Thursday, January 8, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Senate's 2015 heroin bill clears committee heads to full Senate

01/08/2015 07:36 AM
The Kentucky Senate’s bill designed to curb heroin abuse in the state took a first step on Wednesday as Senate Bill 5 passed unanimously out of the Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary Wednesday. Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, addresses treatment and rehabilitation for addicts while punishing dealers with harsher sentences. It also calls for providing medical personnel and first responders with the drug Naloxone, which can immediately reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. “It... Read more 

In final State of the Commonwealth address, Beshear notes accomplishments and lays out agenda for last session

01/07/2015 07:17 PM
UPDATED WITH VIDEO FRANKFORT — Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear urged lawmakers to pass a sweeping agenda that includes curbing heroin abuse, granting dating partners domestic violence protections, implementing a statewide smoking ban and allowing public-private partnerships for transportation projects during his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday evening. The Democratic governor made sure to note that Kentucky has improved in various economic and educational indicators, saying the state is “back with a vengeance.” But in looking back at the progress made... Read more 

House GOP taps Rep. Jonathan Shell for new campaign-centric leadership position

01/07/2015 03:07 PM
FRANKFORT — House Republicans picked a slate of three minority leaders for the next two years Tuesday, but the caucus also chose state Rep. Jonathan Shell for a newly created post as chairman of the House GOP campaign committee. The post isn’t recognized by the Legislative Research Commission as part of the chamber’s leadership organization, but Shell said Wednesday that House Minority Floor Leader Jeff Hoover decided to create the position after last year’s election cycle. Shell, R-Lancaster, said he earned recognition... Read more 

State Sen. Brandon Smith arrested for DUI Tuesday

01/07/2015 03:00 PM
FRANKFORT — State Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, is spending his first week back in the state Capitol becoming reacquainted with the Kentucky State Police — the 47-year old lawmaker was arrested Tuesday evening for driving under the influence. WYMT-TV was first to report the arrest which occurred around 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Initial reports say the Kentucky State Police pulled Smith over for speeding and suspected Smith had been drinking. Smith refused a breathalyzer and was booked by... Read more 
City Seeks Promise Zone Status For West Louisville
from Jacob Ryan
City officials are turning to the federal government for assistance in boosting the social and economic welfare of nine neighborhoods in western Louisville. An application was submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in late 2014 appealing for Promise Zone designation for the city’s westernmost communities. The neighborhoods included in the application are Algonquin, California, Chickasaw, Park DuValle, Park Hill, Parkland, Portland, Russell and Shawnee, according to the Louisville Metro Promise Zone application. Here is a map: Louisville Metro The Promise Zone initiative was announced in President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address.  It aims to revitalize high-poverty communities across the [...]
Thu, Jan 08, 2015 1:01:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky University to Offer Scholarships for Gamers
from Kevin Willis
A Kentucky university is becoming just the second school in the U.S. to offer scholarships for competitive video game players. The University of Pikeville will offer 20 scholarships this fall to students who excel in the online multi-player game, “League of Legends.” The school in central Appalachia hopes the program will draw attention from prospective students who otherwise wouldn’t have considered UPike. Bruce Parsons, UPike’s new media director, said he believes it’s just a matter of time before more American universities offer scholarships to gamers. “I think there’s a good opportunity for colleges and universities to look at starting e-sports programs at their schools—officially [...]
Thu, Jan 08, 2015 12:01:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Updated: Cold Leads Some Louisville Area School Districts to Delay Start or Close
from Joseph Lord
Update 6:45 a.m. Thursday: Oldham County Schools Close Oldham County Schools will be closed on Thursday. The school district was having issues with about a quarter of its bus fleet because of the cold weather,a  district spokeswoman said in a news release. We’ve listed a few other school status changes for larger districts below. Earlier With an overnight low in the Louisville area expected to be 1 degree, some school districts have opted to delay the start of school on Thursday. The National Weather Service forecasts a low of 1 degree Wednesday night into Thursday. Wind chills could reach negative-10 degrees Wednesday night into Thursday [...]
Thu, Jan 08, 2015 3:56:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
In final State of the Commonwealth address, Beshear says Kentucky 'back with a vengeance'
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves and Jack Brammer)
Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear gave his eighth and final State of the Commonwealth address to lawmakers Wednesday night, boasting of the progress Kentucky has made since he took office and…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Jan 08, 2015 12:20:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky Senate panel approves anti-heroin bill after emotional testimony
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
The Kentucky Senate on Thursday is expected to vote on a bill that would require tougher mandatory prison sentences for heroin traffickers while diverting millions of dollars to expand treatment…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 11:33:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky Senate puts right-to-work bill on fast track; House expected to balk
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
A state Senate committee put a bill that would allow people to work for unionized employers without joining the union on the fast track Tuesday but the measure is expected…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 11:15:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Stumbo files medical marijuana bill; advocates say it's past time for Ky. to take action

01/06/2015 09:02 PM
With the 2015 legislative session underway, Kentucky lawmakers will again consider a controversial topic already debated in legislatures across the country — marijuana reform. Twenty-three states in the U.S. have bucked the federal prohibition on marijuana to allow their residents to use the cannabis plant with a doctor’s approval. In Kentucky, longtime political candidate Gatewood Galbraith, who died in 2012, used the issue of marijuana as a key tenant to his platform, and in the past several sessions both House... Read more 

GOP leader Hoover fends off challenge, former speaker to (intermittently) handle gavel after House leadership elections

01/06/2015 08:51 PM
FRANKFORT — State representatives came to Frankfort to address a number of topics facing Kentucky as this year’s legislative session gaveled in Tuesday, but first, both caucuses had to settle which members would lead their members for the next two years. House Minority Floor Leader Jeff Hoover survived the first challenge to his post in 14 years en route to an unprecedented eighth term at the top of the caucus as House Republicans elected two new faces to their leadership team. Meanwhile,... Read more 

Heroin overdose treatment kits to be provided to patients at 3 Kentucky hospitals

01/06/2015 08:27 PM
FRANKFORT — Three Kentucky hospitals with the highest rates of heroin overdose deaths will soon be provided with heroin overdose reversal kits in an effort to save lives. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Attorney General Jack Conway and First Lady Jane Beshear, announced Tuesday in Frankfort that $105,000 will be provided by the Substance Treatment Advisory Committee (SATAC), created by Gov. Beshear by executive order, to purchase approximately 2,000 Naloxone Rescue kits for the University of Louisville Hospital, University of Kentucky Hospital... Read more 

Conway raises $176K in 4Q, bumps gubernatorial campaign total to $1.3M

01/06/2015 09:54 AM
Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway’s campaign netted $176,042 in the final fundraising quarter of 2014, giving the Democratic hopeful more than $1.3 million raised since entering the gubernatorial race in May. Conway’s $1.3 million raised thus far sets a record for a non-incumbent gubernatorial candidate, according to the attorney general’s campaign in a news release late Monday. “We are honored to have the early support from Kentuckians across the Commonwealth,” Conway, who’s seeking the Democratic nomination alongside House Majority Caucus Chairwoman Sannie... Read more 
Possible Fix for Kentucky’s No-Jail Jailers: Cutting Their Pay
from Rae Hodge
FRANKFORT — Top Kentucky elected officials say a measure could remedy the costly issue of elected county jailers who have no jails to run—slashing their pay scales. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting recently revealed that the state has 41 elected jailers in counties where the local jail had been consolidated with neighboring jurisdictions. The offices of the state’s 41-no-jail jailers cost taxpayers about $2 million annually. Related StoryOnly in Kentucky: Jailers Without JailsKentucky is the only state that elects jailers; most states put county jails under the jurisdiction of county sheriffs. But jailers in Kentucky hold a constitutionally established position—eliminating the [...]
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 12:01:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky Capitol Demonstrators Call For Action Against Heroin
from Rae Hodge
FRANKFORT — Nearly 130 demonstrators calling for action against the growing epidemic of heroin abuse filled the state Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, the first day of the Kentucky General Assembly’s 2015 session. Some, like Tina Rowland, carried poster-sized pictures of the family members they’d lost to heroin addiction and overdose. Rowland’s daughter Tabatha was 25 when she died from the drug. Related StoryTwo Louisvillians Share Stories of Heroin Addiction“We’re not stopping,” Rowland said. “The group’s going to get bigger. And the reason why the group is going to get bigger is that more people are going to die. So, come on. When’s [...]
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 1:47:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Ky. House Democrats elect former Speaker Jody Richards to their No. 2 leadership spot
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
In a surprise on the first day of Kentucky's 2015 General Assembly, House Democrats elected former speaker and gubernatorial candidate Jody Richards of Bowling Green to their No. 2 leadership…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 12:27:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Will T. Scott, former Kentucky Supreme Court justice, says he will run for governor
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
FRANKFORT — Will T. Scott of Pikeville, who stepped down Jan. 2 as a Kentucky Supreme Court justice, has decided to run for governor. Scott, a Republican, said during an…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Jan 07, 2015 12:16:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Scott says he's seeking GOP nomination for governor
Just days after stepping down from Kentucky's Supreme Court, Republican Will T. Scott said Tuesday that he will enter this year's wide-open race for governor.Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Jan 06, 2015 10:33:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Luxury Omni Hotel Finalizes Deal To Begin Construction in Downtown Louisville
from Jacob Ryan
The Cordish Company is no longer partnering in the project to develop a 600-room luxury hotel in downtown Louisville. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced on Tuesday that Omni Hotels and Resorts will take over the entire planned project for a hotel, more than 225 apartments, a grocery, two restaurants, retail space, 70,000 square-feet of meeting space and a multi-floor art gallery. “As we got deeper into the project and it grew in scope and size we realized that it would be best to simplify the project and have a single developer, and Omni agreed to take over the entire project,” Fischer said. Cordish [...]
Tue, Jan 06, 2015 9:58:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Luther Deaton lines up W.Ky. running mate, will decide gubernatorial run close to deadline

01/05/2015 08:14 PM
Central Bank & Trust Co. President and CEO Luther Deaton has a running mate and the financial backers for a gubernatorial run this year. All Deaton has to decide between now and the Jan. 27 filing deadline is whether he’s the Democrat who can help resolve Kentucky’s weightiest issues, such as lagging tax revenues and struggling public pension systems, and gain enough political support to win the May 19 Democratic primary and Nov. 3 general elections. Mounting a gubernatorial bid is a... Read more 

Heiner's gubernatorial campaign has almost $3.5 million on hand at end of 2014

01/05/2015 06:36 PM
Hal Heiner, buoyed by $4.2 million he already loaned his campaign, has nearly $3.5 million on hand for his Republican gubernatorial bid after raising $146,462 in the final fundraising quarter of 2014, his campaign announced late Monday. Heiner, a Louisville real estate developer, has raised more than $4.6 million with the candidate’s loans included in the total. In a statement, he said he’s “grateful for the support” thus far and his ticket with running mate K.C. Crosbie of Lexington is “encouraged... Read more 

Comer raises $555k in 4Q; fundraising total tops $1 million

01/05/2015 05:09 PM
Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer ended his final fundraising quarter of 2014 with more than a half-million dollars raised, bringing his first two campaign finance reports to a combined $1,096,434 raised. Comer raised $555,842 in the fourth quarter for 2014, the campaign announced Monday. Since launching his candidacy Sept. 9, Comer has raised nearly $1.1 million. “The money we’ve raised has come from people of all walks of life, many of them first time political donors,“Comer said in a press release. “Kentuckians... Read more 

Gov. Beshear calls special election to fill Sen. Blevins vacant Senate seat

01/05/2015 04:23 PM
Gov. Steve Beshear is calling a special election to fill the now vacant 27th Senate District seat of former Sen. Walter Blevins, who resigned midnight Sunday to assume his duties as Rowan County’s next judge-executive. Blevins, D-Morehead, moved offices from the Capitol to Rowan County’s fiscal court after winning the judge-executive race in November. Download Blevins’ resignation letter here: Senator Blevins’ resignation letter.pdf In December, Blevins told Pure Politics that he would not resign his Senate seat earlier because the move would... Read more 
Two-Thirds of Kentuckians Support a Statewide Smoking Ban
from Ja'Nel Johnson
Two-thirds of Kentuckians favor a statewide smoke-free law, according to a Kentucky Health Issues Poll released Monday. The poll found that 66 percent of Kentucky adults support a statewide law against smoking in indoor public places. The poll was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Interact for Health, formerly the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. (The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is part of the partnership for WFPL’s Next Louisville: Community Health project.) The strongest support for a smoking ban came in Lexington and Louisville, where 75 percent and 74 percent of respondents, respectively, supported a ban. The majority of  people in other [...]
Tue, Jan 06, 2015 12:01:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Jim King Re-Elected Louisville Metro Council President
from Jacob Ryan
The Louisville Metro Council on Monday re-elected Democrat Jim King to a fifth consecutive term as council president. King, who was not present for the vote, gained 15 votes in an election that was split down party lines.  All but two council members, King and David Yates, a Democrat from District 25, were present for the vote. Council Republicans chose to vote “present.” Kelly Downard, a Republican from District 16, said he intended “no disrespect nor confrontation” by opting to vote present, but said there is a “desire for a step back and change.” “I’ve noticed, as have my colleagues, a decided change in [...]
Tue, Jan 06, 2015 12:40:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky had two coal-mining deaths in 2014, equaling the state's lowest annual total
from bestep@herald-leader.com (Bill Estep)
Kentucky had two coal-mining deaths in 2014, equaling the lowest total ever in the state as work-related fatalities at coal mines across the nation also fell to a record low,Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 11:17:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
2015 legislative session expected to cost Kentucky taxpayers $3.56 million
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
Kentucky taxpayers will fork over about $3.56 million to pay for the 2015 General Assembly that begins noon Tuesday. Most of the money will go for legislative compensation. The lawmaking…Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 10:46:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
James Comer raises nearly $1.1 million in 2014 for gubernatorial bid; Hal Heiner sitting on $3.47 million
from syoungman@herald-leader.com (Sam Youngman)
Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer raised about $550,000 in the last quarter of 2014, well outpacing Hal Heiner, the only other GOP candidate, who reported raising $156,000 in the last…Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 9:18:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Listen: What Some Louisvillians Want to See From Mayor Fischer’s Second Term
from Jacob Ryan
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and other local elected officials were sworn into office on Monday. For Fischer, the ceremony marked the beginning of his second term as mayor. In a recent interview with WFPL, the mayor said his goals for 2015 include job growth and a continued push for economic investment. “Our success is obviously driven by our economic success,” he said in the interview. Fischer also talked at length about the need for a Local Option Sales Tax in Louisville and how the one percent tax could benefit the city.  He said projects like the completion of the Louisville Loop could be expedited with [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 9:02:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Monday, January 5, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Massie says he plans to vote against Boehner again on Tuesday

01/04/2015 03:26 PM
When U.S. House Republicans vote for leadership on Tuesday Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie is hoping they’ll choose someone other than current speaker John Boehner of Ohio to lead the body. The new Congress will convene next week and an already a frustrated faction of the GOP is letting it be known that they don’t plan to vote for another term with Boehner at the helm. In a press release issued Saturday Massie, who has voted against Boehner in the... Read more 

Pockets of power: Where to find GOP votes on the 2015 primary trail

01/03/2015 08:00 AM
Kentuckians who live in key Republican battleground regions better enjoy the post-holiday solace while it lasts. There’s a GOP nomination for governor to secure by May 19, which will require intense campaigning in heavily Republican areas. Forty-two of Kentucky’s counties in various regions of the state accounted for more than three-quarters of the GOP electorate in the past two gubernatorial primaries, with each receiving at least 71 percent of their vote totals from these areas, according to a Pure Politics... Read more 

Yarmuth: Cuban embargo has 'not accomplished anything'

01/02/2015 01:29 PM
President Barack Obama’s move to normalize relations with Cuba has Kentucky’s lone Democratic representative at the federal level both “excited and pleased” with his actions — even if some of his GOP counterparts don’t share his enthusiasm. In mid December U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth told Pure Politics Obama made the right choice to restore diplomacy with the Cuban government after more than 50 years of frozen relations with the communist island which lies a mere 90-miles from the United States.... Read more 

Pure Politics year in review: 2014

01/01/2015 09:01 AM
Spend the first day of 2015 looking back at all the moments that shaped Kentucky politics in the Pure Politics year in review: 2014. From the 60-day legislative session which saw a budget deal reached, the passage of a cannibidiol bill and juvenile justice reforms to the U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Alison Lundergan Grimes and all the moments in between including Matt Bevin’s cockfighting fiasco, Attorney Gen. Jack Conway’s tearful speech on not challenging the strike... Read more 
Democratic state Sen. Walter Blevins resigns; special election to be called
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
The Kentucky Senate, which has been controlled by Republicans since 2000, will start its 2015 law-making session Tuesday with one less Democrat.Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 5:18:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Louisville Extreme Park Closing For 2 Weeks For Reconstruction
from Jacob Ryan
The reconstruction of the Louisville Extreme Park is under-budget but behind schedule, and on Wednesday the park will shut down for two weeks for what officials call “large scale concrete work.”Renovation work has been taking place at the skate and BMX park since May due to work on the downtown crossing of the Ohio River Bridges Project, according to a press release.Nearly a third of the park was demolished to make room for the bridge ramps.With nearly $3 million in state funding being made available, city officials are working to redevelop the portion of the park that went missing with [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 5:02:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Want to Learn Beekeeping? 10 Schools are Scheduled Across Kentucky
from Erica Peterson
Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture and state groups will hold 10 beekeeping workshops around the commonwealth over the next two months.Kentucky state apiarist Tammy Horn said beekeeping is becoming more popular in the commonwealth as people make the connections between productive gardens and the insects.“Beekeeping is absolutely a fascinating hobby,” she said. “Many people are starting to realize the importance of growing their own food and if they do that they’ll need to have pollination sources. So, raising a hive of bees is a good way to increase their seedset for their gardens. It also increases the quality of the taste of [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 12:01:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Appeals court judge Stumbo to seek vacant post on Kentucky Supreme Court
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Janet Stumbo of Prestonsburg said Sunday she would seek the state Supreme Court's vacant 7th District seat that represents Eastern Kentucky. Justice Will T. Scott…Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Jan 05, 2015 1:51:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky lawmakers prepare to elect leaders as 2015 legislative session kicks off Tuesday
from jbrammer@herald-leader.com (Jack Brammer)
Kentucky lawmakers will flock to the state Capitol on Tuesday to begin their 2015 legislative session.Click to Continue » [...]
Sun, Jan 04, 2015 10:28:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Metro Louisville CFO on Unpaid Leave After Intoxication Arrest
from Rick Howlett
The chief financial officer for Louisville Metro Government is on unpaid leave following his arrest Friday night on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges.According to police and media reports, Steve Rowland  and the director of the Louisville Metro Council Majority Caucus, Elizabeth Hoffman, were asked to leave a Mexican restaurant Friday night after allegedly engaging in disruptive and intimate behavior.They were arrested after police found them in an SUV outside the restaurant, where an officer believed they were involved in sexual activity, according to the citation.Police say neither appeared to be capable of driving an automobile.Both were later released on [...]
Sun, Jan 04, 2015 1:08:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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