Proposed bill would change school lockdown procedures in response to armed intruders
06/18/2015 08:30 AM
ERLANGER — State Rep. Diane St. Onge will re-file a bill for the 2016 session which would address changes in the way school officials look at lockdown procedures in the event of an armed intruder. St. Onge, R-Lakeside Park, doesn’t feel that current procedures don’t necessarily deal specifically with an armed intruder. “There’s certain dangers with that if we don’t have any parameters that are set,” St. Onge said. “So in compliance with FEMA and the DHS, this is something which I... Read more 
Northern Kentucky looks to elevate community with five-year strategic plan
06/17/2015 11:30 PM
ERLANGER — Northern Kentucky leaders have unveiled a five-year strategic action plan on Tuesday that will enable the nine-county area to become more vibrant and prosperous in the future. The initiative, myNKY, designates four goals that were decided on after some 15,000 ideas were submitted from individuals in the region. The four goals in the myNKY 2015-20 work plan include: Education: 1,000 more children prepared for kindergarten Health: 20,000 more adults rating health status as excellent or very good Jobs: 5 percent increase in the... Read more
Health officials laud Medicaid expansion while lawmakers question cost, MCOs
06/17/2015 11:00 PM
FRANKFORT — After hearing from state health officials on the benefits of expanding Medicaid eligibility, lawmakers questioned future costs to cover the newly eligible as well as the effectiveness of a program in which some health-care providers go several months without full reimbursements. Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Audrey Haynes and Department for Medicaid Services Commissioner Lisa Lee testified before the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee Wednesday, telling legislators that expanded Medicaid coverage has not only drastically reduced the... Read more
New child-care rankings to make it easier for parents to choose early education programs wisely
06/17/2015 04:16 PM
FRANKFORT — Parents of young children will now have another tool to choose the best child-care facility for their children thanks to a new rating system for facilities that will take effect in 2016. Gov. Steve Beshear signed House Bill 234 on Monday, which expands the STARS for KIDS NOW quality rating system to include almost all early care and education programs so families can more easily make choices based on quality. The new rating system focuses on instructional quality, staff qualifications,... Read more
Twenty-three empaneled to explore funding woes at KTRS
06/16/2015 04:54 PM
A 23-member group has been empaneled via executive order to examine funding issues at the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System, Gov. Steve Beshear announced in a news release Tuesday. The panel, created via executive order and called the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System Funding Work Group, is expected to present its recommendations by Dec. 1 and explore how other states grant pension benefits, various funding options and draft a plan to improve KTRS’s financial standing, according to the release. “Our teachers are the foundation... Read more
Northern Ky. Chamber head disappointed that no gubernatorial debates taking place in northern, eastern or western Kentucky
06/16/2015 10:10 AM
FORT MITCHELL — Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President and former Secretary of State Trey Grayson is unhappy that there will be no gubernatorial debates held in northern Kentucky. It was announced that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Attorney General Jack Conway and GOP nominee Matt Bevin will participate in five debates beginning this Friday at the County Judge-Executives/Magistrates Conference in Louisville. The gubernatorial candidates are also scheduled to meet at Kentucky Farm Bureau’s “Measure the Candidates” event July 23; a debate hosted by... Read more
Clock's literally ticking on Bevin's tax returns, figuratively ticking on detailed policy from Conway
06/15/2015 09:10 PM
As Kentucky Democrats set up an online clock to track how long it’s been since Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin said he would not publicize his tax records during the campaign, the GOP hopeful is calling on Democrat Jack Conway to release his first written policy platform. The Kentucky Democratic Party set up the online timer on Monday to keep up with “the amount of time Bevin is refusing to disclose this important information to Kentucky residents,” according to a news... Read more
Grimes: Gubernatorial Candidate Curtis Can’t Use E-Signatures For Kentucky Ballot Petition
from Ryland Barton
from Ryland Barton
Independent candidate for governor Drew Curtis needs to get 5,000 signatures by Aug. 11 in order to appear on the ballot in November’s general election. Curtis, who runs news aggregation website Fark.com, was hoping to gather some of the signatures online. But on Wednesday Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky’s chief election official, said online signatures won’t count towards his petition. “As the Kentucky Supreme Court has recognized, the purpose of the information required on a petition of candidacy is to enable verification of the signers’ identities,” said Lynn Zellen, a spokesperson for Grimes’s office. “In order to serve that purpose, filing [...]
Wed, Jun 17, 2015 8:29:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Indiana state health officials say they’re working to transfer more responsibility to local officials dealing with the response to the HIV outbreak in the southeastern part of the state. Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Jerome Adams and Deputy State Health Commissioner Jennifer Walthall outlined the transition and long-term sustainability efforts in a news conference Wednesday. Adams said he wants to make it clear that the Indiana health department is not leaving Scott County, where 170 people have been newly-diagnosed with HIV since December. “This is a transition to more local control, more local empowerment. But the state will remain partners with Scott [...]
Wed, Jun 17, 2015 8:19:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
The libertarianism that launched Paul’s political career can be a tough fit with the religious right, which plays an outsized role in the primary elections to select the Republican nominee…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Jun 17, 2015 7:47:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
The Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund is reworking the way it disperses money from a federal program, which will allow it to get low-income residents into housing faster. The federally funded HOMEbuyer program provides developers with money to construct homes for low-income residents, and to help those residents find and thrive in an affordable housing setting, said Rachel Hurst, executive director of the affordable housing trust. Hurst said the program kicked-off midway through last year and, initially, developers weren’t required to respond with a full plan in place. For example, a developer could apply for funds before ensuring there were qualified families to [...]
Wed, Jun 17, 2015 6:44:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Lexington Mayor Jim Gray won't say if he will veto changes council made to his budget
from bmusgrave@herald-leader.com (Beth Musgrave)
from bmusgrave@herald-leader.com (Beth Musgrave)
Lexington Mayor Jim Gray applauded the work of the Urban County Council in its deliberation of his proposed $323 million budget on Tuesday but declined to say if he would…Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Jun 16, 2015 9:14:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Beshear appoints group to find solutions for Kentucky's unstable teacher retirement fund
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
Gov. Steve Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday to create a 23-member group to address the state's financially strapped Teachers' Retirement System.Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Jun 16, 2015 9:05:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Beshear creates special panel to study teachers’ retirement funding; Hoover criticizes it
from Jack Brammer
from Jack Brammer
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT – Gov. Steve Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday to create a 23-member group to address the state’s financially strapped Teachers’ Retirement System. Beshear named David Karem, a former Democratic state senator from Louisville and a former chairman of the state Board of Education, to chair the panel and to submit a report to him by or on Dec. 1. Beshear leaves office in early December and could turn over any recommendations to the 2016 General Assembly. The creation of the special panel drew applause from the top two legislative leaders – House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, and Senate [...]
Tue, Jun 16, 2015 8:35:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU FRANKFORT -- John Schaaf, who has been legal counsel for the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission since 2004, will become its news executive director Aug. 1. Schaaf will replace Anthony Wilhoit, who is retiring. The bipartisan commission, made up of private citizens, selected Schaaf from 38 applications from all over the country, commission chairman George Troutman of Louisville said in a release. In 1992, Schaaf worked with the Task Force on Governmental Ethics to draft the legislation which created the Legislative Ethics Commission. Before joining the commission as its legal counsel, Schaaf was general counsel for the Legislative Research Commission for 16 [...]
Mon, Jun 15, 2015 7:50:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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