Lawmakers working on gas tax fix while P3, local-option sales tax bills seem destined to fight another session
03/09/2015 11:39 PM
FRANKFORT — Bills on public-private partnerships and local-option sales taxes are in limbo and a proposal to shore up the state road fund may be in the works as this year’s legislative session nears the 10-day veto recess, officials said Monday. Lawmakers have a busy two days ahead as they scramble to send bills to Gov. Steve Beshear’s desk before recessing until March 23. With talks on anti-heroin legislation continuing Monday, here’s how other high-profile proposals are faring with the... Read more 
Senate wants to study Ky. Teachers Retirement System instead of authorizing bonds
03/09/2015 06:34 PM
FRANKFORT – Rather than authorize $3.3 billion in bonds to fund the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System, the Senate Standing Committee on Local Government supported a plan to study what will work best over the interim and have plan in place for the 2016 budget session. House Bill 4, sponsored by House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, would have authorized up to $3.3 billion in bonds to reduce the nearly $14 billion unfunded liability of the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System. Senate President Robert... Read more
Bonding for new University of Kentucky research facility first bill signed by Beshear
03/09/2015 05:23 PM
FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear signed legislation on Monday approving the sale of $132.5 million in bonds for a new multifaceted research facility at the University of Kentucky. House Bill 298, sponsored by Rep. Rick Rand, is the first bill signed into law by Beshear, who hailed the project as a key piece in his push to improve the state’s dismal health rankings. The center will concentrate on ailments such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease in its research, he said. The... Read more
Bill to enhance computer programming courses in public schools clears House committee
03/09/2015 05:00 PM
FRANKFORT — A bill which would count computer programming as a core science credit in Kentucky public high schools has been passed unanimously by the House Committee on Education. Senate Bill 16, sponsored by Sen. David Givens, R-Greensburg, would also provide support for better-certified and higher-quality teachers for computer programming. Givens originally sought to have students earn a foreign language credit for courses taken on computer programming at the beginning of the session, but amended the bill before a Senate committee after... Read more
“Alicia’s Law” primed for vote in Senate after clearing judiciary panel
03/09/2015 12:51 PM
FRANKFORT — A bill that would generate at least an estimated $1.5 million for the Kentucky State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force cleared one of its final legislative hurdles Monday, passing the Senate Judiciary Committee despite some concerns of imposing an additional $10 fee on criminal court costs. The judiciary panel sent HB 427, sponsored by Rep. John Tilley and dubbed “Alicia’s Law” after the kidnap and torture of Alicia Kozakiewicz of Pennsylvania when she was 13, to the... Read more
Kentucky Education Association endorses Conway in gubernatorial race
03/09/2015 11:22 AM
The Kentucky Education Association (KEA) announced their endorsement of Attorney General Jack Conway and Rep. Sannie Overly, D-Paris, in the race for the open Governorship on Monday. The KEA is the state’s largest professional association, with membership of more than 42,000 public school teachers and classified public school employees, and retirees. “Sannie and I are honored to have the support of the Kentucky Education Association,” Conway said in a statement. “Each day, teachers shape our future generations and... Read more
FRANKFORT — Kentucky’s race for governor could get a lot more expensive.Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Mar 10, 2015 11:19:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District is considering changing the way it markets and sells surplus properties after WFPL reports raised questions about the transparency of its process. Related StoryMSD’s Sale of Butchertown Property to JBS Swift Raises QuestionsLast year, MSD sold a five-acre lot in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood to pork processor JBS Swift. As emails obtained by WFPL showed, MSD spent months pre-sale coordinating with Swift about the process, and may have been influenced by the perceived preference of Swift to sell the property with a commercial real estate agent. Once the lot on Cabel Street was listed through Commercial Kentucky for [...]
Tue, Mar 10, 2015 11:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Senate scraps plan for $3.3 billion bond to shore up teachers' retirement plan
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
The Senate has scrapped language in a House bill calling for $3.3 billion in bonds to bail out the ailing Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System. In its place, the Senate proposes…Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Mar 09, 2015 10:31:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Proposal aimed at erasing Kentucky's backlog of untested rape kits advances in legislature
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
Kentucky State Police officials said a resolution that advanced to the full House Monday will help the agency erase its backlog of about 350 untested rape kits and identify thousands…Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Mar 09, 2015 10:15:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
The clock is ticking on legislation to address the state’s heroin problem. With the days waning in the legislative session, both the state House and Senate have passed their own versions of a heroin bill. A final version — which defines sentencing guidelines for drug traffickers, treatment options and whether a needle exchange will be included — has yet to be nailed down. Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Hopkinsville Republican, said he’s not sure when the bill will pass. “I’m not sure, obviously time’s getting pretty short,” said Westerfield, chairman of the committee that passed the Senate’s version of the bill. Still, he remained hopeful for a compromise: “There’s a [...]
Mon, Mar 09, 2015 9:45:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
The University of Louisville is announcing Tuesday what Louisville Business First reports will be the acceptance of a $6.3 million grant from Papa John’s International founder John Schnatter and major Republican donor Charles Koch for the creation of a free-markets program. University spokesman Mark Hebert on Monday would not confirm details in the Business First report. According to the newspaper, 80 percent of the money — $4.64 million — will come from the John H. Schnatter Family Foundation, the other 20 percent — $1.66 million — from the Charles Koch Foundation. It confirms a December article by the Kentucky Center for [...]
Mon, Mar 09, 2015 9:30:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law Monday a bill that will provide the University of Kentucky with $132.5 million in state bonds for a six-story medical research center. “This projects represents the potential to improve the lives of so many, both within Kentucky where our health outcomes are so poor, and beyond,” Beshear said at a Capitol news conference with several legislators and Lisa Cassis, UK’s vice president of research. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto was not able to attend because of a stomach virus. House Bill 298, sponsored by Rep. Rick Rand, D-Bedford, and House Minority Leader [...]
Mon, Mar 09, 2015 6:15:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
No comments:
Post a Comment