Thursday, February 13, 2014

Day Twenty Seven of KY's 2014 Session In Review

Rep. Wuchner introduced HB395, a medication synchronization bill on Thursday. HB395 requires a health plan to pay a dispensing fee on each prescription when the patient elects synchronization of multiple prescriptions for the treatment of chronic illnesses’ and synchronization is in the best interest of the patient. In order to permit synchronization, an individual or group health benefit plan shall pay a prorated daily cost-sharing rate for any medication dispensed by a network pharmacy. HB395 also requires the Department for Medicaid Services to allow medication synchronization.
HB199, a bill that requires children under age nine who are between 3 feet three inches and 4 ¾ feet tall to use booster seats in automobiles, passed the House 65 – 32. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Hall and Rep. Henderson, would change the state’s current requirement of booster seats for children under age 7 who are between 40 and 50 inches tall. According to the bill sponsor the passage of HB 199 would put Kentucky in line with 32 states that currently have the requirements it proposes, including the seven states surrounding the Commonwealth.

LEGISLATIVE TRACKERS BY INTEREST

Click on the links below

    LINKS TO SOME OF TODAY's HEADLINES:


    UPCOMING MEETINGS:

    Friday, February 14, 2014
    9:00am, House Chambers
    House Convenes
    9:00am, Senate Chambers
    Senate Convenes (Orders of the Day)

    SOME OF THE LATEST POLITICAL STORIES:

    Local Option Sales Tax Proposal Filed in Kentucky Senate as Mayor Greg Fischer Outlines More Details - Feb 12, 2014 08:51 pm - A Kentucky state senator has filed legislation to let residents vote on raising the local sales tax for special projects, but he is already doubting its passage in the 2014 legislative session. Republican Paul Hornback of Shelbyville introduced the bill on Tuesday. It would allow local residents vote on temporary tax increases to pay for special projects. Read More

    Medical Malpractice Reform - Feb 12, 2014 08:50 pm - It’s time for Kentucky to say “enough is enough” to frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits…That’s what the president of the State’s Chamber of Commerce told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee today. Dave Adkisson was testifying in support of a bill that would establish medical review panels to examine complaints against Kentucky’s health care providers and determine if they have enough merit to proceed to trial. He says the cost of liability insurance is discouraging medical professionals from doing business in the Commonwealth…Read More

    States Awash in Cash? Defining a Budget Surplus - Feb 12, 2014 02:54 pm - We’ve heard it in state of the state addresses and in various media stories that many states are projecting budget surpluses. While it is true that state fiscal conditions continue to improve (see NCSL’s "State Budget Update: Fall 2013" for more information), the term “budget surplus” needs a bit of clarification. Read More

    An aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that McConnell "kept his promise to Kentuckians that he would not risk another government shutdown or default" when he voted…Click to Continue » [...]
    Fri, Feb 14, 2014 3:46:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    The already divided Democratic majority in the Louisville Metro Council is investigating whether to kick a member out of the caucus, but the councilwoman leading the push won't say who the member is.Caucus Chairwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch, D-13, alleged Thursday that a staffer working for one of the Democrats has been working on an election to defeat a sitting member. [...]
    Fri, Feb 14, 2014 3:31:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    By Sam Youngman syoungman@herald-leader.com An aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that McConnell "kept his promise to Kentuckians that he would not risk another government shutdown or default" when he voted Wednesday to help Democrats cut off debate on a bill to suspend the nation's debt ceiling. McConnell, who along with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, led a small group of Republicans in joining Senate Democrats to beat a filibuster on the "clean" debt ceiling bill, has come under intense fire from Republican challenger Matt Bevin and his allies. McConnell voted against the bill on final passage, but McConnell's role [...]
    Fri, Feb 14, 2014 1:59:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Parents rallied in Lexington Thursday night in support of Gov. Steve Beshear's proposed two-year state budget that would restore spending cuts to K-12 education.Click to Continue » [...]
    Fri, Feb 14, 2014 12:58:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    FRANKFORT — The state Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday to protect student digital data and allow local school boards and school councils to implement academic standards more rigorous than…Click to Continue » [...]
    Thu, Feb 13, 2014 11:41:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    A coalition of tea party groups in Kentucky are lashing out at Washington, D.C. publication in defense of Republican Senate candidate Matt Bevin for a story reporting he signed a document praising the bank bailouts.But not everyone is buying the Louisville businessman's explanation even as conservative activists rally around Bevin. [...]
    Thu, Feb 13, 2014 9:23:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and Agriculture Commissioner James Comer will travel together through Eastern Kentucky next week. McConnell and Paul are speaking at an event Comer is hosting in Knott County that is being billed as a "special announcement" for Eastern Kentucky. From there, the trio will travel to participate in meet-and-greet events and a community forum in the eastern part of the state. Paul and Comer continue to be two of the most popular elected Republicans in the state, while McConnell faces a primary challenge from Louisville businessman Matt Bevin. [...]
    Thu, Feb 13, 2014 9:19:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    The head of Rand Paul’s political action committee says that the Washington lawyer who allegedly complained that Paul and former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli stole his work product is now saying they did not. Doug Stafford, the executive director of RAND PAC, said that attorney Bruce Fein said in an email that the quotes attributed to his ex-wife and spokeswoman did not reflect his position. “Mattie Lolavar was not speaking for me.  Her quotes were her own and did not represent my views.  I was working on a legal team, and have been paid for my work,” Fein allegedly said in [...]
    Thu, Feb 13, 2014 8:18:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Bevin slammed U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell on the Glenn Beck Show for his vote to end a filibuster on raising the debt ceiling on Wednesday. Some Republicans fear that a prolonged battle over the debt limit and subsequent government shutdown will harm their chances in the November mid-term elections. During the interview, Bevin called McConnell “spineless” and said he is “a Democrat in disguise.” Here’s what Bevin had to say: “There is a tremendous degree of disappointment and just plain confusion. He’s a man who is not only out of touch with us, not only has done these types [...]
    Thu, Feb 13, 2014 5:26:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Tom Loftus A  state mine inspector who was the subject of complaints by state Rep. Keith Hall and a subsequent state inspector general’s report has resigned. Kelly Shortridge, 53, who has been an inspector within the Department of Natural Resources for 24 years, recently submitted a one-sentence letter of resignation that is effective on Friday. The letter offered no reason for the resignation. Dick Brown, spokesman for the Energy and Environment Cabinet, said he did not know why Shortridge resigned. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported last June that Shortridge came under scrutiny of the cabinet’s inspector general in 2012 after Hall called two officials in the cabinet [...]
    Thu, Feb 13, 2014 3:33:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Democratic Congressman John Yarmuth is predicting the end of Kentucky's gay marriage ban now that a federal judge has ruled a key provision unconstitutional.The decision by Judge John G. Heyburn II found the state law violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause by denying recognition of same-sex marriages performed outside the state. [...]
    Wed, Feb 12, 2014 9:45:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    U.S. Senate candidate Matthew Bevin denied Tuesday that he had ever expressed a favorable view of the controversial policies, despite a document with his signature which suggested, otherwise. [...]
    Fri, Feb 14, 2014 4:22:08 AM, Continue reading at the source

    A federal judge has ruled that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, striking down part of the state ban. [...]
    Fri, Feb 14, 2014 4:22:08 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Posted by at

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)