Kentucky and I have both changed a lot since my youth.
But unfortunately, the changes the state currently faces
can't be resolved with Accutane and 150
hours of community service.
Kentucky legislators passed one of the strictest
anti-trans laws in the nation.
REPORTER 1: House Bill 300 would allow prosecutors
to charge a woman with criminal homicide
if she gets an abortion.
REPORTER 2: Police can't enforce any kind
of federal ban on guns.
REPORTER 3: --banning gender affirming care.
REPORTER 4: --aimed at drag shows.
REPORTER 5: --stifles free speech.
REPORTER 6: --trigger laws--
DESI LYDIC: Make it stop.
Make it stop.
These bills are getting shoved through
like a fried chicken sandwich in McConnell's lipless mouth.
But did Kentuckians really feel this way?
Absolutely not.
Kentuckians are suffering because of their decisions.
We can do things a lot better.
It's like our voices are falling on deaf ears.
It's a lot of straight white men, a lot of older men.
I would say, and to Mitch in particular,
that the vast majority of American
people are sick and tired of the guns, turtle face [bleep]..
There's that Southern hospitality I miss.
But she's right.
Kentuckians aren't happy with their lawmakers.
In fact, statistics have shown a majority support access
to abortion, background checks on guns,
and oppose the law on gender-affirming health care.
So how is this happening?
To get more insight, I met a local journalist
who's shining a spotlight on the politics happening
in conservative states.
There's only one way to have this conversation
and that is over Bourbon.
So it's safe to say that a lot of these laws that are passing
from extreme legislators are not reflective of the values
of the people of Kentucky.
So my view is we're seeing an extreme Republican agenda
because our legislators are governing like Republicans,
not like Kentuckians.
If you look at the laws being passed in Kentucky,
they're the exact same ones being passed
in Florida or Mississippi.
So these are much different states with much
different priorities.
But they have the exact same agenda because the Republicans
in every state are just passing a list of things
Donald Trump and other right-wing Republicans like,
and that are popular on Fox News.
You know what?
Let's just keep this flowing.
I don't want to see this glass empty.
Where do we go from here?
Is there any solution?
I think ultimately, we have to, in the short term,
shame them out of passing the most aggressive version
of these bills, criticize them enough to make sure that they
are told, when they go to church
or when they go to the grocery store,
that you passed a terrible bill and acted like a bigot.
Are you sure that shame would work
with Kentucky Republicans?
I mean, look at Rand Paul.
If I got my ass kicked in my front yard by my neighbor,
I would never leave my house again.
I'm not saying it's a fool-proof point.
And I'm just saying that these legislators have to walk
in public and live their life.
And I do think you want to make clear that you
have done something terrible.
It might be the drinks, but I have an idea.
What if we made change through the power of song,
through subliminal messages?
We could write a country song.
No one's tried that yet.
- No one's tried that. - Good idea.
We'll sing it together.
Because we know how it goes.
It goes-- (SINGING) here in Kentucky,
we've got bourbon, and horses, and a woman's right to choose.
(SINGING) We have great education,
well well-funded and well-supported public schools.
Oh, this is so good.
OK, we've got to record this.
Does that count as being subliminal?
The irony is that even as the Kentucky legislature becomes
more extreme, Kentucky's citizens
are trying to bring the state together,
citizens like Edward Lee.
REPORTER 7: Edward Lee, an award-winning chef,
founded the Lee Initiative, a nonprofit seeking
to increase diversity and equality
in the restaurant industry.
DESI LYDIC: And he's achieving this on a national level
as well.
REPORTER 8: Chef Edward Lee, owner of 610 Magnolia
in Louisville has been invited to the White House
to cook for the US and South Korea state dinner.
DESI LYDIC: When it comes to politics,
he has a more grassroots approach.
There are people in power here that have their agenda.
But there's some belief in me, where you stay
and you fight the good fight, and you build a community
and make sure that people do not feel marginalized,
that people do not feel alone, that people
do not feel like they're the only ones in this fight.
And to me, that's stronger than any political movement.
We have done dinners here where we have brought
different groups at the table to sit
down and talk things out.
And I would say at the end of the dinner,
if you still disagree, the only difference
is now you see the other person as a human being.
Do you think this level of humanity, and kindness,
and outreach that you do could ever exist
in the Kentucky legislature?
They come here for dinner.
I can ask them.
Has Mitch McConnell ever--
We don't serve intel.
You don't serve intel?
We've been here 21 years.
I'll say this.
Everyone's been through here.
How many times have you spit in this food?
I don't spit--
I waited tables for 10 years.
That is against everything I stand for.
I know a thing or two about spitting in food.
Despite not taking my advice, Ed left me feeling hopeful.
So I sobered up and hit the streets to see if other people
shared Ed's vision.
You have to have hope because otherwise, you wake up
and you live in fear.
And that's not what we, in Kentucky, do.
We get up, and we go to work, and we
take care of our families, and we're good to our neighbors.
When something bad happens in the state,
everyone rallies together.
And the good fight still continues on.
We are the solution.
And we truly have got to become much more forceful and active.
I think we can make it uncomfortable enough for those
who are in charge of the voting, who are
in charge of representing us.
Yeah, make them uncomfortable.
Slip him some laxatives.
Key his car.
No--
A bag of shit on his doorstep, light it on fire.
You know, the problem with that, only makes me look bad.
That would not achieve the goal I have.
Plus it takes all that time to shit in the bag
and light it on fire.
That's right.
Right.
Thank you.
You know where we can get some good bourbon around here?
Well, at my house.
Oh, lead the way.
I'll follow you. - I'm on my way to the library.
Oh, that's OK. I'll go with you.
Actually, you know--
I actually have a fine, if you
don't mind picking up the tab.
I've racked up quite the bill.
[chuckles] You said Kentuckians are generous, right?