Covington police at odds with city over manpower shortage
07/17/2015 08:09 AM
COVINGTON — As the overall number of police on the streets in Covington declines the police says the public and police are more at risk. City officials say that they are doing the best they can to fund police services despite shrinking revenue. Revenue is dropping in the city due to a general lack of growth. Sgt. Bryan Bogard, president of the Covington FOP, who’s seen the number of officers in the city drop from 116 to just fewer than 100,... Read more 
The Chatter: Sabato's Crystal Ball bumps governor's race to leans GOP, McConnell sows hemp language in spending bill
07/16/2015 06:39 PM
A national political website has moved Kentucky’s gubernatorial election from “toss up” to “leans Republican,” citing conservative federal voting trends as a key factor in boosting GOP nominee Matt Bevin’s prospects in the Nov. 3 election. In a piece by Managing Editor Kyle Kondik and Associate Editor Geoffrey Skelley, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball bumped the race’s rating on Thursday. The two said the Kentucky electorate may be poised to vote in the governor’s race as it does in recent presidential... Read more
Prosecutorial experience becomes focus of race for attorney general
07/16/2015 02:30 PM
With ads starting to hit the airwaves and $1 million in ad time reserved for October, the open election to name the next state attorney general is heating up. An outside group supporting Republican state Sen. Whitney Westerfield has gone on the attack over the lack of prosecutorial experience of Democratic candidate Andy Beshear, among other issues. Beshear, the son of Gov. Steve Beshear, has worked as an attorney for more than 10 years. He currently practices litigation, business and finance,... Read more
GOP lawmakers pre-file bill protecting county clerks, clergy in same-sex marriage; Fairness Campaign hopes for vote on fairness law in 2016
07/16/2015 11:28 AM
UPDATED: A pair of Republicans in the state House pre-filed a bill on Wednesday that would allow county clerks to refuse to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples based on their religious views toward marriage. The proposed legislation — sponsored by House Minority Caucus Chairman Stan Lee, R-Lexington, and Rep. David Meade, R-Stanford – amends the state’s religious freedom law, passed in 2013, to add the issuance of marriage licenses and solemnization of marriages for same-sex couples to acts deemed “a... Read more
RPK chair Steve Robertson transitioning to private sector; McConnell staffer Mike Biagi tapped as replacement
07/16/2015 10:38 AM
Steve Robertson, chair of the Republican Party of Kentucky, is moving to the private sector with law firm Frost Brown Todd. Robertson, who has been acting as chairman of the party since June 2007, is joining CivicPoint LLC, the public affairs subsidiary of Frost Brown Todd, as senior vice president in the firm’s Lexington office, according to a press release. “I am excited to join CivicPoint, not only for the firm’s strength in Kentucky, but because it’s the only multistate public... Read more
With Supreme Court ruling, GOP lawmakers want another look at state exchange
07/15/2015 07:53 PM
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month federal subsidies could apply to health plans purchased on both state and federal insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, Republicans on the Interim Joint Health and Welfare Committee suggested Wednesday the state may fare better by shuttering kynect in favor of the federal website HealthCare.gov. But Beth Jurek, executive director of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ budget and policy office, said kynect is better suited for Kentucky customers than the... Read more
Pensions will be "front-burner issue" in 2016 session, Sen. Joe Bowen says
07/15/2015 01:18 PM
As accounting rules change and unfunded liabilities mount, Kentucky lawmakers will again have to address the state of the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System and the Kentucky Retirement Systems, said state Sen. Joe Bowen. In essence, Bowen said the state is fighting a two-front battle as problems face KTRS and KRS. “We’ve got two big issues that we are confronting at one time,” he said. Bowen, an Owensboro Republican who serves as the co-chair of the Public Pension Oversight Board, said... Read more
Bevin takes aim at Courier-Journal reporter in Conway's absence at Louisville forum
07/14/2015 09:07 PM
The event was touted as a gubernatorial forum and its logo featured the mascots of both political parties, but those who lined the pews of Crescent Hill Baptist Church on Tuesday only heard from one candidate: Republican Matt Bevin. The Louisville investment manager had the stage to himself for more than an hour, touching topics like poverty, health care, drug abuse and early childhood education in front of officials from myriad non-profits and community groups at the forum hosted by the... Read more
Dayton schools looking to improve scores by reaching students earlier
07/14/2015 03:25 PM
DAYTON – The Dayton Independent School District has struggled for years with low test scores in its elementary, middle and high schools, but efforts are underway to change that. In August, the district will debut an all-day preschool program in an effort to give young Dayton students early childhood learning experiences which, in turn, will hopefully lead to better academic careers for students. The district has partnered with Covington based non-profit Children, Inc., which has grown to become the largest non-profit... Read more
Republican A.G. group enters election fray with ad highlighting Westerfield and attacking Beshear
07/14/2015 01:09 PM
The Republican Attorney General’s Association is on the air with an advertisement promoting GOP candidate Whitney Westerfield’s prosecutorial experience and attacking Democratic candidate Andy Beshear. The RAGA’s entry in the race comes as the GOP candidate struggles to keep financial pace with Beshear. Westerfield has just $8,700 cash-on-hand after the primary as Beshear enters the general election with $1.5 million in his campaign war chest, according to 30-day, post-primary reports filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. The RAGA did... Read more
Beshear orders state of emergency after flash flooding leaves one dead
07/14/2015 12:53 PM
Gov. Steve Beshear has declared a state of emergency a day after severe weather pounded the state, creating widespread flooding in some eastern Kentucky counties and killing a Johnson County man. The declaration, announced in a news release Tuesday, gives local officials access to emergency state resources as they contend with the storms’ aftermath. Beshear said more severe weather was forecast later Tuesday. “The declaration is a part of the process to identify what assistance is needed in these counties because of... Read more
Following last month’s landmark Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage in Kentucky, Louisville’s tourism agency has ramped-up its outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Tourism officials have been working to attract more LGBT tourism to the city for a couple of months now. When they started, though, the state’s ban on gay marriage was a barrier. But things are different now. Christa Ritchie, a spokeswoman for the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, said her agency had been planning in advance of the same-sex marriage ruling for a way to reach out to LGBT couples looking to get married as soon [...]
Fri, Jul 17, 2015 11:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
The Obama administration is imposing new measures designed to better protect streams from coal mining, a move the struggling industry calls a significant blow to jobs.Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jul 16, 2015 10:07:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
After Years of Work, Federal Office Proposes Rule to Protect Streams from Coal Mining
from Erica Peterson
from Erica Peterson
The federal government on Thursday unveiled a controversial and long-awaited rule to protect streams from coal mining damage. The coal industry was quick to criticize the proposed rule for placing more regulatory burdens on the flagging industry, while environmental groups say the rule isn’t strong enough. The Stream Protection Rule lays out the rules that apply to coal companies operating near waterways. It will require the companies to test water quality before, during and after coal mining, as well as to restore streams and return mined-over areas to their previous state when mining is finished. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told reporters that [...]
Thu, Jul 16, 2015 8:52:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky’s Health Insurance Exchange Gets Average Rating for Patient-Friendliness
from Ja'Nel Johnson
from Ja'Nel Johnson
A new analysis looks at just how patient-friendly Affordable Care Act implementation is in each state. Related StoryKentuckians Don't Always Enroll in the Best Health Insurance OptionThe report, compiled by the National Health Council, used five key areas to determine how each states’ insurance market promoted policies that best protect patients—non-discrimination, transparency, state oversight, uniformity and continuity of care. Kentucky’s health insurance exchange, Kynect, is touted by health care reform advocates as a national success. But the report says the state could do more with its exchange. The state would benefit from requiring more robust provider networks, developing quality measure ratings to better inform [...]
Thu, Jul 16, 2015 7:52:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
McConnell inserts hemp provision into Senate farm appropriations bill
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has inserted into the Senate farm appropriations bill a provision aimed at making it easier to process legally grown industrial hemp.Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jul 16, 2015 7:28:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Hearing in Kentucky same-sex marriage case scheduled for Monday
from lblackford@herald-leader.com (Linda B. Blackford)
from lblackford@herald-leader.com (Linda B. Blackford)
A federal judge will resume a hearing Monday morning on whether Kentucky's county clerks must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jul 16, 2015 3:25:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
2 GOP lawmakers sponsor bill to exempt county clerks, ministers from liability for following religious beliefs on same-sex marriage
from Jack Brammer
from Jack Brammer
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — Two Republican state representatives said Wednesday they are sponsoring legislation that would exempt county clerks from civil or criminal liability if they refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on religious objections. Reps. Stan Lee, R-Lexington, and David Meade, R-Stanford, said in a news release that their legislation also would protect ministers who don’t want to perform such marriages. Earlier this month, state Rep. Addia Wuchner, R-Burlington, pre-filed a bill that would prohibit the state from requiring religious organizations or leaders to perform same-sex ceremonies. That bill would also protect such organizations and leaders from being [...]
Wed, Jul 15, 2015 8:40:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT –Kentucky will start a statewide campaign July 20 to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated against human papillomavirus, a virus that can cause cervical and oral cancer. Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen, Health and Family Services Audrey Haynes and state Public Health Commissioner Stephanie Mayfield announced the campaign Monday at a Capitol news conference. Luallen said a $500,000 federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will pay for the campaign that will run through September and feature TV, radio and print ads developed by Louisville-based Doe Anderson. The vaccine is for girls and boys. Kentucky trails the national [...]
Mon, Jul 13, 2015 7:22:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
No comments:
Post a Comment