Blog By: Lauren K. Repa
Kentucky is known worldwide for its horse races, and betting on horse races is integral to Kentucky's culture and economy. In this blog, 2L Staffer Lauren K. Repa argues that the passing of House Bill 551 this past September, legalizing all sports betting, might put horse racing at risk, with betters flocking to other forms of gambling. However, not all is lost; Repa asserts AI apps such as EquinEdge might be the program Kentuckians need to keep horse racing alive with the passing of the new legislation.
Blog By: Antonio C. Ellzey
In this blog, 3L Antonio C. Ellzey points out that California Governor Newsom recently vetoed a pending California state law that aimed to address the dangers of gas appliances. Specifically, the new law would have required manufacturers to place warning labels on gas stoves to inform consumers of their health effects. Some say the new law would help build awareness around a hidden danger while others say the new would restrict Californians’ freedom. Ellzey believes the pending law would positively impact Californians because they can make better-informed decisions around their health and safety, which would ultimately help save lives.
Blog By: Stevi Whitman
In this blog, 3L staffer Stevi Whitman argues for the use of certification marks to promote authenticity within the whiskey industry by introducing the Estate Whiskey Alliance® (EWA). The EWA is a member led association spearheaded by UK Innovate at the University of Kentucky, the James B. Beam Institute, Marker’s Mark Distillery, and other founding members, tasked with ensuring quality standards of whiskey production, promoting the benefits of local sourcing, and advancing sustainability efforts throughout the whiskey industry through the use of certification marks.
Blog By: Phillip Burress
Kentucky is home to 100 distilleries in 42 counties and produces 95% of the world's bourbon. In this Blog, 3L Phillip Burress discusses the threat posed by "Whiskey Fungus" on Kentucky property owners and the legal challenges facing Kentucky distillers.
Blog By: Ashton Edwards
In this Blog, 3L Staffer Ashton Edwards argues that instead of staying silent on the issue, Congress should respond to the interstate commerce concerns that reside in the Prop 12, a proposition that was made law by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023. Edwards discusses that so far, Congress has yet to address the arguments and concerns of Farmers, the Court, or citizens, even though this law arguably has a substantial impact on interstate commerce.
In January of 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order which created a pause on oil and gas leasing of federal lands. 2L staffer, Abby Noser, analyzes this Executive Order through the view of a lawsuit filed in Louisiana by thirteen states. The plaintiffs urged that the Executive Order violated the United States Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and the Mineral Leasing Act.
2L staffer, Zachary Mills, discusses the importance of the Clean Water Act and how the act continues to change through public and presidential pressure. Mills focuses explicitly on Section 401 of the Act, where it designates state and tribal governments as “certifying authorities” for these licenses, but after Trump’s Executive Order 13956, the EPA narrowed Section 401. Mills highly encourages courts to truly realize the change to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act does more harm than good for the Native American communities.
Senior Staffer, Lilly Keitges, discusses the different power grids across the country, but especially ERCOT in terms of it being an island grid. Keitges discusses how the poor regulations of this island grid were a significant cause of the outages during Winter Storm Uri and what Texas should do to help prevent more outages in the future.
2L Staffer Georgiana Ledford discusses the Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows the President to transform a tract of land into a national monument. Ledford discusses how presidents have treated this power and how people have mixed options on this Act as some see it as a use of politics. Ledford strongly believes that Americans should put politics behind them and remember why Congress passed this Act.
2L Staffer Breanna McKnight discusses the dangerous chemical known as polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) and what Congress is doing to help eliminate these chemicals in our drinking water. The United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 2467, known as the PFAS Action Act of 2021. Although some organizations worry that this bill will cause more harm than good, McKnight strongly encourages people to support this Act as she believes it is a vital step to combat these chemicals.
2L staffer Matthew Hayes argues that Kentucky should repeal its current real property tax and replace it with a tax on the unimproved value of land. Hayes looks at other states and countries that have implemented this idea, which has resulted in high economic growth. Hayes is hopeful that Kentucky will have the same result if Kentucky implements this tax.
While on a drive through Central California, 2L staffer Shawn Harkins meets an interesting individual who brought to light H.R. 1603, better known as the Farmworker Modernization Act of 2021. Harkins discusses the pros and cons of this Act, but strongly encourages the Senate to pass this legislation.
