Blue Dot
Northern Kentucky’s premier Political Podcast.
This is your ultimate source for in-depth analysis, lively discussion, and comprehensive coverage of the political landscape in Northern Kentucky.
Brought to you by the Kenton County Democratic Executive Committee.
Blue Dot
Pride, Medical Marijuana and Pocketbook Pressure
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This week, Natalie and Brian highlight Kentucky’s 234th birthday, Pride Month recognition, and the political tensions surrounding inclusivity and “Nuclear Family Month.” They discuss rising costs impacting Kentuckians, Governor Beshear’s actions on gas prices and data center regulations, and expanded medical marijuana access. The episode wraps with updates on local events, including Pride, Juneteenth, and community gatherings across Northern Kentucky.
Welcome to the Blue Dot, Northern Kentucky's premier political podcast, brought to you by the Kenton County Democratic Executive Committee. Welcome back to the Blue Dot Podcast for our weekly roundup, where we deliver you all the news you need to know in ten minutes or less. Thanks for joining. I'm Natalie McDonald.
SPEAKER_00And I'm Brian Cale. Hey Natalie, June is a big month for those who love our Commonwealth and who love democracy. Specifically, that phrase in our Declaration of Independence that says, all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights, then among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
SPEAKER_01And that's right, Brian. And the first thing to celebrate for those who love our Commonwealth is the fact that June is Kentucky History Month. And that's because this week, June 1st, was Kentucky's birthday. And so we turned 234 years old, Brian.
SPEAKER_00Wow. I feel young.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly, right? And can compared uh to other countries, but we were admitted to the Union as the 15th state and the first west of the Appalachian Mountains. So cheers to that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, cheers. And uh in addition to giving a shout out to Kentucky's birthday and Kentucky History Month, Governor Bashir also made sure to acknowledge that June is Pride Month. He even lit up the governor's mansion in rainbow colors and posted its picture on social media. The governor stated in his post that we believe every person should be accepted and celebrated for who they are. I love those words. This echoes that key phrase I just mentioned in our country's founding document. All men, or let's say people, all people are created equal and have the right to freedom and to pursue happiness as they see fit.
SPEAKER_01I mean, yeah, it doesn't get any simpler than that. And the mansion did look all pretty lit up, I have to admit. It's so nice to have someone in leadership positions who aren't afraid to simply acknowledge that. And that's what Governor Bashir said, and that everyone should be accepted for who they are. But the anti-woke mob and anti-LGBT Republicans were out there in full force, right on cue, right on June 1st, and posting their opposition on all the social media platforms.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, each year they seem to come up with something new. Hey, during Black History Month, they started screaming about white history month. And it is no different during Pride Month. We hear them calling for straight Pride Month. But this year, they've come up with a new slogan. Are you ready? Nuclear Family Month.
SPEAKER_01Nuclear Family, yes. This is a new one. Uh but according to several. According to several state proclamations, the nuclear family is defined as one husband and one wife and their biological or adopted children. So if you're a single parent, perhaps a grandparent raising kids, or if you don't have any kids at all, you know, other than that, then you don't get to celebrate.
SPEAKER_00Nope, you do not. At least according to the bigot class. And uh one MAGA lawmaker in Tennessee, Andy Ogles, one of our favorites, took it even further by posting on the platform, formerly known as Twitter, that homosexuality has no place in America. I mean, that's a quote. Happy nuclear family month, everybody. I hope you enjoy the hate. But believe it or not, this was just a little too far for even Christian nationalist extremist Ted Cruz, of all people, who publicly denounced it, along with surprisingly a few other Republicans.
SPEAKER_01I I was really surprised with Ted Cruz, but I mean, what do you expect? Right? Ogles was literally just referencing a joint resolution declared by their Tennessee governor Bill Lee, which was proclaiming June as Nuclear Family Month. So this act was specifically designed to give red state Republicans cover for their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies. But, you know, like I say, Brian, if they really wanted to support nuclear families, they would support things like universal pre-K or the child tax credit or SNAP benefits and medical leave for new mothers. But they don't do that. They refuse to support legislation that actually helps the so-called nuclear family that they are so, so very concerned about.
SPEAKER_00That is a great point. And I mean just the hypocrisy reeking. Speaking of, hey, some Republican-backed policies, the Trump administration's war against the American economy has begun trickling down to Kentucky. Since February, Kentuckians have paid nearly $500 million extra for gas. That's $274 per household, plus costs are spiking on food along with everything that Kentucky farmers need to produce it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and Thames are trying to fight back. Governor Bashir took executive action to lower gas prices by freezing Kentucky's gas tax rate. But that just put a really small dent into this massive increase we've seen. And it just further emphasizes the need to flip those seats in November.
SPEAKER_00Got that right. And if you want to see what responsible leadership looks like, check out our conversation with Kentucky State rep Matt Lahman, which dropped this week. Representative Lehman spoke at length about legislation he's been working on, and a lot of which focuses on accountability. This stance ensures that the massive power demands of AI and server facilities are not subsidized by or passed along to everyday Kentucky residents through higher electric bills. And I think this is an excellent approach to establishing the controls around data center development. I mean, if these companies building these massive facilities are responsible for ensuring the resources exist and they have to 100% fund those resources, it seems like they'll probably be more careful and deliberate in planning, building, and operation of these centers.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly. And we've kind of talked about how these aren't going away. So we need to find a way to make them work for the people. And that's exactly the kind of thing that Re Representative Lehman was really fighting for in his own district. Um but I did want to touch on one more headline from Kentucky today, and that's about medical marijuana. I don't know if you saw it, Brian, but on June 2nd, Governor Andy Basier signed an executive order to add 15 conditions to Kentucky's medical marijuana eligibility list. So now there are 15 additional conditions that are recognized, including sickle cell anemia, ALS, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's, terminal illness, and more. So now more Kentuckians can get the real the relief that they really deserve.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I had not seen that. I think that's a fantastic move. It's it's really great news. You know, medical cannabis has been found to decrease dependency on dangerous opioids. So, I mean, this should further decrease the opioid deaths and dependency across the state.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and we've seen a steady decline um since the Bashir administration has taken over, so it's good news.
SPEAKER_00Right. Right.
SPEAKER_01Um, but we sure do have a lot of events coming up. As we mentioned last week, we'll be at NKY Pride this year, along with Boone Campbell Counties. And the Kenton Dems will be having a happy hour at one of my favorite spots, Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club, which have you made it there yet?
SPEAKER_00All right. I'm gonna I'm gonna make it this time. I didn't the last time, but this time for sure.
SPEAKER_01Such a good place. And then later in the month we'll be celebrating Juneteenth in Covington. And one more very cool event that we've never done before is that we're hosting World Cup watch parties, June 12th, 19th, and 25th, all at Molly Malone's. So all kinds of fun stuff.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that sounds really cool. The World Cup watch parties. I don't know. We'll see how the World Cup goes. It sounds like uh it's it's kind of a little crazy about how that event's actually going to come off in the U.S. with uh potential, you know, ice monitoring, you know, this the stadiums, et cetera. But uh hopefully it comes off good and it's a great event. Hey, along with uh the Pride Parade and Festival, Campbell County um is uh has a couple events this month. Uh the primary one is their first candidate meet and greet on June 11th from 6.30 to 8 p.m. at the Cold Spring branch of the Campbell County Library, and that's at 3920 Alexandria Pike in Cold Spring.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all of those events go. It's going to be a lot of fun, and we'll continue to talk about all of the great stuff the Dems are doing in Northern Kentucky because our 10 minutes are up right now. Until next time, stay curious, keep the facts in focus, and never stop fighting for what matters. Peace out, everybody.