Here is our Byline rundown for 3/8/13 (full audio link below)At the top - The Kentucky House agriculture committee approved a bill Wednesday creating a regulatory framework for growing hemp in Kentucky, if the federal government were to legalize it. The hemp bill has been championed by Agriculture Commissioner James Comer as an economic development tool, but it has faced opposition and caused confusion to some. Commissioner Comer and Kentucky Public Radio's capitol bureau chief Kenny Colston discuss the current status.13:30 - WFPL is airing over the next month several profiles of former public school students who left school before graduating. The series sheds light on the personal narratives behind drop-out statistics and data the media often report. We hear the first such report from WFPL's Devin Katayama, the story of Kimani Straub.18:15 - WFPL’s Phillip M. Bailey joins us to discuss the so-called religious freedom bill that has cleared both of Kentucky’s legislative chambers. Some says the bill could go too far. For instance, they say the bill could allow organizations to undermine civil rights federal protections or deny social services based on religious beliefs.21:50 - Basketball season is heating up as the regular season comes to a close. The Cats, Cards, and Hoosiers have had seasons that contained a number of surprises. We preview next week’s conference tournaments and the NCAA championship with WDRB’s Eric Crawford.25:22 - Numbers have always been a part of our political conversation. But it seems that since the Great Recession, civics and math are more closely related than ever. As we hear about budgets, deficits and the sequester, it's worth taking a look at what these numbers actually mean. Andrea Seabrook does just that in the latest installment of Decode DC.
