Thursday, March 20, 2014

Day Forty Nine of KY's 2014 Session In Review

HB 388, sponsored by Rep. Gooch, passed the Senate unanimously yesterday, clearing its path to Governor Beshear's desk.  HB 388 establishes performance standards criteria for Energy and Environment Cabinet for the regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units. The bill would establish different criteria for coal-fired electric generating units and natural gas-fired electric generating units and allows performance standards to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. But probably the most important element of  HB 388 is that it declares that any plan or performance standard has no legal effect if the United States Environmental Protection Agency does not issue federal rules or guidelines for regulating carbon dioxide emissions from existing electric generating units or if the rules are withdrawn or invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction.
SB 201, a bill sponsored by Senator Denton, requires equal access to suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction. A recent article in the New York Times talks about the dark side of this drug and features an interview with a jailer from Whitley County Kentucky who says the film form of that drug should be ban because it is becoming the preferred method of contraband in jails across the Commonwealth. 

LEGISLATIVE TRACKERS BY INTEREST

Click on the links below

    LINKS TO SOME OF TODAY's HEADLINES: 

     UPCOMING MEETINGS:

    Thursday, March 20, 2014
    9:00am, Annex Room 171
    HOUSE STANDING COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
    Agenda: Consideration of SB 153

     9:00am, Annex Room 169
    SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON VETERANS, MILITARY AFFAIRS, AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
    Agenda: Consideration of HB 405HB 234HB 189 and HB 179

    10:00am, Annex Room 131
    HOUSE STANDING COMMITTEE ON TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND ENERGY
    Agenda: Consideration of HB 404HB 489HB 560 and HB 573 - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY HB 485

    10:00am, Annex Room 129
    SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, AND LABOR
    Agenda: Confirmations/Resolutions,  SCR 188

    10:00am, Annex Room 154SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
    Agenda: Consideration of SB 181SB 189HB 78HB 264 and HB 343

     11:30am, Annex Room 171
    SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

    Noon, Annex Room 169
    HOUSE STANDING COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND WELFARE
    Agenda: Consideration of HB 453HB 575SB 3SB 8SB 85 and SB 98

    Noon, Annex Room 154
    HOUSE STANDING COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
    Agenda: Consideration of HB 313HJR 52HB 91 and HB 92

    Noon, Annex Room 149
    SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND REVENUE
    Agenda: pending 1:00pm, Annex Room 125

    HOUSE STANDING COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
    Agenda: The following bills are posted and may be called for consideration: HB 398 and HB 551

    2:00pm, House Chambers
    House Convenes

    2:00pm Senate Chambers
    Senate Convenes (Orders of the Day)

    Upon Recess of the House Chambers, Capitol Room 305
    HOUSE STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
    Agenda: Consideration of HB 397

    SOME OF THE LATEST POLITICAL STORIES:

    Republican Sen. Rand Paul's criticisms of President Barack Obama and other government leaders over recent surveillance disclosures were warmly received on Wednesday at the University of California, Berkeley.Click to Continue » [...]
    Thu, Mar 20, 2014 12:41:00 AM, Continue reading at the source

    Senate President Robert Stivers said Wednesday he hopes a conference committee will start soon to iron out differences between the House and the Senate on snow days legislation.Click to Continue » [...]
    Wed, Mar 19, 2014 10:33:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    House Speaker Greg Stumbo, considering his own run for governor in 2015, has harsh words for fellow Democrats pondering a run for the Governor's Mansion.Click to Continue » [...]
    Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:39:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU FRANKFORT — The Senate unanimously gave final approval Wednesday to a bill that would let Kentucky create coal-friendly power plant emission standards in an attempt to head off tougher federal rules. House Bill 388, sponsored by Rep. Jim Gooch, D-Providence, now goes to Gov. Steve Beshear for his considration. The U.S. Environmental Protection […] [...]
    Wed, Mar 19, 2014 9:06:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    FRANKFORT – The Senate overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment Wednesday to cut the number of days state lawmakers meet each year. The vote was 34-3. Senate Bill 195, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester,would cut the number of days lawmakers meet in session from 90 days every two years to up to 60 days, saving the state up to $7 million a year. Stivers said having fewer legislative days each year would attract more candidates to run for the House and Senate. He also said legislators should not be concerned with less pay. “We are supposed to be citizen legislators. This [...]
    Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:59:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes sit on opposite sides of the debate about the role of money in U.S. elections.A deluge of campaign cash is playing a significant role in Kentucky's Senate race thus far.The money raised by the campaigns and outside groups is expected to top the $100 million mark and go down as the most expensive in U.S. history. [...]
    Wed, Mar 19, 2014 3:27:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, the nation’s No. 1 college basketball fan, is going to make his picks public on Wednesday. Our USA TODAY colleague David Jackson, who covers the White House, reports that ESPN basketball reporter Andy Katz was spotted in the executive mansion on Tuesday. ESPN annually tapes Obama as he fills in his brackets and explains his picks. The White House confirmed that the president’s brackets will be made public Wednesday. You will recall that Obama last July hosted the University of Louisville Cardinals at the White House to recognize their championship win. And the president was a bit conciliatory, given that [...]
    Tue, Mar 18, 2014 7:05:00 PM, Continue reading at the source

    All but one of the Kentucky politicians who supplied WHAS11 with a bracket also predict the Cardinals will make it to the national championship against top-seeded Florida. [...]
    Thu, Mar 20, 2014 11:40:39 AM, Continue reading at the source



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