school system is trying to figure out how much money it needs.

They're apparently going to have to borrow about $110 million to cover the bills.

There was some back and forth, even today between the school system and the state auditor, Alison Ball.

>> Yeah.

So far, though, the latest that we've heard is that the state is not looking at taking over CPS at this point, which is the you know, they've kind of hit the trigger point where that could be a factor.

But right now they're not.

>> Has the apparent resolution of the bourbon tariff issue led to a sigh of relief for the bourbon producers?

>> Well, it's it's got to be help.

You know, that's a great thing.

But they they're still sales are still in a slump.

So you know, that's still a factor.

They still they're still distilleries that are sitting idle that last year weren't.

>> Attorney General Russell Coleman joined 23 other state attorneys general in asking the U.S.

Supreme Court to stop mail order abortion pills.

That came today.

>> Yeah.

He said that he wants them to.

He signed the amicus brief.

He said activist groups from New York and California have been flooding our Commonwealth with these deadly pills without proper medical supervision.

He did not cite any statistics or data to back that up.

And the reason that they have been allowed to be mail order is because the FDA has said they're extraordinarily safe.

I guess we'll have to see what the Supreme Court has to say about that.

>> Does it appear the Kentucky Derby weekend went according to script, even though they changed some of the times?

I know there's been some issue about that.

>> Businesses weren't happy, at least not with Oaks, because a lot of their reservations they would normally get didn't come in mass.

Like because of that later post time.

>> Restaurants closed down, right?

>> Yeah, restaurants were closing down.

Some owners were upset.

But on the other side, Churchill Downs are citing record.

There was 150,000 people there.

The weather was great and.

>> Record TV audience.

>> Record TV audience and the wagering numbers were up as well.

>> Well, lots of college graduates turning the tassel this weekend, so we wish them well.

>> Absolutely.

>> It may be a difficult landscape out there on jobs many are remembering.

Jane Stevenson, the founder of the New Opportunity School for women.

She was also the longtime first lady of Berea College.

Her husband, John, became Berea College's president in 1984.

Jane Stevenson started the New Opportunity School in 1986 and brought women in from Appalachia for programs that got them ready for college or the workforce.

She won Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award in 2003 that included a $100,000 prize for the New Opportunity School.

Jane Stevenson was 88 and his Mother's Day weekend.

I always enjoy pointing out that the Kentucky Connection.

A Kentucky teacher, Mary Toal Sasseen Wilson, started the first Mother's Day in her class in Henderson, Kentucky, in 1887, and it went from there.

That's comment.

Have a good week ahead.