Dustin Pugel 🇺🇦
@dpugel
Husband, dad, wonk with @kypolicy & runner, preferably on trails. Trying to bring Shalom to the commonwealth. The plural of anecdote is not data.
NEW: Nearly one year after House Bill 5 went into effect, Kentucky has seen 425 "unlawful camping" charges across 30 counties. That’s an average of more than one unhoused person cited or arrested for unlawful camping each day.
Homelessness jumps again in Kentucky amid: - No longer exempt from SNAP work reporting - New Medicaid work reporting - Massive cuts to housing assistance proposed by Trump admin - Street camping is illegal - KY still 200K+ homes short of need kentuckylantern.com/2025/07/11/new…
Worst birthday ever. 🎂🧵
Today marks 16 years since the last minimum wage increase. Because of inflation and inaction, America's (and Kentucky's) wage floor is now less than half its previous peak, and below the poverty line for the first time.
TPC estimates that the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act (OBBBA) will increase federal debt by $4.5 trillion—10 percent of GDP—by 2034. tpc.io/46qHtpC
This is a great synopsis of why the OBBBA's Rural Health Fund was poorly designed, and will not mitigate the impact of the Medicaid cuts as much as was initially suggested.
The $50 billion rural hospital/health care grant program can’t help but do a lot of good. It’s also likely to be highly political and isn’t timed or targeted to help a lot with Medicaid cuts. My latest column: kff.org/from-drew-altm…
Check out the @ACFHHS request for state applications for the *new* TANF pilot. The pilot will select up to five states to test innovative approaches aimed at promoting work and reducing government dependency. Application deadline is August 15. Learn more: peerta.acf.hhs.gov/content/reques…
Good conversation happening right now in the KY Appropriations and Revenue Committee about natural disaster resiliency. We wrote about the need for an office of disaster resiliency, and other preemptive things three years ago after the flooding in EKY. kypolicy.org/kentucky-must-…
NEW GALLUP POLL: the pendulum has swung drastically since last year. 🟢 just 30% want immigration decreased (55% last year) 🟢 79% of Americans think immigration is GOOD for the country (record high) 🟢 Path to citizenship (78%) beats mass deportation (38%)
A quick 🧵on new immigration polling from @Gallup. Let's start with the bad news. More Americans want to see immigration reduced (55% -- highest figure since 2001). And this, despite the US contending with labor shortages & the lowest birthrates on record. 1/
Tomorrow!
Free Trash Disposal Day for Fayette County residents 🗓️Sat 7/12, 6am-1pm 📍1505 Old Frankfort Pk ➡️Enter at sign for Transfer Station ✅Household waste ✅4 tires off rim 💲For a fee: lawn furniture, construction & remodeling debris 🚫No HHW, liquids, appliances or electronics
My favorite 100mile ultra is underway! If you've never been to the San Juans in Colorado, do yourself a favor and get there. Silverton is a sterling town, and ever trail around it is perfection.
The 2025 Hardrock 100 is underway! Follow along with our live coverage throughout the race: i-rn.fr/25HR100-Live ! #HR100
In KY, the avg person who is subject to this new coverage-contingent paperwork is a 40yr old woman in a household of 3 with a high school degree or less making $4k per year. She works part time, cares for loved ones, and will need to fill out monthly forms to keep her insulin.
Steve Scalise: "Disabled people will get better Medicaid under this bill because all of the fully able-bodied -- the 35-year-old guy sitting at home playing video games in his mom's basement -- he's gonna have to go work, because we put work requirements in place. And so he will…
Most adults on Medicaid already work, because you can't use Medicaid to pay your rent or your grocery bills. It's health insurance that pays your medical bills if you get sick.
Steve Scalise: "Disabled people will get better Medicaid under this bill because all of the fully able-bodied -- the 35-year-old guy sitting at home playing video games in his mom's basement -- he's gonna have to go work, because we put work requirements in place. And so he will…
ICYMI, on the latest Kentucky Tonight, Renee Shaw hosted a discussion about changes to Medicaid. Stream it anytime online and on the PBS app. ow.ly/quXq50Wnc2i
$87 million in education funding freeze is putting Kentucky school districts in a bind. kentucky.com/news/local/edu…
If the Medicaid work reporting requirement is fully implemented, I feel fairly sure that the labor force participation rate among Medicaid enrollees will decline. Most of the folks who lose coverage will be people who are working & most of the rest will be exempt & non-working.