Friday, February 26, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Bill allowing businesses to deny service based on religious convictions clears committee; Fairness Campaign director calls it "clear attack on LGBT rights"

02/25/2016 07:43 PM
FRANKFORT — A bill that would protect businesses that deny services based on their religious faith cleared the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee on Thursday despite a lawsuit currently litigating that very issue. Senate Bill 180 heads to the Senate floor after an 8-1 vote with four senators voting “pass” because of the ongoing court battle involving a Lexington printer that declined to make T-shirts for a 2012 gay pride festival. Sen. Albert Robinson, chairman of the committee and... Read more 

WKU president says budget cuts will lead to loss of academic, student life student service and community service programs 

02/25/2016 02:01 PM
FRANKFORT – Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell said that Gov. Matt Bevin’s proposed cuts to higher education will have a crippling impact at WKU which will lead to a loss of programs, jobs and a reduction at the Gatton Academy. Ransdell told members of the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education on Thursday that a study conducted by Budget and Policy Priorities, shows that Kentucky state funding for higher education remains far below pre-recession levels than in most states,... Read more 
Vandals Damage Closed Kennedy Bridge
from Associated Press
Southern Indiana police are searching for vandals who damaged equipment and workers’ property on the deck of an Ohio River bridge that was temporarily closed in January for improvements. Jeffersonville Police Chief Kenny Kavanaugh said the damage discovered early Thursday spanned the length of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge that links the city with Louisville, Kentucky. Ohio River Bridges Project Spokeswoman Mindy Peterson said vandals spray painted items, damaged tools, broke lights along the bridge’s deck and damaged many workers’ personal items. [...]
Fri, Feb 26, 2016 3:05:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Louisville Arts Picks: Oscars, ‘Orlando’ And David Cross
from Tara Anderson
It’s Oscar weekend, and that means curling up in front of the TV in your jammies and watching all the beautiful people. Or maybe it means putting on a glam gown and going out in public. The Louisville Film Society is throwing an Oscar Watch Party at Copper & Kings Distillery that sounds like a swell affair: hors d’oeuvres and desserts, cocktails, silent auction and door prizes. They’re promising a red carpet, too. It’s a benefit for LFS, and each $100 ticket includes a year-long membership. Looking for Lilith Theatre Company always brings thought-provoking work that tackles gender issues in some way, and [...]
Fri, Feb 26, 2016 1:00:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
‘Spring Collaboration’ Brings Together Louisville Arts Titans
from Tara Anderson
Louisville is sometimes referred to as a large small town, and that certainly holds true within the arts community. Two of the city’s arts leaders, Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams and Louisville Ballet Artistic Director Robert Curran, have developed a friendship since they both came to town in recent years. One result of that friendship is the “Spring Collaboration” program, taking place at the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall on March 4 and 5. Instead of the orchestra simply accompanying the ballet, both directors see this program as a true collaborative effort, originating with Abrams’ suggestion of performing Igor Stravinsky’s 1911 ballet, [...]
Fri, Feb 26, 2016 11:50:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
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Thursday, February 25, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Political newcomer takes on former Scott County magistrate in 62nd district House race

02/24/2016 08:02 PM
GEORGETOWN – The 62nd District House race features Democrat Chuck Tackett, a former Scott County magistrate and farmer and businessman, against political newcomer Phillip Pratt, owner and operator of Pratt’s Lawn and Landscape in Georgetown. Tackett, who lost to current Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles in 2014, feels that the experience of that campaign will be a benefit for him this time around. “The first time I ran that race, I wasn’t prepared for what was going on,” Tackett said. “This time from... Read more 

Secretary says proposed dual-credit program growth, $100M bond pool will help Education and Workforce Development Cabinet's mission in biennium

02/24/2016 03:56 PM
FRANKFORT — Ensuring more Kentuckians attain education and training beyond high school is a top priority for Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner, who told lawmakers today that Gov. Matt Bevin’s proposed biennial budget would help make gains in those areas. Heiner presented his cabinet’s two-year spending proposal to the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary/Secondary Education on Wednesday, saying that thousands of open jobs remain unfilled throughout Kentucky. The cabinet’s budget received two key appropriations in Bevin’s proposal: a... Read more 

Judicial redistricting bill clears Senate committee

02/24/2016 03:48 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would require the state court system to balance population and caseloads throughout the state on the same schedule as legislative redistricting passed in Senate committee on Wednesday. Senate Bill 8, sponsored by Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, which passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee by a 9-2 vote, would require the Supreme Court of Kentucky to recommend to the General Assembly a proposal to adjust Circuit Court and District Court districts based on caseload and... Read more 

Fmr. U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning endorses Marco Rubio for president

02/24/2016 01:43 PM
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky, is endorsing Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in his bid for the White House. Bunning joins other GOP leaders in Frankfort who are backing Rubio ahead of the March 5 Republican presidential caucus in the commonwealth. “All too often, conservatives have to choose between a candidate who will fight for the values they care about most and someone who can win,” Bunning said in a statement sent by Rubio’s campaign. “Fortunately, we don’t have... Read more 

Chief justice says courts may close under proposed judicial budget cuts, but Bevin calls that step unnecessary, inappropriate

02/23/2016 09:35 PM
FRANKFORT — Gov. Matt Bevin’s proposed two-year budget presents a potential “constitutional crisis” for Kentucky’s judicial branch, state Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. told lawmakers on the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary on Tuesday. Like many areas of state government, the judicial branch of government faces 4.5 percent cuts in the current fiscal year that will carry over into 9 percent spending reductions over the biennium. Minton appealed to legislators to exempt the judicial branch... Read more 

'Kynectors' say kynect is more than just a website

02/23/2016 07:09 PM
FRANKFORT – Community-based people trained to be “Kynectors” – to help people get healthcare through insurance plans on kynect or through expanded Medicaid, are fearful of what will happen to Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens if the portal to health insurance is disbanded. Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky voices for Health said that Kynect allowed the Kynectors to building relationships in their communities. “They’re able to build relationships with their neighbors, their friends, their family members, their co-workers, all sorts of different... Read more 

Bill to reorganize Kentucky Horse Park board passes Senate committee

02/23/2016 07:06 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would seek to reorganize the Kentucky Horse Park Commission and perform a full audit of the park passed out of committee on Tuesday. Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, passed by 9-1 vote of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Labor. The legislation calls for nine members of the board to be selected by the governor, which is half of the current number of the commission. Three would be selected based... Read more 
PNC Broadway in Louisville Announces Season
from Tara Anderson
Louisville audiences will get the chance to see several brand-new shows next year that are still playing on Broadway stages, in the 2016-17 season announced today by PNC Broadway in Louisville. The regular season includes four musicals and a glitzy magic show, “The Illusionists – Live from Broadway,” which was roundly panned by The New York Times but played to huge audiences nonetheless. Two additional crowd-pleasers — “The Book of Mormon” and “Riverdance” — are available as add-on selections. When NBC aired “The Sound of Music Live,” in December 2013, over 44 million people watched. Producers took note, apparently, and now a new [...]
Thu, Feb 25, 2016 4:22:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Documents Show Crime Increase Near Mall St. Matthews Before December Incident
from Jacob Ryan
Late last year, the St. Matthews Police Department — and Louisville’s youth in general — drew widespread attention following a disturbance at Mall St. Matthews. Police described the Dec. 26 incident, in which multiple teens were reported causing problems in the mall, as the culmination of weeks of increased crime in the suburban city. Some residents — and even St. Matthews City Council members — were skeptical of the police department’s claim. But documents provided to WFPL News through an open records request show that St. Matthews experienced an increase in crimes involving youth near and around the mall in the weeks leading up to the Dec. 26 incident. That [...]
Thu, Feb 25, 2016 2:40:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Piecing Together America’s Patchwork Quilt Of Body Cam Laws
from NPR
It’s increasingly likely that the next time you have an encounter with a police officer, he or she will be wearing a body camera. And depending on how things go, you may be left wondering: “Can I get a copy of that video?” There’s no single answer to that, or other pressing questions, such as whether you can tell an officer you don’t want to be recorded. In the year and a half since the Ferguson, Mo., protests, police departments have been rushing to adopt the cameras. But when it comes to body camera policies, departments are all over the map. That’s why [...]
Thu, Feb 25, 2016 2:35:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Monday, February 22, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Senate President Stivers preparing to introduce rewrite of expungement bill

02/21/2016 12:30 PM
FRANKFORT — Session after session a bill is filed in the state House of Representatives which would allow the expungement of certain low-level, non-violent Class D felonies, but this year the bill is getting an update in the upper chamber. Senate President Robert Stivers told Pure Politics the legislation would likely be introduced this week, and will include some key changes from the House version of the legislation sponsored by Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville. The current draft of Stivers’... Read more 

Senate GOP ready to mark up budget, but House Democrats will stick to mid-March schedule for vote on bill

02/20/2016 07:12 PM
FRANKFORT — Monday will make the 32nd day of this year’s 60-day budget session, and Senate Republicans are anxious to get their hands on the $21.8 billion biennial spending plan. Senate President Robert Stivers, who on Thursday took to the Senate floor alongside Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Chris McDaniel to urge the House of Representatives to expedite its work in marking up the budget, said Friday that the upper chamber is ready to put its stamp on the budget... Read more 

Rand Paul says Apple should not be compelled to hack San Bernardino terrorist's cell-phone

02/19/2016 07:41 PM
LEXINGTON — As the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to force Apple to comply with an FBI order to help the agency crack an encrypted iPhone used by one of the attackers in the San Bernardino, Calif., massacre, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul says the tech giant should not have to comply. Apple has strongly opposed the court-ordered request from the FBI to open the phone, which is linked to the attack in California that killed 14 people Dec. 2. “What’s extraordinary... Read more 

Senate sends bill that would open some juvenile court proceedings to House

02/19/2016 07:17 PM
FRANKFORT — Legislation that would open some juvenile court proceedings in a four-year pilot program moved through the state Senate on a 29-6 vote Friday. Senate Bill 40, sponsored by Sen. Julie Raque Adams, would give the Kentucky Supreme Court authority to select at least three judicial districts or circuits for the test. The legislation would open dependency, neglect, abuse and parental termination rights hearings unless closed by the judge. Sexual abuse cases would remain closed and judges would have authority... Read more 

GOP group unveils website, ad questioning judgement of retired judge running in special House election

02/19/2016 04:20 PM
A group committed to electing Republican officeholders launched a website on Friday questioning decisions made from the bench by former Greenup Circuit Judge Lew Nicholls, the Democratic nominee in the 98th House District special election. The Republican State Leadership Committee announced nichollsneglect.com, a website that highlights three cases in which it says the retired judge’s decisions “allowed child abusers to dodge justice.” “His mishandling of one case caused a child predator’s conviction to be thrown out,” RSLC President Matt Walter said... Read more 

Senate passes marriage license legislation

02/18/2016 08:06 PM
FRANKFORT – The Kentucky state Senate passed a bill on Thursday which would create two different marriage license forms; one for straight couples and one for same-sex couples, with the name of the county clerk, or deputy clerks, removed from the form. Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Steve West, R-Paris, passed by a vote of 30-8 with three Democrats, Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, Sen. Dennis Parrett, D-Elizabethtown, and Sen. Dorsey Ridley, D-Henderson voting yes. Two Republicans, Sen. Julie Raque Adams,... Read more 

Bill which would freeze tuition rates at Kentuckys universities dies in committee

02/18/2016 06:43 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would freeze tuition rates at the state’s universities for a 4-year period died in committee on Thursday. Senate Bill 75, sponsored by Sen. Dan Seum, R-Louisville, would require the Council on Postsecondary Education to limit tuition for resident students at the public postsecondary education institutions to the 2015-2016 tuition level for four years and then require tuition increases for the 2019-2020 academic year to be determined in consultation with the General Assembly. A companion bill, sponsored by... Read more 

Senate bill would push for a late August starting date for public schools

02/18/2016 06:11 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would move the first day of school in all public schools to late August was heard by the Senate Committee on Education on Thursday, but was not voted on at the request of the sponsor. Senate Bill 50, sponsored by Chris Girdler, would require schools to schedule the first student attendance day no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26, unless a school has adopted a year-round calendar. It would allow a waiver... Read more 

Budgeted raises will help retain social workers, state police for Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, officials tell lawmakers

02/18/2016 05:52 PM
FRANKFORT — The Justice and Public Safety Cabinet went under the budgetary microscope on Thursday, with officials highlighting some needs that have been addressed by Gov. Matt Bevin in his proposed spending plan. Public safety is an area in which Bevin has proposed increasing spending in his $21.8 billion biennial budget. Among the areas within the cabinet that will benefit from the governor’s spending plan include $12 million more for substance abuse treatment and prevention in anti-heroin legislation passed last year;... Read more 

Gov. Bevin's administration sues Planned Parenthood, seeking hundreds of thousands for performing abortions without license

02/18/2016 03:28 PM
UPDATED FRANKFORT — Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration filed a lawsuit Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky on Thursday, accusing the group of operating an abortion clinic without a license in December and January. Stephen Pitt, Bevin’s general counsel, asked the court to fine PPINK either $570,000 for the 57 days its Louisville clinic performed abortions or $230,000 for the 23 abortions performed there from Dec. 3 through Jan. 28, plus $114,000 for operating 57 days without hospital and ambulance transfer agreements... Read more 
Kentucky’s Auto Sector Delivered More Growth In 2015
from Associated Press
Kentucky’s automotive industry produced more vehicles and increased its employment in 2015. The Kentucky Automotive Industry Association says the state maintained its status as the nation’s third-largest producer of cars and light trucks. The group says new statistics show production of passenger vehicles rose by 2.4 percent in Kentucky last year to more than 1.3 million cars and trucks. It says the auto industry employed nearly 90,000 people statewide last year, up from 85,552 in 2014. In another sign of growth, it says the industry announced 79 new projects last year totaling $2.8 billion in investments. The growth spread to the state’s suppliers of [...]
Mon, Feb 22, 2016 4:05:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
UK Students Win Grant To Advance International Pesticide Research
from Erica Peterson
A group of chemical engineering students from the University of Kentucky’s Paducah campus has won a federal grant for the third time to further research on non-synthetic pesticides. The group will get nearly $15,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition, which is given to university teams working on creating sustainable products. This year’s grant will help Chemical Engineering Professor Jeffrey Seay’s students continue their research into using green chemistry to create pesticides in developing countries. Seay’s work has so far focused on Cameroon and India — two countries where it’s common to burn wood [...]
Mon, Feb 22, 2016 2:00:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Settlement Sends Kentucky’s Selenium Standard Back To EPA For Review
from Erica Peterson
The future of Kentucky’s controversial changes to a water quality standard is up in the air, after a settlement last year sent the changes back for federal review. Selenium is a naturally occurring substance that’s released into waterways during strip mining. In large amounts, it’s toxic to both aquatic life and humans. The substance also bioaccumulates up the food chain, so as fish eat other fish, levels of selenium rise. In November 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency approved changes to Kentucky’s water quality standard that changed the way selenium was measured. The state had requested permission to do away with the chronic [...]
Mon, Feb 22, 2016 1:00:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Thursday, February 18, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Gay, transgender rights bill held back by homophobia, politics in House, sponsor says; Democratic, GOP leaders say criticism unfair

02/17/2016 07:06 PM
FRANKFORT — Supporters of a bill that would prohibit the discrimination of homosexual and transgender persons in employment, housing and other areas made their cases for 15 minutes before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, but lawmakers did not vote on House Bill 155 in only its second ever information-only hearing. But in a state that has trended conservative in recent election cycles, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, said the legislation likely won’t get a vote in the... Read more 

Voluntary county consolidation legislation clears House committee 

02/17/2016 06:30 PM
FRANKFORT — Facing mounting financial woes lawmakers are once again considering measures to reduce the state’s financial burden by making it easier for the 120 counties in Kentucky to consolidate, which would reduce redundant positions in government. With history and the political realities weighing against the likelihood of the passage of the legislation Rep. Adam Koenig is trying this session to update the procedure counties undertake if they choose to consolidate. HB 161 passed the House Standing Committee... Read more 

Senate priority education reform bill passes full Senate chamber

02/17/2016 06:19 PM
FRANKFORT – The Senate’s education reform bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, passed the upper chamber with a 25-12 vote on Wednesday. All 11 Senate Democrats voted no while one Republican, Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard cast the GOP’s lone no vote on the Senate floor. Sen. C.B. Embry, R-Morgantown, did not vote. SB 1 would change the way the state would review their educational standards and how schools and students would be evaluated. Along with doing away with requiring teachers... Read more 

Kentucky Department of Education officials warn P-12 budget cuts will have adverse impact on Kentucky students

02/17/2016 03:43 PM
FRANKFORT – Officials with the Kentucky Department of Education said that Gov. Bevin’s proposed cuts to public education could stifle a lot of the progress that’s been seen in recent years in the state’s schools. Like all state agencies, the Kentucky Department of Education saw their budget slashed 4.5 percent equaling $17,885,500 for FY 2016. Reductions of 9 percent in FY 2017 and FY 2018, would amount to $35,771,000 per year. Items exempted from budget cuts in FY 2016 include SEEK... Read more 

“The day of reckoning has come," for kynect, health officials say

02/16/2016 11:10 PM
FRANKFORT – Kynect, the portal to Kentucky’s health insurance exchange, was described as too expensive and not sustainable by Kentucky Medicaid Commissioner Stephen Miller and Vicki Yates Brown Glisson, Secretary, Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Glisson told members of the House Budget Subcommittee on Human Resources on Tuesday that since the federal money used to support Kynect is beginning to go away, it is fast becoming cost prohibitive to keep what she calls “the website, or portal” intact. “The day of... Read more 

Acting Transportation Cabinet head sees no need for new Road Fund formula after weathering nine-figure shortfall

02/16/2016 06:46 PM
FRANKFORT — Faced with declining revenues in the state’s Road Fund due in part to low gas prices, officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said Tuesday that the fund will make minimal progress in the biennium after a $112.5 million shortfall was resolved in the current fiscal year. But after the General Assembly passed legislation establishing a new floor for the average wholesale price of gasoline at 26 cents per gallon and setting a maximum yearly rate that that cost... Read more 

Republican Party of Kentucky preparing for presidential caucus 

02/16/2016 05:59 PM
In 17 days Republican across Kentucky will be able to have their say in the selection of the GOP presidential nominee. Put in place to allow Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, to circumvent statute barring a candidate from appearing on the ballot for two offices at the same time the Republican Party of Kentucky (RPK) is holding a presidential caucus, even though Paul is now focusing on his re-election. Mike Biagi, the RPK’s executive director, told Pure Politics Republicans voting in the... Read more 
In Segregated Louisville, Red Cross Hospital Served African-American Residents
from Ja'Nel Johnson
Louisville’s Red Cross Hospital was founded by African-Americans, for African-Americans during a time when segregation was the norm. Drs. W.T. Merchant, Ellis Whedbee and R.B. Scott established the hospital in 1899 to provide care to Louisville’s African-American community. The hospital was first located at Sixth and Muhammad Ali Boulevard (then Walnut Street) and eventually moved to South Shelby Street. It closed its doors 40 years ago. Now, a local doctor wants to tell the story of the hospital and the people connected to it. “It was a beacon in the African-American community, not just here in Louisville but throughout the entire state of Kentucky,” said [...]
Thu, Feb 18, 2016 1:00:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Mary Lou Marzian: Viagra Informed Consent Bill Has ‘Hit A Nerve’
from Ryland Barton
Democratic state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian of Louisville has proposed a bill that would require men to have two in-person visits with a doctor before receiving a prescription for erectile dysfunction drugs, such as Viagra. Men would also be required to swear that they will only use the pills to have sex with their spouse, who must also provide written consent. In an interview on Wednesday, Marzian acknowledged that the bill is a tongue-in-cheek response to anti-abortion legislation put forward by conservative lawmakers. And she’s drawn national attention for the move. (Listen to the interview in the audio player above.) This bill is being [...]
Thu, Feb 18, 2016 11:50:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
LGBT Fairness Law Unlikely To Get Kentucky House Vote
from Ryland Barton
A bill that would protect Kentuckians from discrimination based on sexual orientation is unlikely to be voted on this year. The statewide fairness law was given a public presentation in a crowded House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, but state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian said it didn’t have enough votes on the committee to pass. “As long as people feel like they’re taking a political hit to vote for fairness, it’s going to be difficult,” she said. Marzian, a Louisville Democrat, has sponsored the bill for years. The legislation was given a committee hearing in 2014, but it’s never received an official vote. Despite being [...]
Wed, Feb 17, 2016 10:40:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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