Thursday, January 23, 2014

Day Twelve of KY's 2014 Session In Review

Friday’s legislative schedule, updated trackers and some of Kentucky’s political headlines are in today’s legislative update.
The Kentucky Senate approved a bill on Thursday unanimously that would limit some legislative pensions. SB 4, sponsored by Sen. McDaniel, would permit lawmakers to opt-out of a 2005 law that allowed legislative pension calculations to include other, possibly higher-paying, government jobs. The sponsor said the measure could save the state up to $6.1 million.
HB 40 sponsored by Rep. Rita Smart, would designate October as Anti-Bullying Month in Kentucky, passed the House on Thursday unanimously.
SB45 sponsored by Committee Chair Whitney Westerfield, would allow search warrants to be completed electronically, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Westerfield told committee members the electronic system would be more convenient and secure for police officers, prosecutors and judges. SB 45 now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
The Senate Education Committee approved SB16, sponsored by Sen. David Givens, on Thursday. SB 16 would make programming language courses eligible to meet the foreign language requirement in high school courses of study and for admission to postsecondary schools in Kentucky. The measure passed 10-1 and now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
The House Health & Welfare Committee passed three bills on Thursday. HB 98, sponsored by Rep. Damron, is a bill that would allow school staff members to volunteer to be trained to give insulin so there is always someone there to help students, even when a school nurse cannot be. It would also allow students who are mature enough to do so to independently self-manage their diabetes at school. Two additional bills that cleared the house committee: HB5 sponsored by Rep. Butler,a bill relating to security breaches in state government; and HB 145 sponsored by Rep. David Watkins, a bill that defines medical order for scope of treatment.

newlogoshraderbuLEGISLATIVE TRACKERS BY INTEREST

Click on the links below

    LINKS TO SOME OF TODAY’s HEADLINES:

     UPCOMING MEETINGS:

    Friday, January 24, 2014
    9:00am, House Chambers
    House Convenes (Orders of the Day)
    9:00am, Senate Chambers
    Senate Convenes

    SOME OF THE LATEST POLITICAL STORIES:


    The Kentucky Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would allow state lawmakers to decline a big increase in their retirement benefits if they switch to a higher-paying job in…Click to Continue » [...]
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 10:47:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT –Senate President Robert Stivers on Thursday described the debt in Gov. Steve Beshear’s two-year budget plan as “large.” Stivers, R-Manchester, was quick to say Senate Republican leaders have not yet decided how to respond to Beshear’s budget because they still are analyzing it. Stivers also noted that action on Beshear’s budget will begin in the House. The House version of the budget then will go to the Senate for its consideration. Both chambers must agree on a compromise budget before it can take effect. [...]
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 10:32:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — Several major health care providers and business organizations in Kentucky have formed a new coalition in hopes of eliminating “meritless” medical malpractice lawsuits. The new group, called Care First Kentucky Coalition, will push for legislation that would create medical review panels to review proposed claims against health care providers. The state’s nursing home industry has backed similar legislation in the last two legislative sessions, when the proposal passed the Republican-led Senate along party lines but failed to get out of committee in the Democratic-led House. “Now is the time for Kentucky to say enough is enough to the meritless lawsuits which are having a huge impact on health care costs, a major concern for Kentucky businesses,” said Dave Adkisson, president of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. “Our neighboring states have already addressed this problem through common sense reforms and it is time we do the same.” Review panels would have three medical experts. Each side represented in the case would select a panelist, with the third being selected by the other two experts.
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 10:03:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would allow state lawmakers to decline a big increase in their retirement benefits if they switch to a higher-paying job in state government. “This is a matter of doing the right thing,” said the sponsor of Senate Bill 4, Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Latonia. McDaniel said an actuarial analysis showed that allowing lawmakers to opt-out of the lucrative benefit could save the state treasury about $6.1 million over 20 years. Most part-time lawmakers make about $30,000 to $40,000 a year, but their retirement benefits dramatically increase if they take a higher-paying [...]
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 10:03:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday that discussion about him being a frontrunner for the 2016 Republican nomination for president “sounds unlucky.”Click to Continue » [...]
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 7:59:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    WASHINGTON – As Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul mulls his political plans for 2016, one major national publication is calling him the Republican frontrunner for president. And a recent poll of New Hampshire primary voters shows the Kentuckian is tied for second in a large field of potential candidates. In his latest column in The Atlantic, Peter Beinart sees a key shift in the dynamics of the coming Republican battle for the 2016 presidential nomination. “If Chris Christie was ever the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, he isn’t anymore. All along, the theory behind his candidacy was that he could overcome his [...]
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 4:01:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    One day after Mitch McConnell’s campaign unleashed the first major ad blitz of his 2014 U.S. Senate reelection campaign, Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes responded Thursday, releasing a nearly three minute video “web ad” of its own. [...]
    Fri, Jan 24, 2014 2:56:25 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Gov. Steve Beshear’s two-year state budget proposal will be one of the topics discussed on this weekend’s “Comment on Kentucky,” a public affairs show of the Kentucky Educational Television network. Joining host Ferrell Wellman will be three journalists: Ryan Alessi, managing editor and host of “Pure Politics” on CN|2; Ronnie Ellis, Frankfort reporter for CNHI, Inc.; and Chad Lampe, news director of WKMS Radio in Murray. The show will air live at 8 p.m. Friday on KET. On the Monday, Jan. 27, edition of “Kentucky Tonight” at 8 p.m. on KET and at KET.org/live, host Bill Goodman and guests will discuss the [...]
    Thu, Jan 23, 2014 11:15:00 PM, Continue reading at the source



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