Monday, February 3, 2014

Day Eighteen of KY's 2014 Session In Review

Kentucky’s 2014 session is one fourth over. The House has introduced 313 pieces of legislation to the Senates 113. The Senate has passed 14 bills over to the House and House has sent 21 bills down to the Senate, with no bills making it all the way through the process yet.
Senate Bills that have cleared the Senate: SB 3, 4, 5, 7, 16, 26, 27, 29, 41, 45, 53, 55, 74, 99
House Bills that have cleared the House: HB 5, 17, 40, 66, 69, 70, 73, 79, 84, 98, 115, 126, 129, 154, 176, 179, 181, 192, 206, 211, 212
President Stiver’s SB1, a bill that would give the legislature more control over the administrative regulation process and Speaker Stumbo’s HB1, a bill that would raise the minimum wage, have both cleared their respective committees and have two readings on their respective floors making them both ready to pass at the same time.
Administration budget officials told the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee last week that their spending recommendation includes $19.8 billion in expected General Fund revenues. It includes $370 million in fund transfers, $166.8 million in savings from the federal Affordable Care Act, $98.6 million in state spending cuts (including five percent cuts for most state agencies and 2.5 percent cuts for state universities and the Kentucky State Police), a carryover from fiscal year 2014, and other money from other resources or funding lapses.
The Federal Government has announced that it going to allow pilot projects in growing industrial (non-marijuana) hemp. Since the 2013 Legislature passed enabling legislation allowing Kentucky to proceed if that happened, experimental hemp farming may become a reality in Kentucky as soon as this year.
We saw a flurry of committee meetings last week and we can expect much more of the same this week. Legislators and lobbyists alike will start thinking about any legislation that they might want to introduce this session with their eye on February 21st, the last to day to request a bill draft. Today is the 19th of our allotted 60 days before the legislature must Sine Die on April 15th. With so much snow on the ground spring seems far away but we can expect the pace to continue to pick up.


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    LINKS TO SOME OF TODAY's HEADLINES:


    UPCOMING MEETINGS:

    Monday, February 3, 2014
    Noon, Annex Room 129
    HOUSE BUDGET REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES
    Agenda: Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, Public Health
    4:00 pm, House Chambers
    House Convenes  (Orders of the Day)
    4:00 pm, Senate Chambers
    Senate Convenes (Orders of the Day)

    SOME OF THE LATEST POLITICAL STORIES:

    FRANKFORT — It's getting costly to lobby Kentucky lawmakers.Click to Continue » [...]
    Mon, Feb 03, 2014 3:06:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    There's been no real reduction in the number of U.S. school shootings despite increased security put in place after the rampage at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.Click to Continue » [...]
    Sun, Feb 02, 2014 1:08:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    This year, for the first time, four of the state's media powerhouses are joining forces to conduct statewide polling that will provide deeper and more consistent insights into the 2014…Click to Continue » [...]
    Sun, Feb 02, 2014 5:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Tom Loftus The Kentucky Democratic Party on Friday reported having $406,614 on hand as of Jan. 1. That’s a lot of money, but far less than the $1,371,437 balance reported by the Republican Party of Kentucky — a total enriched last year with contributions from the national fundraising connections of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Year-end reports filed by the federal committees of both state parties were filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday. (I blogged about the GOP report yesterday). The biggest givers listed in the Kentucky Democratic Party report for the month of December were five men who each gave $10,000. They are:  Douglas Wilburn, [...]
    Sat, Feb 01, 2014 4:59:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Tom Loftus Campagn finance laws allow contributions of unlimited amounts to independent Super PACs. Corporation contributions are also allowed. And the Super PAC supporting the re-election of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell got contributions of as much as $250,000 during the last six months of 2013, according to the report it filed Friday with the FEC. The Super PAC is called Kentuckians for Strong Leadership. However, there are no Kentuckians among the 24 contributors in the past six months who combined to give nearly $1.2 million. The super PAC has been spending its money on advertisements opposing the election of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan [...]
    Sat, Feb 01, 2014 3:12:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Tom Loftus Today is the day when political committees send out breathless “news” releases bragging about how much money they’ve raised. But they never tell you who gave the money. The Republican Party of Kentucky bragged today of its fundrasing success during the second half of 2013 — leaving it with $1.3 million on hand at the outset of a crucial election year when the Kentucky House and half of the Kentucky Senate are up for grabs. If you check the report posted Friday on the FEC website, you will find that a nice part of the RPK’s contributions came from lobbyists trying to push, or stop, legislation [...]
    Fri, Jan 31, 2014 11:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Surpassing other top Democratic incumbents and contenders in contributions, Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes raised $2.1 million during the last three months of 2013.Grimes's campaign announced the totals on Friday afternoon, which are down from the $2.5 million she raised in the previous quarter.The first-term secretary of state has generated over $4.5 million from supporters to date, and has $3.5 million in cash-on-hand. [...]
    Fri, Jan 31, 2014 8:23:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    By Sam Youngman syoungman@herald-leader.com Despite raising more than $2 million during a fundraising quarter filled with holidays, likely Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes continues to face a significant cash disadvantage against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Both campaigns released their fundraising totals for the fourth quarter of 2013 Friday, with McConnell reporting $2.2 million for his re-election efforts and Grimes reporting $2.1 million. McConnell's latest numbers bring his total for the election cycle to $20 million, with $10.9 million in the bank, his campaign reported Friday. Grimes has raised about $4.6 million since entering the race July 1 and has about $3.5 million [...]
    Fri, Jan 31, 2014 7:50:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    A prominent conservative group is hiring a consulting firm which had been all but excommunicated by national Republicans at the behest of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell last year.The Club for Growth has yet to endorse in Kentucky's GOP primary battle between McConnell and Tea Party-backed businessman Matt Bevin, but the group has said it is paying close attention to the race. [...]
    Fri, Jan 31, 2014 5:53:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    By Sam Youngman syoungman@herald-leader.com Actress and Kentucky native Ashley Judd said Thursday she had no second thoughts about her decision against challenging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race this year. "At this time, absolutely not," Judd told Politico Thursday. "And I'm grateful for that because life is not always so tidy. I didn't understand why at first because it was a very below-the-neck experience, it was very guttural. I didn't have an explanation at first but then my life became very clear in terms of my need and desire right now to spend a lot of time with family." Judd [...]
    Fri, Jan 31, 2014 1:20:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    They say it could save millions of dollars by eliminating the office of Kentucky State Treasurer. [...]
    Mon, Feb 03, 2014 4:36:13 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Kentucky Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes has raised nearly $5 million in her bid to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in one of the nation's most closely watched political races. [...]
    Mon, Feb 03, 2014 4:36:13 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Mon, Feb 03, 2014 4:36:13 AM, Continue reading at the source


    Lawmakers criticize budget Feb 02, 2014 09:46 pm Three state legislators on Saturday criticized Gov. Steve Beshear’s budget proposal and shared their priorities for the current legislative session at a forum in the Warren County Courthouse. Read More

     2014 not all about the U.S. Senate race  The filing deadline has passed and Monday is just six months from the annual Fancy Farm Picnic that is likely to pit Sen. Mitch McConnell against Alison Lundergan Grimes — the kickoff for the homestretch of the most interesting election in the nation. Joseph Gerth |Feb 02, 2014 09:45 pm Read More

    Election filing deadline speeds up pace in Kentucky legislature The 2014 General Assembly began to pick up a little steam last week following Tuesday's election filing deadline for House and Senate races. Feb 02, 2014 09:44 pm Read More

    Beshear putting tax reform ideas on table Gov. Steve Beshear will discuss his ideas for tax reform with some key lawmakers Monday in hopes of seeing it pass the 2014 session that is nearly one-third complete.Feb 02, 2014 09:42 pm Read More

    Kentucky tax-reform commission's recommendations These suggestions were among the 54 recommendations issued by Gov. Steve Beshear's tax-reform commission in December 2012: Feb 02, 2014 09:42 pm Read More

    Industry officials revolting over state plan to take tourism funds Area tourism officials want to put a halt to a budget proposal that would move $9 million out of the restricted tourism, meeting and convention marketing fund over the next two years. Feb 02, 2014 09:41 pm Read More
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