Transportation Cabinet hearing from local officials "virtually daily" on declining road maintenance funds, secretary says
06/02/2015 08:05 PM
FRANKFORT — Gasoline tax revenues in Kentucky’s biennial road budget are expected to drop an estimated $165.1 million, but the General Assembly staved off a further decline of another $125.9 million by passing House Bill 299 this session, Transportation Cabinet officials told a legislative panel Tuesday. Still, the anticipated downturn in gas tax receipts has left some state highway projects in limbo and local officials reaching for their phones as they try to find out exactly how much less they’ll receive... Read more 
U.S. Senate passes USA Freedom Act despite Sen. McConnell's attempted amendments
06/02/2015 06:07 PM
With a 67-32 vote the U.S. Senate passed the USA Freedom Act, legislation which reforms how certain U.S. agencies collect data and conduct surveillance. The vote comes after multiple maneuvers by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, to thwart the USA Freedom Act and the Patriot Act, a bill favored by Kentucky’s senior U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. The eventual passage of the Freedom Act was not supported by either senator for different reasons. Paul thought the bill goes too far while McConnell... Read more
Speaker Stumbo calls for extended Mountain Parkway into West Virginia
06/02/2015 03:32 PM
In a letter sent to Kentucky and West Virginia Congressional leaders, state House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, is asking for a multibillion dollar extension to the Mountain Parkway between the states. Stumbo also sent the letter to both state governors asking for the extension of the Mountain Parkway from Prestonsburg, Kentucky to Beckley, West Virginia to “unlock the potential of our regions vibrant workforce.” “It is time to enable our working men and women to reach their potential by creating a... Read more
Alison Lundergan Grimes travels to China on economic development trip
06/02/2015 01:05 PM
Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is taking part in a week-long trip to China to promote economic development efforts. Grimes, along with five secretaries of state, left the country May 30 in an effort to bolster relations with the nation by “providing information about Kentucky, its business climate and economic development opportunities,” according to a press release sent Monday. “Already in my tenure, more than 100,000 new businesses have started up in Kentucky,” Grimes said. “I’m excited and... Read more
Kentucky's funding for higher education among worst in the nation, KCEP director says
06/01/2015 06:01 PM
Per-student funding in Kentucky is falling behind other states per a recent report, and the news has the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy worried about the future for economic growth. Jason Bailey, director of KCEP, said the report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has some troubling indicators. “We could drive the gap between those who are better off in Kentucky and those that aren’t even wider,” Bailey said. “It’s not what education should be doing. Education should... Read more
Though skeptics may remain, GOP voters seem ready to get behind Bevin's gubernatorial bid
06/01/2015 04:24 PM
LEXINGTON — Unity within the Republican Party of Kentucky has been a narrative since Louisville businessman Matt Bevin’s win in the May 19 gubernatorial primary. Not only did Bevin survive a bitter four-way primary for governor on the Republican side by a mere 83 votes, he also unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. The latter race has drawn the lion’s share of attention given Bevin’s inability to publicly endorse McConnell by name after his nearly 25-point loss to the now Senate... Read more
GOP's Harmon hopes to overcome incumbent's publicity in bid for auditor, but Edelen says his opponent has been MIA so far
05/31/2015 07:56 PM
Facing a well-funded incumbent who gets his share of earned media, Republican state Rep. Mike Harmon believes he will surprise Democratic Auditor Adam Edelen in this year’s election for state auditor. While Edelen tackles his share of high-profile issues, such as untested rape kits in law enforcement custody, thus far he says he has heard crickets from his opponent’s campaign. “I don’t see my opponent anywhere, candidly,” Edelen said Thursday at the Scott County Franklin D. Roosevelt Dinner after saying some GOP... Read more
The plan for Louisville’s forthcoming needle exchange are taking form, with potential details such as the budget and times of operation being put on paper for consideration by city leaders. The draft of the report outlines the department’s goal of reducing the transmission of blood-borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C, among people who inject drugs and to protect their sexual partners. Details of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health’s needle exchange program will be presented Wednesday to a Metro Council committee. The report doesn’t give an exact start date for the needle exchange program but shows a budget from June 1, 2015 to May 31, [...]
Wed, Jun 03, 2015 10:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Amid tumbling gas prices earlier this year, the Kentucky General Assembly created an artificial “floor” to the state’s fuel tax to try and mitigate dwindling tax receipts into the state road fund. On Tuesday, transportation officials said recent legislative action ensured that the state didn’t miss out on about $291 million in fuel tax revenue. But Mike Hancock, the secretary of the Transportation Cabinet, said the state still lost about $165 million. “We have lost a considerable amount of money that we would have otherwise enjoyed had we not had the freefall” in gas prices, Hancock said during a joint meeting of the legislature’s [...]
Wed, Jun 03, 2015 1:39:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
The shotgun houses on Rogers Street are just a few hundred yards from the back door of Phoenix Hill Tavern. Charles Cecil has lived on the street for about 40 years. He’s seen the storied tavern grow and expand and, just yesterday, close down for good. “It’s shocking,” he said. Ben Rogers, who owns both Phoenix Hill Tavern and Jim Porter’s Good Time Emporium on Lexington Road, made the call to abruptly shutter both bars earlier this week. In a statement posted online, he apologized and thanked those that helped the establishments survive all these years. Phoenix Hill first opened in 1976 and Jim [...]
Tue, Jun 02, 2015 7:58:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Greg Stumbo proposes $10 billion extension of Mountain Parkway to Beckley, W.Va.
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo called Tuesday for a 140-mile extension of the Mountain Parkway from Prestonsburg to Beckley, W.Va., but it's unclear where the $8 billion to $10 billion…Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Jun 02, 2015 3:58:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Some of the biggest donors and fundraisers in the Republican Party, still uncertain who should get their support in 2016, are sprinkling their money around a presidential field that grows…Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Jun 02, 2015 7:31:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
I watched a lot of Rand Paul this weekend, in person and on CSPAN, and as I did, my thoughts kept moving toward Max Cleland.Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Jun 01, 2015 9:17:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU FRANKFORT -- Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is joining four other secretaries of state on an economic development trip to China. The trip, which started May 30 and runs through June 7, is being coordinated and completely funded by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Grimes said in a release that she is working to advance Kentucky’s economic development efforts by providing information about Kentucky, its business climate and economic development opportunities in the state. The American delegation will spend time in several cities in China and meet with various government and business officials. “Since taking [...]
Mon, Jun 01, 2015 2:56:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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