Rowan County clerk sued by ACLU after denying new marriage licenses while U.S. Rep. Yarmuth and Chief Justice Minton weigh in
07/02/2015 06:59 PM
As a handful of county clerks continue their refusal to issue new marriage licenses in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling last week, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth says those who continue to balk at the high court’s decision “ought to leave or do their job.” Inaction by Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has already prompted the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky to file suit on behalf of two homosexual couples and two heterosexual couples who were denied... Read more 
A "critical moment" in state's education future, House K-12 budget subcommittee chair says
07/02/2015 06:20 PM
Six months before lawmakers return to Frankfort to construct and pass a $20 billion state spending plan, Rep. Kelly Flood is preparing to help craft one of the largest portions of the budget — education spending. Flood, chair of the House K-12 budget subcommittee, told Pure Politics that she has been reviewing a report detailing the best practices to prepare for the challenges for Kentucky’s students. One of the largest hurdles for the state education-wise, Flood says, is addressing achievement... Read more
Stakeholders agree: Funding for KSP's central laboratory key to resolving backlog of untested rape kits
07/01/2015 07:07 PM
ELIZABETHTOWN — As about a dozen huddled around the conference table at Silverleaf Sexual Trauma Recovery Services to discuss the backlog of untested sexual assault and rapes kits in Kentucky State Police’s possession on Wednesday, one point repeatedly came up: KSP needs more resources for its central crime laboratory. State Auditor Adam Edelen conducted his office’s fourth stakeholder meeting in conjunction with the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs as his office continues its review of untested rape kits, which may... Read more
Gov. Beshear tees off with Tiger Woods at Greenbrier Pro-Am
07/01/2015 03:32 PM
Governor Steve Beshear took to the greens with golf legend Tiger Woods on Wednesday as part of the Greenbrier Classic Pro-Am. Beshear played in a foursome with Tiger Woods teeing off at 7:00 am Wednesday morning in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Responding to questions from Pure Politics, Terry Sebastian, the governor’s communications director said Beshear, who is an avid golfer, was “thrilled” to play with Woods who has won every major event in the sport. Woods has not... Read more
Acting interim LRC director Marcia Seiler to retire; LRC launches search for permanent director
07/01/2015 11:06 AM
Nearly two-years after former Legislative Research Commission Director Bobby Sherman stepped down and Marcia Seiler was named acting interim director the agency has officially begun its search for a permanent director. In a press release sent Tuesday Seiler, who took the helm of the 67-year old commission as acting interim director in October of 2013 , announced that she would retire at the end of July. Seiler said she will not seek the permanent director’s job. Seiler filled a gap for the... Read more
House and Senate renovations underway as costs hit $1.6M
06/30/2015 07:03 PM
FRANKFORT – The sounds of legislating and lobbying on the third floor of the Capitol have been replaced with whirring blades and thudding hammers as crews work to renovate the House and Senate chambers. State Curator David Buchta said the project, a joint effort of the Legislative Research Commission and Finance and Administration Cabinet that has cost about $1.6 million thus far according to records online and obtained through open records requests, is expected to conclude by mid-November, well ahead of... Read more
Fairview Independent schools special investigation reveals $360K in "out of control" spending
06/30/2015 05:50 PM
A special investigation from the state Auditor Adam Edelen’s office into the Fairview Independent School District reveals hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on sports and activities from the general fund. Edelen said the 63-page special investigation report released Monday reveals that $360,000 was moved to fund school athletics over the course of three years with little or no school board knowledge. The report is being sent to law enforcement and the Education Professional Standards Board. Fairview Independent in... Read more
Attny. General Jack Conway files lawsuit against EPA over Waters of the U.S. rule
06/30/2015 11:27 AM
Fresh off the heels of a multiyear fight against the Environmental Protection Agency over coal regulations, Attorney General Jack Conway is announcing another suit against the federal EPA over waterways. In late May the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers finalized a rule regulating waterways of the United States, which some farmers and Republican lawmakers have openly worried could turn into a federal land grab. Conway, who is running for governor, announced on Tuesday that he was joining eight other... Read more
Supreme Court blocks coal fired power plant rule, calling on costs to be taken into account
06/29/2015 02:04 PM
UPDATED: With another split decision the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must take cost into account while calling on a limit to emissions of mercury and other toxins from coal fired power plants. The case stems from a 2011 rule to reduce airborne pollutants from coal fired plants. The case, Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency, decides the matter. Monday’s decision will reverse a federal appeals courts upholding of the tougher standards. In the 5... Read more
In-depth, long-format debates needed, but voters will have to take a stand, John David Dyche says
06/28/2015 04:25 PM
Calling for a series of six 75-minute, single-issue debates to take place in each congressional district before the general election, conservative columnist John David Dyche is seeking to reformat how Kentuckians learn about the issues during gubernatorial elections. Dyche first penned his call for the singularly focused approach June 4 as a way to reach a depth candidates are currently not delivering to voters. Since that call the campaigns for Democratic candidate Jack Conway and Republican candidate Matt Bevin have... Read more
Kenton County police officers equipped with Naloxone to aid heroin overdose victims
06/27/2015 08:19 AM
INDEPENDENCE – In order to address the growing number of heroin overdose calls, the Kenton County Police Department has issued all officers Naloxone Rescue Kits. The kits, provided by St. Elizabeth Healthcare, contain two doses of Naloxone Hydrochloride. The drug, which is administered to patients nasally, can prevent or reverse the effects of heroin and other opioids during overdoses, possibly saving the life on an overdose victim. Detective Andrew Schierberg says the kits have already been used to help save a life. “Two... Read more
Bevin shares his pension plan with retirees, but some skepticism remains
06/26/2015 10:44 PM
LEXINGTON — Kentucky’s public pensions will be a problem for the next several gubernatorial administrations, Republican candidate for governor Matt Bevin told a group of retirees Friday. His hour-long talk with more than 80 at the Kentucky Public Retirees annual meeting included ideas to hire new employees into a 401(k)-style pension and offer current workers their own defined-contribution plans. Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Sannie Overly spoke to the group Thursday morning. Despite saying such a move would “stop the bleeding” in the... Read more
Former Rep. Keith Hall convicted of bribing state mine inspector
06/26/2015 06:31 PM
Former state Rep. Keith Hall has been convicted of bribing a former state coal mine inspector to win favor at his Pike County mining operations. Multiple media outlets are reporting that a Pikeville jury brought back a guilty verdict after 90 minutes of deliberation. Hall, a Democrat who represented the 93rd House District until his defeat in the 2014 primary against Rep. Chris Harris of Forest Hills, faces up to a decade behind bars and a $250,000 fine for the... Read more
Louisville needle exchange program questioned by state lawmakers
06/26/2015 03:10 PM
FRANKFORT – Questions continue to be raised about the legality of Louisville’s needle exchange program which provides drug abusers clean needles from health department officials. Louisville health department officials reported during the first week of the program, 1,352 clean needles were distributed while 189 needles were collected. Many GOP leaders, including Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, are concerned that not having a one-for-one exchange may incent drug abuse, and may not be legal under Senate Bill 192, the state’s anti-heroin law. Louisville... Read more
The Louisville Orchestra is the host of Saturday’s Independence Day festivities at Waterfront Park. After a one-year hiatus due to a lack of funding, fireworks and music will return to downtown on the Fourth of July, with performances from three local bands, followed by the Louisville Orchestra at 8:30 p.m. The program will include classical favorites alongside indie pop and hip-hop, said Michelle Winters, marketing director for the Louisville Orchestra. It’s part of Artistic Director Teddy Abrams’ goal to expand the orchestra’s audience. “One of the things that Teddy Abrams has done is he wants to show this community how versatile their orchestra is,” [...]
Fri, Jul 03, 2015 12:00:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Louisville-based Humana has agreed to be sold to Connecticut-based rival Aetna for $37 billion, the companies announced early Friday. If it goes through, the deal would mean Louisville’s largest publicly traded company by revenue would no longer be a stand-alone business. Aetna plans to place the company’s headquarters for its Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE businesses in Louisville, according to a joint news release from the companies. The plan is for the company to “maintain a significant corporate presence in Louisville.” In a statement Friday morning, Mayor Greg Fischer said his administration has been in “regular contact with company leaders to understand the terms [...]
Fri, Jul 03, 2015 11:26:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Four couples sue Rowan clerk for refusing to issue marriage licenses after same-sex marriage ruling
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
Four couples sued Rowan County and its clerk, Kim Davis, on Thursday for refusing to issue marriage licenses because of Davis' religious objections to the U.S. Supreme Court decision a…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jul 02, 2015 9:40:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Republicans should rally around Matt Bevin in this year's race for governor, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday as he tried to put to rest questions about how…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jul 02, 2015 8:51:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Louisville’s Forecastle Festival energy usage will be offset entirely with green power for the first time this year. Related StoryWant to Get Your Energy From Renewable Sources? Louisville Has a New Option.Forecastle is partnering with Arcadia Power, a company that buys Renewable Energy Certificates—or RECs—from wind farms around the company to offset power created from fossil fuels. Forecastle founder JK McKnight said offsetting the festival’s carbon emissions is something he’s always wanted to do. “It’s something that I think, being a festival that promotes sustainability and being environmentally conscious, it’s kind of the next level for us to get to that, to where [...]
Thu, Jul 02, 2015 8:43:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT – Carl Bradley, who was state natural resources secretary in the administration of the late Gov. Wallace Wilkinson, died Thursday at his home in Hattiesburg, Miss. He was 89 Bradley’s son, David Bradley, confirmed the death. He said his father died of natural causes and had turned 89 on Tuesday. Carl Bradley served in the Wilkinson administration from 1988 until he resigned in October 1991. Bradley, a native of Muhlenberg County, was named natural resources secretary soon after Wilkinson took office. He had been an assistant to the natural resources secretary for a year before that. He formerly had worked [...]
Thu, Jul 02, 2015 7:30:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Maybe what has been missing in Tiger Woods’ golf game is a lucky charm like Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. Woods and Beshear played together Wednesday in West Virginia, and Woods…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jul 02, 2015 12:09:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU FRANKFORT -Kentucky's property tax rate for 2015 will remain as it has been since 2008. The state Department of Revuene announced Wednesday that it has set the 2015 state real property tax rate at 12.2 cents per $100 of assessed valued. Stat law requires the department to set the real property rate no later than July 1 of each year. The rate is based on the revenue generated from the increase in taxable real property assessments from 2014 to 2015. If the revenue increase is more than 4 percent after the exclusion of new property added to the tax roll during [...]
Wed, Jul 01, 2015 7:22:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU FRANKFORT -- Veteran state official Holly McCoy-Johnson is the state's new malt beverage administrator in the Department for Alcoholic Beverage Control. Public Protection Secretary Ambrose Wilson IV appointed McCoy-Johnson to the position Wednesday, replacing Stephanie Stumbo, who resigned. McCoy-Johnson has been executive director of General Administration and Program Support Shared Services (GAPS) which provides personnel, fiscal, budget, IT and operational support for the Public Protection Cabinet, Energy and Environment Cabinet and Labor Cabinet. “Holly’s wide range of knowledge of the workings of state government and, in particular, the ability to build consensus among varied interests makes her an excellent choice for [...]
Wed, Jul 01, 2015 7:05:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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