Jack Conway prefers open forum at Ky. Coal Assn. meeting, but "they set the rules"
08/19/2015 11:36 PM
LEXINGTON — When Attorney General Jack Conway faces some of the same coal industrialists he and Republican Matt Bevin spoke with at a private forum in Virginia shortly after the May 19 primary, he hopes the event will be open to the press, he told reporters Wednesday. Still, both he and Bevin campaign manager Ben Hartman said the parameters of the Kentucky Coal Association’s annual meeting in October will be decided by the organization, not the candidates. “They set the rules. We... Read more 
McConnell says White House will need GOP to pass Trans-Pacific Partnership, wary of potential carve-outs
08/19/2015 06:45 PM
GEORGETOWN — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reiterated his wariness of potential carve-outs to a major multinational trade deal being negotiated in the Pacific Rim. Speaking to Pure Politics and other reporters in Georgetown on Monday, McConnell said that he is “concerned about what the final deal may look like,” referring to the potential exclusion of tobacco from the agreement. McConnell said he is also wary of a climate-change carve-out in the trade deal. As Pure Politics has previously... Read more
The Chatter: Sen. Rand Paul did not transfer $250K to RPK; GOP columnist calls for Paul to drop out
08/19/2015 03:17 PM
Despite telling the Republican Party of Kentucky’s central committee that he had already transferred $250,000 to the party to pay for a presidential caucus, it turns out U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has not sent that money. The Lexington Herald-Leader’s Sam Youngman first reported the mix-up between the letter and what Paul’s camp has done on Tuesday. The $250,000 has not been transferred to the Republican Party, but aides to Paul say it has been set aside in a separate... Read more
Eighty percent of Jefferson County public school students receiving free meals
08/19/2015 01:45 PM
LOUISVILLE – All students in 127 of the 146 schools in the Jefferson County School District will receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2015 – 2016 school year. The free meals are part of the “Community Eligibility Program” provision which was part of the Congressional Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which has been slowly rolled out in all 50 states. Every state had access for the first time during the 2014/15 school year. In order to qualify for... Read more
Republican candidate for governor Matt Bevin said again this week that some recipients of welfare benefits should be tested for drugs as a condition of receiving public assistance. In an interview with WFPL News, Bevin said he would support legislation to begin randomly drug testing certain recipients of federal assistance for food and other goods because it’s in their own best interest to stay off drugs. “If we’re going to randomly drug test the people that are willing to do jobs to defend the rest of us that others don’t want to do, why in the blazes should we not expect the very same of the [...]
Thu, Aug 20, 2015 11:55:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Each year, Kentucky State Fair organizers must plan carefully. “People want new entertainment. They want to see something that’s new and relevant,” Kentucky State Fair Board President Rip Rippetoe said on Wednesday. Still, longtime fair-goers expect their favorite attractions. This means fair organizers are put in what could be, without good planning, a catch-22: figure out how to create an event that draws new crowds looking for new things, but keeps loyal crowds looking for the exact same experience as one, five or 20 years ago. Striking the right balance is especially important for organizers to get right today, as the fair returns from a 30-year low [...]
Thu, Aug 20, 2015 10:55:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Even while fighting blindness in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere this week, Republican presidential contender Rand Paul intensified political attacks against rivals in both parties, vowing to continue…Click to Continue » [...]
Thu, Aug 20, 2015 7:19:00 AM, Continue reading at the source
Judge puts expiration date on delay in issuing Rowan County marriage licenses: Aug. 31
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
from jcheves@herald-leader.com (John Cheves)
Unless the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals acts on County Clerk Kim Davis' appeal by the end of the month, U.S. District Judge David Bunning's temporary stay will expire…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Aug 19, 2015 10:22:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
A federal judge said Wednesday a “temporary stay” on his order for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis to resume issuing marriage licenses will expire on Aug. 31. Barring intervention from a higher court, the judge’s order means Davis would have to begin issuing licenses by the end of the month. U.S. District Judge David Bunning ruled last week that Davis had to resume issuing marriage licenses, which she stopped doing after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June. But Davis immediately requested a stay of that decision while she appealed the case to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Monday, Bunning [...]
Wed, Aug 19, 2015 9:14:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Even while fighting blindness in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere this week, Republican presidential contender Rand Paul intensified political attacks against rivals in both parties, vowing to continue…Click to Continue » [...]
Wed, Aug 19, 2015 9:04:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader FRANKFORT – Kentucky’s new fiscal year has gotten off to a fairly good start. State budget director Jane Driskell said Monday the state’s General Fund receipts for July, the first month of fiscal year 2016, rose 4 percent compared to July 2014 receipts. Receipts in July for the General Fund, which pays for most state programs, were $738.8 million. The official revenue estimate for this fiscal year calls for revenue to rise 1.0 percent compared to last fiscal year’s actual receipts. Based on July’s results, General Fund revenues need to increase 0.8 percent for the remainder of the fiscal year to [...]
Mon, Aug 10, 2015 5:48:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT – Drew Curtis of Versailles plans to officially enter this year’s race for governor on Monday as an independent candidate. Curtis, founder of Fark.com, an Internet news aggregator, said Friday he has collected about 8,000 signatures, about 3,000 more than the 5,000 needed to get on the ballot. Curtis’ wife, Heather, will be his running mate. Tuesday is the last day a candidate can get on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. The two major candidates for governor are Republican Matt Bevin and Democrat Jack Conway, both of Louisville. [...]
Fri, Aug 07, 2015 6:31:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU FRANKFORT –Gov. Steve Beshear has asked President Obama to issue a major disaster declaration and provide emergency assistance to persons in four counties recovering from last month’s flooding. Letters supporting Beshear's request also were sent to the White House from U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and U.S. Reps. Hal Rogers and Thomas Massie. Strong storms from July 11 to July 20 caused heavy rain and flash flooding, which claimed lives, washed out roads and forced people from their homes in several communities, Beshear said. In his letter to Obama, Beshear noted the four deaths attributed to the flash flood [...]
Tue, Aug 04, 2015 3:51:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
