Ryland Barton
Ryland is the state capitol reporter for the Kentucky Public Radio Network, a group of public radio stations including WKU Public Radio. A native of Lexington, Ryland has covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin.
Always looking to put a face to big issues, Ryland's reporting has taken him to drought-weary towns in West Texas and relocated communities in rural China. He's covered breaking news like the 2014 shooting at Fort Hood Army Base and the aftermath of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas.
Ryland has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.
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The speaker of Kentucky's House of Representatives has stepped down amid a sexual harassment scandal unfolding in the state legislature. Three other Republican lawmakers have also been implicated.
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Hundreds of thousands of people in Kentucky got health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, but the state is also home to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who's led efforts to kill the law. With the failure of the latest GOP attempt to replace the ACA, the state's voters weigh in.
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With public interest in horse racing declining, the parent company of the Kentucky Derby has evolved into an entertainment enterprise built on gambling and social gaming platforms.
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Nearly every year a decades-old school busing program is threatened by the Kentucky legislature in one of the state's largest — and most segregated — cities.
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On Election Day, Democrats lost their last statehouse in the South when the GOP won a sweeping victory in Kentucky. Democrats now have to figure out how to appeal to rural voters.