News & Notes for Wednesday, 10/19

Political and governing news from across the state and the nation, presented via excerpts from each story. If you want the whole story, click the link. (And you should especially do so with the first one, as the “Yes for Life” group is telling some whoppers.)

Claims made in ‘Yes for Life’ ad around KY abortion vote are misleading. Here’s the reality

With less than three weeks to go until the November 8 election, the first TV ad from Yes For Life, a campaign urging a “yes” vote on Constitutional Amendment No. 2, is going for shock value. The 30-second voice over commercial begins, “radical, out-of-state activists want to spend YOUR tax dollars on late-term abortions even up to the moment of birth.”

The 30-second spot relies on conservative buzzwords and phrases that are aimed at grabbing viewer attention but are ultimately misleading and inaccurate. (Herald-Leader)

Judge rules GOP House candidate ineligible on technicality. She plans to appeal.

If Susan Tyler Witten had filed her paperwork to run for House District 31 one day later, she would have been fine. But Jefferson Circuit Judge Annie O’Connell sided with GOP candidate Witten’s opponent, Democratic candidate Susan “Sue” Foster, in a lawsuit challenging Witten’s candidacy. The basis: Witten and two voters who signed affidavits in support of her candidacy on Jan. 19 were not yet technically residing in the new 31st House District, which took effect one day later on Jan. 20 after the legislature overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of their redistricting maps. (Herald-Leader)

Kentucky officials push back on election fraud claims ahead of midterms: 'It's impossible'

Since the 2020 election, county clerks all the way up to the secretary of state have had to push back on election fraud claims. The conspiracies range from voting machines being connected to the internet to claims of a cover-up.

Madison County Clerk Kenny Barger argued there are just too many layers for fraud to occur even if an election official did go rogue. “So if you’re going to change the results across the state of Kentucky you got to deal with 120 different county clerks and 120 sets of staff and 3 to 4 different manufacturers of equipment,” he said.

When voters go to vote this year, it will be on paper ballots. Those results are put on a memory card and counted by computer that’s not connected to the internet. If there are any discrepancies officials turn to those paper backups. The only part of the process that involves the internet is when voters are checked in on an electronic poll book. That is on an encrypted connection and there to prevent people from voting twice. (Fox 56)

Electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky lands nearly $500 million federal investment

A Kentucky manufacturing company has landed a multimillion-dollar investment from the federal government to go toward production of battery materials and new batteries for electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy will award two grants totaling nearly $500 million to Ascend Elements, a sustainable battery material production plant in Hopkinsville, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday. The $480 million grants are a portion of $2.8 billion in grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to a press release from the White House. (Courier-Journal)

Olivia Krauth joins CJ political team

Courier-Journal Education reporter Olivia Krauth is moving departments and joining the Louisville newspaper’s political team. The prolific tweeter announced her shifting mission with a Tweet on Tuesday afternoon.

(KY Fried Politics)

And from the Twitterverse ...

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