DNC shows love to Charles Booker

U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker hasn't gotten a big boost from national Democratic organizations, but he got some support this week when Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison rallied with him in Louisville.

The state legislature is busy, too, thanks to a special session Gov. Andy Beshear called so lawmakers can authorize millions in government aid for Eastern Kentucky, where there's so much fallout from the recent flooding.

Keep an eye on The Courier Journal this morning for news that'll come out of a tasty political tradition: The Kentucky Farm Bureau's Country Ham Breakfast at the state fair. (Will potential gubernatorial candidate Kelly Craft have the pork-winning bid again this year?)

Here's what's up with Kentucky politics this week.

DNC chair stumps alongside Booker

Harrison joined Booker on Tuesday in Louisville, where the would-be senator's campaign indicated the duo met with local leaders and went to a pro-Booker fundraiser together before speaking to over 300 people at a rally.

"Folks, what is important in politics is not to tell people what we are going to do, but to show people what we will do," Harrison told the crowd. "And that is what sets Charles Booker apart from Rand Paul. That is the difference between Charles Booker and so many people who are in politics. Because for him, it is not just having the speeches. He's about going into the community, from the hood to the holler."

Booker has been candid about his campaign's lack of major support from national Democratic operations so far but suggested to The Courier Journal that Harrison's visit could change that.

"He sees the path and wants to show his support," Booker said of Harrison. "But we're still doing this largely without the help of national Democrats. And hopefully Jaime coming can help shine a light to say: 'Stop ignoring Kentucky.'"

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Lawmakers start special session on flooding relief

The state legislature convened Wednesday to begin a three-day special session that's all about helping Eastern Kentucky recover from the deadly deluge it endured last month.

Draft legislation shows the plan is to provide more than $212 million in aid, with buckets of funding available for local governments, school districts and public utilities that were rocked by the disaster.

Reporter Olivia Krauth previewed what schools are hoping lawmakers will deliver.

The legislature is also looking at offering some more assistance for governments and school districts in Western Kentucky, where they're still rebuilding from December's tornadoes.

Mitch McConnell isn't a fan of Joe Biden forgiving student loans

President Joe Biden made a big and long-awaited announcement Wednesday: He's forgiving up to $10,000 (and, in some cases, up to $20,000) in federal student loan debt for millions of Americans.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was out quick with a statement decrying the Democrat's plan, saying:

“President Biden’s student loan socialism is a slap in the face to every family who sacrificed to save for college, every graduate who paid their debt and every American who chose a certain career path or volunteered to serve in our Armed Forces in order to avoid taking on debt."

The senator wasn't talkative this week about ex-President Donald Trump's derisive comment about former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, whom the sharp-tongued Republican referred to as McConnell's "crazy wife."

When reporter Joe Sonka asked if he wanted to react to that, McConnell just said "no."

In case you missed it...

• Reporter Billy Kobin examined a Louisville Metro councilman's idea: Awash in weapons and violence, can Louisville stop the bleeding by buying back guns?

• Sonka came out with an overview of how the state's voting laws have changed in recent years.

• Louisville's mayoral candidates got a big endorsement on the same day from two very different organizations.

Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal's chief political reporter. Contact her at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: DNC shows love to Charles Booker, state legislature's back in action