Thursday, April 23, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Comer nets more than $1M while Heiner spends nearly $3M in run-up to primary

04/22/2015 10:29 PM
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer led the gubernatorial fundraising field after netting $1.01 million from Jan. 3 through Friday, according to campaign finance reports filed Wednesday. Comer, who loaned his campaign $100,000 in the period, enters the final four weeks of the Republican primary with $1.04 million in the bank, a sum nearly matched by Louisville real estate developer Hal Heiner’s $1.02 million cash on hand. Heiner, who has loaned his campaign $4.2 million since entering the campaign last March, raised $278,101... Read more 

UPDATED: Reporters under fire in GOP gubernatorial primary after push-poll allegations surface

04/22/2015 08:13 PM
Accusations of a push poll conducted by a Republican gubernatorial candidate quickly evolved on Wednesday into a blistering critique of parts of Pure Politics’ coverage of the 2015 gubernatorial election and some impromptu reporting tips from a campaign manager. Former Louisville Metro Council member Hal Heiner’s campaign released on Wednesday a nearly eight-minute audio clip of a purported push poll conducted on behalf Louisville investment manager Matt Bevin. The pollster, before asking the respondents’ opinions on each subject, said Heiner voted... Read more 

Andy Beshear turns in huge fundraising report in atty. general race; ag. commish fundraising staying steady

04/22/2015 04:28 PM
The 32-day pre-primary fundraising reports are coming in and Democratic attorney general candidate Andy Beshear continues to bundle cash for his campaign coffers as he faces no primary opposition in May. Beshear has ballooned his fundraising total to $1.93 million so far in the race. According to his campaign, Beshear will report $1.5 million in cash-on-hand with $356,130 raised during this period. During 2014, Beshear raised more than $1.2 million dollars, outpacing most of the GOP gubernatorial candidates in their... Read more 
What Some TARC Riders Have to Say About the Proposed Schedule Changes
from Jacob Ryan
Louisvillians who rely on public transportation have concerns about a proposed schedule change to some of the Transit Authority of River City’s busiest routes. And it seems unlikely city, state or federal lawmakers will address the budget shortfalls that have led to the proposed changes anytime soon. The proposal, which looks to delay bus arrival times on routes serving Broadway, Fourth Street and Dixie and Preston Highways, is up for public comment through May 22 and is slated to be enacted in August. (Here’s our story from Tuesday with details on the proposed schedule changes.) The schedule changes will help save nearly $1.2 million [...]
Thu, Apr 23, 2015 11:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
McConnell, Paul find themselves at odds over government surveillance program
McConnell, the Senate Majority leader, is co-sponsoring legislation to allow the NSA to continue gathering data that includes Americans' cellphone records. On Wednesday, fellow Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul said…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Apr 23, 2015 2:06:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Rand Paul on NSA: 'Our Founding Fathers would be mortified'
Republican Sen. Rand Paul lashed out against the federal government's sweeping surveillance programs on Wednesday, staking an aggressive position on an issue already dividing the Republican presidential field.Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Apr 23, 2015 1:37:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Comer, Bevin, Heiner and Conway raise more than $1 million apiece in race for governor
from syoungman@herald-leader.com (Sam Youngman and Jack Brammer)
At least four candidates have raised more than $1 million in this year's race for governor of Kentucky.Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 10:31:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Kentucky Grocery Costs Show First Decline Since June 2013
from Associated Press
Prices of retail food items in Kentucky fell during the last quarter, the first time since June 2013, in a survey of grocery costs. The Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation’s latest Marketbasket Survey was taken in March. The organization says the average total cost of 40 basic grocery items was $126.22, or 2.3 percent lower than the figure reported in the previous quarter. The federation said in a news release that the figure is still 4.6 percent higher than the total reported at the same time last year. The release said five of the six food groups included in the survey reported reductions in [...]
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 5:29:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Louisvillians Should Be Able to See a Meteor Shower Tonight
from Jacob Ryan
Tonight is a good night to get out of town. Beginning at about 10 p.m., the night sky above the Louisville area is expected to be aglow with the streaking lights of the Lyrid meteor shower, according to NASA. If you can’t get out to see it, a live feed of the shower can be seen here. Tonight’s shower isn’t expected to be the best of the year, but conditions mean Louisville residents may get a good view, said Tim Dowling, director of the atmospheric space program at the University of Louisville. “The moon is very thin—we have almost no moon tonight—and the skies are clear,” he said. Dowling [...]
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 4:25:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Candidates trade jabs on Pure Politics' gubernatorial debate with GOP primary less than a month away

04/21/2015 11:26 PM
WITH VIDEO: Tempers flared before a televised audience as Kentucky’s GOP gubernatorial candidates traded barbs over bridge tolls, the Affordable Care Act and attacks from an outside group backing Republican Hal Heiner on cn|2 Pure Politics’ gubernatorial debate Tuesday. More often than not, Louisville investment manager Matt Bevin was in the midst of conflict, frequently needling Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and Louisville real estate developer Hal Heiner with four weeks until Republican voters pick their party’s gubernatorial nominee. Bevin asked if viewers... Read more 

Comer, Bevin, KDP release television and Web ads four weeks ahead of GOP primary

04/21/2015 01:51 PM
Republicans candidates and the Kentucky Democratic Party released a light barrage of television and Web videos on Tuesday, stoking the flames of a GOP gubernatorial primary four weeks away. Agriculture Commissioner James Comer unveiled his latest 30-second spot on Tuesday, playing up his conservative social credentials on abortion, gay marriage and gun rights. “I believe in the sanctity of life,” Comer says in the 30-second ad. “I know marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman, and I... Read more 

KASAP helping as state implements new protective orders for victims of dating violence, stalking and sexual assault

04/21/2015 01:31 PM
Advocates for stronger protective orders in Kentucky finally got one of their wishes in March as the General Assembly passed dating violence, stalking and sexual assault protective orders. Gretchen Hunt, a staff attorney for Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, said the 2015 legislative session was “great” though tense at times in the final hours of the session. Hunt credits advocates for leading the cry for help for the dating violence bill over the years, and she praised leadership from... Read more 
What LG&E and KU Got in the Rate Case Settlement
from Erica Peterson
The Kentucky Public Service Commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing on Tuesday on Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities’ proposed rate increase. Related StoryLG&E and KU Ask to Withdraw Proposed Service Charge HikeInstead, as WFPL reported, the utilities and all of the intervenors in the case reached a settlement, which is now subject to PSC approval. Here’s a deeper look at the settlement, what LG&E/KU got—and what they didn’t get. Monthly Service Charge This was the most contentious part of the original proposal because it would affect every customer, regardless of how much energy they used. LG&E electric and gas customers [...]
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 11:08:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Republican gubernatorial candidates dispute global warming
from syoungman@herald-leader.com (Sam Youngman)
All four of the Republican candidates for governor said Tuesday night they do not agree that global warming is manmade, disputing the science that insists it is and declaring that…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 2:08:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Louisville Metro Council Committee OKs Needle Exchange Program
from Ashley Lopez
In a light of a spike in heroin abuse and an HIV outbreak nearby in Southern Indiana, a Louisville Metro Council committee on Tuesday unanimously voted to allow the city’s health department to create a needle exchange program. The ordinance received bipartisan support during a special public safety committee meeting. Three members of the Kentucky General Assembly who worked on the heroin bill approved during this year’s session also stopped by the meeting to show their support for the measure. State lawmakers passed a bill this year allowing local governments and health departments to create an exchange due to rampant heroin abuse [...]
Tue, Apr 21, 2015 9:19:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
UofL Students Plan To Occupy Campus Building Until Contract With Clothing Company Is Cut
from Jacob Ryan
After nearly 24 hours in Grawemeyer Hall on University of Louisville’s campus, a group of about 40 students set out for a march across the campus. The students, part of the group Cards Against Sweatshops, participated in the sit-in and protest Tuesday afternoon in an effort to influence university officials to cut ties with a clothing maker they claim mistreats workers in Bangladesh. The clothing company at the center of the debate on UofL’s campus is JanSport. But the student’s qualms are with JanSport’s parent company, VF. The students claim VF has refused to sign the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, which [...]
Tue, Apr 21, 2015 9:16:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Green energy job growth outpaces losses in coal industry
Far more jobs have been created in wind and solar in recent years than lost in the collapse of the coal industry, and renewable energy is poised for record growth…Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Apr 21, 2015 6:43:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Today's Political Headlines

Glenn focused on financial literacy in treasurer's race; says Owensboro seat will fall to Democratic hands if elected

04/20/2015 02:52 PM
Rep. Jim Glenn has clung to political life in recent election seasons and now the five-term incumbent and business administration professor is calculating his chances at gaining the Democratic nomination for state treasurer in a five-person primary. A main tenet for the Owensboro Democrat in his campaign is to bring financial literacy to individuals across the state. “This is a war, a financial war, and this war is being fought worldwide. We have to have more people who understand finance to... Read more 

Lexington farm family excited about its reemergence producing industrial hemp

04/20/2015 02:34 PM
LEXINGTON – Seventy years ago, the Graves family of Lexington was one of the top growers of hemp in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. All of that changed when Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 which essentially ended the hemp business in Kentucky and a part of the Graves family livelihood. However, 66 years later, thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 50 in the General Assembly in 2013 and an amendment by Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand... Read more 

Anti-Bevin spot pulled from Lexington station, but outside group stands behind "completely accurate" ad

04/20/2015 12:34 PM
Republican Matt Bevin’s gubernatorial campaign on Monday praised a Lexington television station’s decision to pull an attack ad “with known false claims” by a group supporting fellow candidate Hal Heiner, but the 501(c )(4) involved in the fracas is standing behind its anti-Bevin spot, saying the challenge came at the “11th hour” conclusion of its ad run. Ben Hartman, Bevin’s campaign manager, said his team filed formal complaints with WLEX-TV, Lexington’s NBC affiliate, and other networks airing Citizens for a Sound... Read more 
Meet The ‘Accidental Activists’ Of The Supreme Court’s Same-Sex-Marriage Case
from NPR
The U.S. Supreme Court hears legal arguments next week in the legal battle over same-sex marriage. It’s an extraordinarily high-stakes clash, but the men and women at the center of it see themselves as incredibly ordinary. The 12 couples and two widowers include doctors, lawyers, an Army sergeant, nurses and teachers. Most have children and lead the typically harried lives of working parents. They say they didn’t set out to be pioneers. They consider themselves “accidental activists,” meaning they filed lawsuits not to further a cause but because of the way the bans affected their lives. In Michigan, for example, April DeBoer [...]
Tue, Apr 21, 2015 11:10:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Amid GOP criticism, Clinton defends family foundation
Hillary Rodham Clinton has found herself on the defensive during her first presidential campaign visit to New Hampshire this year, pushing back against swirling questions about her family foundation.Click to Continue » [...]
Tue, Apr 21, 2015 7:17:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Republican governor candidates to debate May 11 on KET
Kentucky's four Republican candidates for governor will meet on statewide television one week before the May 19 primary.Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Apr 20, 2015 11:32:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Sam Youngman: A 420 look at Rand Paul and marijuana
On April 20, a date celebrated by many users of four-twenty (a popular code name for marijuana), we pause to examine why U.S. Sen. Rand Paul was named one of…Click to Continue » [...]
Mon, Apr 20, 2015 7:09:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Indiana Governor Extends Scott County Needle-Exchange Program to Curb HIV
from Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has extended a needle-exchange program in a southern Indiana county to help combat an HIV outbreak. Related StorySouthern Indiana Town Inches Towards Help, Hope in Light of HIV OutbreakPence on Monday approved a 30-day extension of a March 26 executive order declaring a public health emergency in Scott County, about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. State health officials said there are more than 130 confirmed and preliminary HIV cases tied to the county. Officials say the cases are linked to intravenous drug use. Scott County typically sees about five HIV cases each year. Health officials expect the number [...]
Mon, Apr 20, 2015 5:24:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Volunteers Sought For Kentucky Foster Care Review Boards
from Jacob Ryan
The state is seeking volunteers for Citizen Foster Care Review Boards in 46 counties throughout Kentucky. The volunteers are needed to review cases of children placed in foster care and to ensure speedy placement in permanent homes, said Dolores Smith, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Family and Juvenile Services. The review process will examine whether the needs of children in foster care are being met, Smith said. “The whole idea is to get permanency for these children,” she said. The citizen review boards were established by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1982 to “decrease the time children spend in foster care,” according to [...]
Mon, Apr 20, 2015 5:17:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
John Steffen to leave executive ethics to head election finance registry
from Jack Brammer
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT – John R. Steffen, head of the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission, is leaving the post in mid-May to become head of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Steffen, 48, of Georgetown, will replace at the registry Sarah M. Jackson, who retired last fall. The registry administers Kentucky’s campaign finance law and ensures public access to campaign financial data and reports. The ethics commission, which is to meet May 4, will determine who will replace Steffen at the independent agency which oversees ethical standards that govern the conduct of all executive branch employees. Steffen’s annual salary at the ethics commission [...]
Mon, Apr 20, 2015 3:47:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Monday, April 20, 2015

Today's Political Headlines


Broadcast TV buys offer glimpse of GOP campaign outreach strategies four weeks ahead of primary

04/19/2015 06:13 PM
As the final four weeks of Kentucky’s Republican gubernatorial primary approach, three candidates will have to overcome a mountain of cash spent on the airwaves by multimillionaire Hal Heiner. Heiner, a former Louisville Metro Council member and one-time mayoral candidate, has spent $1.1 million to boost his profile across broadcast airwaves, sans the Cincinnati market, since Jan. 19, according to an analysis of spending records filed with the Federal Communications Commission. For every ad on broadcast aired by opponents James Comer... Read more 

Heiner stresses job-creation credentials in latest campaign commercial

04/17/2015 01:21 PM
GOP gubernatorial candidate Hal Heiner is pointing to his business developments with Capstone Realty at Louisville’s Commerce Crossings as proof of his experience at attracting and keeping Kentucky jobs. The commercial features aerial shots of the south Louisville business park which features companies like Yum Brands, JP Morgan, Passport Health, National Processing Co. and Jordan Technologies. In the ad Heiner points to the diverse businesses operating in the area, saying that the way to grow jobs in Kentucky is to know... Read more 
Study Quantifies Economic Effect of Electricity Price Increases in Kentucky and the Rest of the U.S.
from Erica Peterson
A new whitepaper released by Kentucky regulators in draft form last week quantifies the economic effects of rising electricity prices on jobs in the state and around the country. The paper uses a hypothetical 10 percent across-the-board increase in electricity prices around the country, and measures the effects of that increase on various states and industries. The most vulnerable states seem to be those similar to Kentucky: ones that have both a carbon-intensive energy portfolio and electricity-intensive industries. Overall, the paper estimates a 10 percent rise in the real price of electricity would result in the loss of more than a million jobs and [...]
Mon, Apr 20, 2015 11:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Jefferson County Public Schools Seeks Leeway on Tests for English as Second Language Students
from Ashley Lopez
Jefferson County Public Schools administrators are asking the Kentucky Board of Education to give schools some leeway on test scores from students learning English. Jefferson County—compared to other districts in the state—has a fairly high number of refugee and immigrant students. The Newcomer Academy in Louisville’s Shawnee Neighborhood, for example, has more than 430 students learning English as a second language, and almost a quarter of the students enrolled at Iroquois High School are ESL students, too. Newcomer Principal Gwen Snow said she’s getting new students all the time. “I’ve been here since 2008. We had 250 students at the end of the year [...]
Sun, Apr 19, 2015 2:33:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Poll finds majority of Americans think marijuana destined to be legal
America has seen the future, and it is filled with legalized marijuana.Click to Continue » [...]
Sun, Apr 19, 2015 4:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Be vigilant defending Bill of Rights, Paul urges NH GOP
Rand Paul Saturday stressed loyalty to the Bill of Rights and more selective American involvement against foreign security threats as he addressed hundreds of New Hampshire activists.Click to Continue » [...]
Sun, Apr 19, 2015 3:07:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Gubernatorial profile: Will T. Scott says his 'lunchpail ticket' can't be corralled by wealthy
from lblackford@herald-leader.com (Linda B. Blackford)
Polls show former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott running a distant last in the four-way primary to become the Republican nominee for governor on May 19. But he's…Click to Continue » [...]
Sun, Apr 19, 2015 1:00:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Strange Fruit: Family Guy’s Kirker Butler says ‘Nothing is Off Limits’
from Laura Ellis
Comedy writer Kirker Butler has written for “Family Guy” and “The Cleveland Show,” but his most recent work is a satirical novel called “Pretty Ugly,” about a Southern family whose child is involved in beauty pageants. Butler grew up in Ohio County, Kentucky, where his mother was in charge of planning the annual pageant. And though the novel is set in Kentucky, and the family is dysfunctional, Butler says he isn’t worried about offending folks from his home state. “It comes from a place of love,” he says. “I think Kentuckians have a pretty good sense of humor about themselves.” We talk to [...]
Sat, Apr 18, 2015 12:02:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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Friday, April 17, 2015

Today's Political Headlines

Heiner blasts Conway without uttering opponents' names in Louisville Tea Party's GOP debate

04/17/2015 12:00 AM
Louisville investment professional Matt Bevin chided Louisville real estate developer Hal Heiner and Agriculture Commissioner James Comer for following his lead in releasing a detailed gubernatorial plan. Comer called Heiner out for failing to get charter schools across the finish line as chairman of the Kentucky Charter Schools Association. Former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice steered clear of the Republican infighting, instead lamenting about crying cockroaches on crutches and telling the crowd of more than 150 that the bats need to be swept... Read more 

GOP gubernatorial hopeful James Comer suggests tax breaks for college grads who stay in-state

04/16/2015 04:16 PM
LEXINGTON — Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer unveiled Thursday his campaign’s plan to drastically slash university tuition prices through tax credits for Kentuckians who earn their degrees and begin their careers in-state. Four-year undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville each cost more than $40,000 in tuition. Under Comer’s plan, in-state students would pay full tuition at the state’s two flagship institutions but earn tax credits that would cut those costs to $20,000 as long as they... Read more 

GOP candidates outline strategies to fix pressing state issues in Versailles forum

04/16/2015 01:21 PM
VERSAILLES — While the four Republican gubernatorial candidates agreed on what needs to change in the commonwealth from education to pension reform — they sometimes disagreed on how to go about getting that accomplished. Businessman Matt Bevin, Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer, former Louisville councilman and businessman Hal Heiner and former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott were in Woodford County on Wednesday night trying to convince voters why they have the best chance of defeating Democrat Jack Conway... Read more 
Kentucky’s Jobless Rate Drops to 5.1 Percent in March
from Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky officials say the state’s unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent in March, the lowest rate since June 2001. The state office of Employment and Training said Thursday that Kentucky’s jobless rate has been below the national rate for eight straight months. The state agency says Kentucky’s preliminary jobless rate for March fell from the revised 5.3 percent rate in February. It says last month’s rate was well below the statewide 7.2 percent jobless rate in March 2014. The agency says Kentucky’s professional and business services sector added 3,100 positions in March compared to the prior month. Employment in the other [...]
Fri, Apr 17, 2015 10:53:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Scott provides comic relief at Tea Party's GOP debate
from syoungman@herald-leader.com (Sam Youngman)
LOUISVILLE — The latest debate between the four men running for the Republican gubernatorial debate was short on policy disagreements but long on jokes and laughter as the candidates sought…Click to Continue » [...]
Fri, Apr 17, 2015 1:41:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
James Comer proposes major tax credit to offset cost of higher education in Kentucky
from bestep@herald-leader.com (Bill Estep and Linda B. Blackford)
College graduates in Kentucky would get tax credits to hold down the cost of higher education under a plan state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said he will pursue if he…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Apr 16, 2015 10:42:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
State judge strikes down Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriage, but decision put on hold
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
A Franklin Circuit Court judge on Thursday struck down Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriage, although he immediately put his decision on hold because the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Apr 16, 2015 9:46:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
National Wheelchair Basketball Championships Begin Today in Louisville
from Rick Howlett
Louisville is once again the site of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Championships, which began Thursday and continue through Sunday at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center. More than 1,000 athletes, 90 teams and 200 coaches are competing in this year’s tournaments, which cover several divisions and will be played on more than dozen courts. Gregory Lewis-Seals, assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Strong Dogs men’s team, said wheelchair basketball is not much different from the traditional game. “The mechanics and the game of basketball—is still basketball,” Lewis-Seals said. “They just adjust some rules to accommodate the chairs and their disability.” There will also be an [...]
Thu, Apr 16, 2015 8:41:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
String Quartet Brooklyn Rider Performs at Clifton Center
from Tara Anderson
A string quartet at the forefront of contemporary classical music performs tonight at the Clifton Center. Brooklyn Rider hails from New York City, as their name would suggest, and though they have the traditional string quartet configuration of two violins, a viola and a cello, they have a wide range of influences, from classical to folk to world music. Their most recent album, “The Brooklyn Rider Almanac,” is a collection of 15 newly commissioned works from composers as varied as jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan and drummer Glenn Kotche of the band Wilco. Violist Nicholas Cords said they wanted to take [...]
Thu, Apr 16, 2015 8:27:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
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