Today's Political Headlines

Walton-Verona Independent School District pulls off the District of Distinction hat-trick

11/26/2014 10:28 AM Don Weber

WALTON — It’s an honor for a Kentucky public school to be recognized as a District of Distinction, but for the Walton-Verona Independent School District, the 2013-14 school year was the third consecutive year it received the honor. To qualify as a District of Distinction, a school district had to have an overall accountability score at the 95th percentile or higher. That’s based on achievement, gap, growth, college and career readiness, and graduation rate. The district must also meet its current... Read more 

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell agrees with Obama's take on Ferguson but not much else

11/25/2014 11:44 PM Kevin Wheatley

BUCKNER — Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell doesn’t agree with President Barack Obama often, but he said Tuesday the president is correct in his assessment of the turmoil surrounding a Missouri grand jury’s decision to not indict a white police officer who gunned down an unarmed black teen. Moments after a St. Louis grand jury’s decision against indicting Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in August, Obama said the protests surround the inaction show “broader challenges that... Read more 

GOP Sens. Givens, Higdon elected to Senate leadership posts

11/25/2014 07:04 PM Kevin Wheatley

Kentucky Senate Republicans elected two new faces to its leadership team, as Sen. David Givens went unopposed in his bid for president pro tem and Sen. Jimmy Higdon ousted Sen. Brandon Smith for majority whip. Senate Republicans met in Frankfort Tuesday for leadership elections, and only two spots were contested. Aside from the Higdon-Smith race, Senate Majority Caucus Chair Dan Seum of Louisville fended off a challenge from Sen. Paul Hornback, a Shelbyville Republican who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee. Senate President... Read more 

Northern Kentucky legislator says heroin will be the priority issue for 2015 session

11/25/2014 06:08 PM Don Weber

Three northern Kentucky legislators are spearheading an effort to make sure passing legislation to address the heroin epidemic will be a priority for the 2015 session. State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, and state Reps. John Schickel, R-Union, and Diane St. Onge, R-Lakeside Park, unveiled plans late last week to pre-file a bill that would provide more treatment options for users while imposing tougher sentencing for drug traffickers. “The major points are, first of all, we deal with addiction and that the... Read more 

Kentucky Senate Republicans choose two new members of their leadership team
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)

Kentucky Senate Republicans voted for David Givens, who runs a farmer supply business in Greensburg, to be Senate president pro tem, and for Jimmy Higdon, a Lebanon grocer, to be…Click to Continue » [...]

Tue, Nov 25, 2014 9:48:00 PM, Continue reading at the source