Thursday, January 21, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Informed-consent bill takes a small step in House as Stumbo proposes raising minimum wage

01/20/2016 10:59 PM
FRANKFORT — House Minority Floor Leader Jeff Hoover inched one of his caucus’s primary legislative priorities forward with a procedural move on Wednesday, the same day House Speaker Greg Stumbo introduced a bill that would raise the state’s minimum wage. Hoover moved that Senate Bill 4, legislation mandating that patients receive face-to-face consultations with physicians before an abortion, receive its first reading in the chamber and go back for committee assignment by the Committee on Committees. The Jamestown Republican noted that... Read more 

Bill giving attorney general's office jurisdiction in human-trafficking cases heads to House floor

01/20/2016 07:22 PM
FRANKFORT — A bill granting the Office of the Attorney General a greater role in prosecuting human trafficking offenses unanimously cleared a House committee on Wednesday. House Bill 229, sponsored by House Majority Caucus Chair Sannie Overly, would give the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases alongside commonwealth’s and county attorneys. Attorney General Andy Beshear testified on behalf of HB 229, which passed with little debate among lawmakers. Beshear said human-trafficking investigations have been few,... Read more 

House bill would change work shifts for Louisville Metro police officers

01/20/2016 05:03 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would allow Louisville Metro Police patrol officers to work 36 hours one week, followed by a week with 44 hours without receiving overtime has unanimously cleared the House Standing Committee on Local Government. House Bill 149, sponsored by Rep. Jeffery Donohue, D-Fairdale, would open the door for officers to work 12-hour shifts, which Louisville Metro Police says will increase the number of patrol officers on the street during any given shift. Currently, state law... Read more 
Kentucky Senate President Suggests ‘Austere’ Measures In State Budget
from Ryland Barton
Less than a week before Gov. Matt Bevin gives his formal state budget proposal, Republican Senate President Robert Stivers, Bevin’s ally, gave an ominous prediction. “I think this budget that will be introduced and proposed by the executive branch will be one of the most austere budgets that I’ve seen in my 20 years in the General Assembly,” Stivers said Wednesday on the Senate floor. Bevin, a Republican, suggested just as much when he was campaigning, saying that the state would have to undergo “belt-tightening across the board” during a debate on KET. At issue are mounting obligations in the state pension systems [...]
Thu, Jan 21, 2016 1:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Gynnya McMillen’s Death In A Kentucky Detention Center: What We Know
from R.G. Dunlop
As family and friends gathered earlier this week in Louisville for the funeral of a teenage girl who died in state custody, memories of her life competed for attention with an unanswered question circulating through Kentucky and beyond: What caused the death of Gynnya Hope McMillen? “We are simply trying to find out what happened,” her aunt, Felicia Garr, told WFPL’s Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting prior to Tuesday’s funeral at the Fifth Street Baptist Church. “Why did Gynnya die? What caused her death? We are trusting that our family attorney will find the answers. Any further questions we will direct to our [...]
Thu, Jan 21, 2016 12:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Why Is It So Quiet After It Snows?
from Ja'Nel Johnson
Have you ever noticed how much quieter everything gets after a significant snowfall? Howling winds and pouring rain are closely associated with the sound of tornadoes and thunderstorms. But when it comes to a fresh blanket of snow, there’s largely silence. And it’s not just because there are fewer people outside. David Herrin, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky, said there’s a simple scientific reason. “Snow is actually a pretty good sound absorber,” he said. The characteristics and age of snow can affect how sound waves travel, dampening them in some cases or enhancing them in others, according to the National Snow [...]
Thu, Jan 21, 2016 12:05:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Gov. Bevin taps former Louisville GOP chair and Ky. Chamber of Commerce public affairs VP for cabinet appointments

01/19/2016 09:25 PM
A little over a month into office and Gov. Matt Bevin continues to fill out the members of his inner circle. Late Tuesday, Bevin’s office announced Nathan Haney, the former head of the Jefferson County Republican Party, will serve as deputy secretary of the Executive Cabinet, and Bryan Sunderland, the vice president of public affairs for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, has been named legislative director. In a statement, Bevin said he was excited to name the two “key appointments.” “Nate Haney... Read more 

At nearly $68K per day, General Assembly has been slow to start

01/19/2016 07:59 PM
Kentucky’s legislature faces the tough task of balancing a $20 billion budget this legislative session. With poor health rankings and struggling pensions the need couldn’t be greater, but lawmakers are off to a slow start and the cost is adding up for taxpayers. On Tuesday the schedule had been cleared as lawmakers returned to Frankfort after the holiday. At 3 p.m. Tuesday a handful of state Senate lawmakers heard testimony in a committee before clocking in on the Senate floor... Read more 

Senate bill to protect landlords from liability for dog bites passes in committee

01/19/2016 06:25 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would alleviate legal liability for a property owner whose tenants dog bites an individual has been passed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture. Senate Bill 68, sponsored by Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, known as “the dog bite bill,” would amend the current statute KRS 258.095 to modify the definition of persons who would qualify as the “owner” of a dog. In 2012, a Kentucky Supreme Court decision found that a landlord could be considered a dog owner... Read more 
Bill Would Protect Kentucky Landlords From Liability If Tenant’s Dog Attacks
from Ryland Barton
A legislative panel has approved a bill that would protect a landlord from liability if a tenant’s dog attacks another person. Under current law, a landlord can be held responsible if a tenant’s dog attacks someone on property owned by the landlord. State Sen. Ralph Alvarado, a Republican from Winchester who sponsored the bill, said landlords are “strictly liable” for dog attacks even if they don’t know a tenant has a dog. “Without this fix, landlords can expect to be sued in more cases of dog bites without regard to the landlord’s knowledge,” Alvarado said. “This, in turn, will increase the cost of liability insurance and, [...]
Wed, Jan 20, 2016 1:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Judge Won’t Revoke License Of Southern Indiana Wildlife Refuge’s Operator
from Joseph Lord
A federal administrative law judge has rejected the United States Department of Agriculture’s bid to revoke the exhibitor license of Timothy Stark, the operator of a controversial Southern Indiana wildlife attraction. But a recent fire means federal regulators will continue scrutinizing Wildlife In Need, best known for its popular Tiger Baby Playtime fundraisers. The USDA claimed in February that Stark’s license, issued under the Animal Welfare Act, should be revoked because he had pleaded guilty in 2007 to violating the Endangered Species Act. That case involved the 2004 transfer of an ocelot, which is an endangered species, according to the USDA’s court filing. Stark [...]
Wed, Jan 20, 2016 12:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Inside Kentucky’s Unregulated Private Probation Industry
from James McNair
ELIZABETHTOWN — Getting busted with a small amount of fake marijuana led to a more expensive lesson in criminal justice than Timothy Lee Cook could have imagined. Cook, 54, agreed to a plea deal in Hardin County District Court last summer that kept him out of jail, but cost him $186 in fines and court fees. He couldn’t afford it himself. Bedeviled by mental disorders, he hasn’t held a job for more than 20 years. His 74-year-old mother put up the money. Now Cook is tasting the cost of probation. Every month for two years, he has to pay a $25 monitoring [...]
Wed, Jan 20, 2016 12:03:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Rep. Westrom optimistic for bill against smoking inside most public spaces despite tough legislative landscape

01/18/2016 07:30 AM
FRANKFORT — Last year’s 30-day legislative session was a breakthrough for Rep. Susan Westrom’s bill that would ban indoor smoking in most public places, passing the House in its first floor vote by a 51-46 margin. House Bill 145 ultimately met its demise without a hearing in the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee, and while Westrom hopes to gain some traction in the Republican-led chamber, she concedes that this year’s version of the bill will likely see... Read more 

2016 candidate filing update: Candidates make challenges official with deadline looming

01/17/2016 07:30 AM
With the filing deadline for May primaries soon approaching, both Democrats and Republicans are flooding into Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes’s office to mount challenges to incumbents and seek open seats. Contenders for the open 1st Congressional District race have been busy filing their candidacy paperwork, but most of the filing action has been taking place in the state House, where more primaries are developing. U.S. representative 1st district — Candidates are beginning to submit paperwork to officially file in... Read more 
Body Cameras Not Likely For Kentucky State Police
from Jacob Ryan
Police departments across Kentucky began outfitting officers with body cameras last year, but don’t expect state troopers to join their ranks anytime soon. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer said he supports the idea of equipping the agency’s 1,000 troopers with the cameras, but the cost to do so is too steep. The state’s most recent budget resulted in a 2.5 percent cut for state police, state budget documents show. With those constraints, body cameras are not a top priority for state police, Brewer said. “My concern has to be providing the best tools for our troopers to respond in a safe manner — [...]
Tue, Jan 19, 2016 12:04:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Listen: How Louisville Honors Martin Luther King Jr.
from Jacob Ryan
Despite frigid temperatures, hundreds of Louisvillians on Monday joined a motorcade in memory of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights icon and activist who reshaped the way mainstream America thought about race and social justice. The string of buses, trucks and cars stretched for nearly a mile. It departed from 28th Street and Broadway Monday morning, wound through Russell and concluded at King Solomon Baptist Church at 16th and Anderson streets. WFPL spoke with residents during the motorcade and at the church to get a sense of what King’s life means to them — and whether they believe the equality he fought [...]
Mon, Jan 18, 2016 8:57:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Prospective College Students In Kentucky Urged to Fill Out FAFSA
from Rick Howlett
People planning to enroll in college this year are being urged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, soon. The form is the first step toward determining eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid. Emma Brown with Louisville’s 55,000 Degrees initiative said many people leave money on the table by not filling out the form, thinking they’re not eligible for aid. “They believe their parents make too much money, their grades aren’t good enough or that they’re too old,” she said. “But in fact, neither grades nor age are criteria, and income is a factor that may be [...]
Mon, Jan 18, 2016 8:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, January 18, 2016

Today's Political Headlines

Rep. Westrom optimistic for bill against smoking inside most public spaces despite tough legislative landscape

01/18/2016 07:30 AM
FRANKFORT — Last year’s 30-day legislative session was a breakthrough for Rep. Susan Westrom’s bill that would ban indoor smoking in most public places, passing the House in its first floor vote by a 51-46 margin. House Bill 145 ultimately met its demise without a hearing in the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee, and while Westrom hopes to gain some traction in the Republican-led chamber, she concedes that this year’s version of the bill will likely see... Read more 

2016 candidate filing update: Candidates make challenges official with deadline looming

01/17/2016 07:30 AM
With the filing deadline for May primaries soon approaching, both Democrats and Republicans are flooding into Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes’s office to mount challenges to incumbents and seek open seats. Contenders for the open 1st Congressional District race have been busy filing their candidacy paperwork, but most of the filing action has been taking place in the state House, where more primaries are developing. U.S. representative 1st district — Candidates are beginning to submit paperwork to officially file in... Read more 

The Chatter: Ky. Health Co-op goes into liquidation, House passes bill on continuous conduct, search on for new KSP head

01/16/2016 03:10 PM
Weeks before the termination of its final health plan, a Franklin Circuit Court judge placed Kentucky’s failed health cooperative into liquidation on Friday. The Kentucky Department of Insurance, which put Kentucky Health Cooperative into rehabilitation Oct. 29, had requested that step as the nonprofit insurer established under the Affordable Care Act settles its finances. The group had insured some 51,000 Kentuckians, the last of whom will be covered by Jan. 31. Most individual and group plans were terminated Jan. 1 as... Read more 

Newly hired director of park resorts settled ethics violation last year after agreeing to buy eatery at marina leased from state

01/15/2016 05:00 PM
When newly appointed director of resorts for Kentucky Department of Parks assumes his new role in state government on Wednesday, it will be a year to the day that he agreed to settle a state ethics violation stemming from his resignation as manager of Kenlake State Resort Park. John Rittenhouse, whose appointment was announced on Thursday, was publicly reprimanded by the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and paid a $1,500 penalty for agreeing to buy a restaurant on a marina subleased from... Read more 

Felony expungement bill passes House on 80-11 vote

01/15/2016 01:38 PM
UPDATED FRANKFORT — A bill that would allow most class D felonies to be expunged from a criminal’s record following a five-year waiting period cleared the state House of Representatives on an 80-11 vote on Friday. House Bill 40 now goes to the Senate, where its chances of passing are unclear. Senate President Robert Stivers said the issue has generated “a lot of interest and discussion” in his chamber and the legislation will not “die in the mode of transit down... Read more 

Legislation that would repeal prevailing wage for school construction passes Senate

01/14/2016 05:38 PM
FRANKFORT — Once again, a bill which would exempt schools and universities from Kentucky’s prevailing wage law, which sets higher wage rates for public works projects, was passed by the Senate chamber by a vote of 26 to 11. Senate Bill 9, sponsor Sen. Wil Schroder, R-Wilder, says that exempting educational institutions from prevailing wage will allow the districts to save money and put those dollars elsewhere. “Schools are paying more for construction with absolutely no guarantee for better quality,” Schroder said.... Read more 

Gov. Bevin seeks to withdraw Beshear's motion to dismiss U of L board lawsuit, nullify his June appointments

01/14/2016 05:34 PM
Gov. Matt Bevin is looking to nullify appointments to the University of Louisville Board of Trustees made by his predecessor, agreeing with plaintiffs in a lawsuit that the panel lacks the required number of minority members. Bevin, in a court filing released Thursday, suggests in response to a lawsuit by the Kentucky Justice Resource Center that relief could be gained by declaring the board’s racial makeup out of compliance with state law, nullifying Beshear’s June 26 appointments to the board and... Read more 

Lawmakers exchange barbs over legislative pension transparency 

01/14/2016 03:45 PM
FRANKFORT — Over the last session lawmakers in the state Senate have passed legislation in an effort to open up transparency into the pension systems. Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, has filed that bill again with a focus on lawmaker’s pensions, but not everyone in the legislature is in agreement on the need for transparency. Speaking to Pure Politics at a panel hosted by the Kentucky Cable Telecommunications Association Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, took aim at Rep. Brent Yonts, D-Greenville,... Read more 

Vulnerable victims protection bill passes Senate committee

01/14/2016 12:59 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill allowing vulnerable victims of abuse to testify about continuing patterns of abuse instead of having to remember specific dates and places where the abuse occurred was unanimously passed by the Senate Committee on Judiciary on Thursday. Senate Bill 60, sponsored by Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Hopkinsville, creates a mechanism for charging a person with the commission of an offense against a vulnerable child or adult victim in a continuous course of conduct. Westerfield, admits that his previous experience... Read more 

Beshear returns to former law practice in post-political life

01/14/2016 11:19 AM
After eight years in office, former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear is returning to Stites & Harbison to practice law. Beshear will serve at the firm’s Lexington office, where he had supervised prior to taking office, according to a news release Thursday. The former governor first joined the firm in 1987. The Associated Press first reported Beshear’s career move. “It is a pleasure to rejoin the Stites & Harbison family where I spent many good years practicing law before serving the people... Read more 

Felony expungement bill set for House vote after passing judiciary committee

01/13/2016 09:27 PM
FRANKFORT — A bill that would allow the expungement of class D felony convictions cleared a familiar hurdle on Wednesday, moving through the House Judiciary Committee en route to a possible vote on the chamber’s floor on Friday. House Bill 40, which would allow felons convicted of a non-violent offense to seek expungement through a court after a five-year, crime-free waiting period, passed on a 15-3 vote, with Reps. Robert Benvenuti, Joe Fischer and House Minority Caucus Chair Stan Lee voting... Read more 

Appeals process for denied medical claims by Medicaid managed care organizations heads to Senate floor

01/13/2016 04:56 PM
FRANKFORT — Medical claims denied by Medicaid managed care companies would be subject to appeal under a bill that passed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday. Senate Bill 20, sponsored by Sen. Ralph Alvarado, moved to the chamber’s floor on a 10-0 vote. The Winchester Republican said his legislation is based on similar laws in Georgia and Virginia, where three out of the five managed care organizations in Kentucky also operate. “The Department of Insurance currently has an appeals process for... Read more 

Committee Update: Even numbered elections, legislative pension transparency bills clear Senate Committee

01/13/2016 04:10 PM
FRANKFORT – A bill which would move gubernatorial and constitutional officer elections to even numbered years, and legislation requiring the disclosure, upon request, of retirement benefit information of current and former members of the General Assembly passed unanimously out of the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Wednesday. Senate Bill 10, sponsored by Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, would amend Section 95 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to the election of state officers, and move the election of... Read more 

What Kentucky's federal delegation is saying about President Obama's final State of the Union 

01/13/2016 12:15 PM
With a change of tact President Obama’s final State of the Union speech departed from the normal wish list of legislative priorities, and turned towards America’s future. Kentucky Congressman largely panned Obama’s speech, but that’s not surprising considering the partisan tilt to the right at the federal level. Lone Democratic U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth of Louisville was the only Kentucky Congressman to praise the president’s vision. Yarmuth called Obama’s speech a “wake-up call for both the American people and for... Read more 
Ahead of Charter Schools Debate, Hargens Says JCPS Already Offers Choices
from Jacob Ryan
Superintendent Donna Hargens says Jefferson County Public Schools is working to ensure that Louisville families are aware of its offerings in anticipation of a new push for state charter school legislation. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is a charter school supporter. The Republican-majority state Senate has approved a bill that would authorize charter schools every year since 2010, and the legislation is expected to appear again during this session. The Democratic-controlled House has yet to vote on that legislation, but Republicans have narrowed their minority to just four votes, putting more pressure on the Democrats to hear — and potentially support — more conservative bills. Generally, [...]
Mon, Jan 18, 2016 3:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Central Kentucky County to Consider Changes for Liquids Pipelines
from Erica Peterson
A county in central Kentucky is poised to consider a zoning change that could affect a massive multi-state pipeline project. Boyle County government will consider whether to require all hazardous liquids pipelines to receive permits from the county’s zoning board. That would create a hurdle if energy company Kinder Morgan’s conversion of the massive Tennessee Gas Pipeline moves forward. The Tennessee Gas Pipeline isn’t new; it’s carried natural gas across 18 Kentucky counties for 70 years. But now, Kinder Morgan is seeking regulatory approval to change the pipeline. The proposal involves reversing the flow and converting it to carry natural gas liquids, rather than natural [...]
Mon, Jan 18, 2016 1:55:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Decades Since His Death, MLK’s Shadow Still Shapes Today’s Activism
from NPR
The country remembers the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. More than four decades after his death, many people see the Black Lives Matter movement as the modern incarnation of the drive for human dignity and legal standing that Dr. King embodied. But others, including members of an earlier generation of activists, find fault with the group, seeing it as an aimless, formless group that still lacks direction and follow-through. Meanwhile, younger activists sometimes see their seniors as too narrow in their focus and rigid in their methods. Others ask whether the mere fact that another protest movement has arisen is [...]
Mon, Jan 18, 2016 1:02:00 PM, Continue reading at the source
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)