Newsletter: Kelly and Borders leaving state Senate

Senate Floor Leader Dan Kelly, R-Springfield

FRANKFORT – Kentucky Roll Call, a Frankfort-based newsletter about Kentucky politics, is reporting without attribution that Gov. Steve Beshear soon will appoint two Republican state senators to positions that would remove them from the legislature.

The newsletter says that Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly of Springfield will be appointed to an unexpired term as a circuit court judge that will keep him on the bench through 2014 and Senate budget chairman Charlie Borders of Russell will become one of three commissioners on the state Public Service Commission. He would replace John W. Clay of Lexington, whose term expires at the end of the month. Clay’s current annual salary is $116,160.

Asked about the possible moves, Beshear spokesman Jay Blanton said “the governor does not discuss appointments before they are made, so it would be premature to discuss those issues at this time.”

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Charlie Borders, R-Grayson

Borders said Monday that any statement about his future would have to be made at the appropriate time. He declined to elaborate.

Kelly did not return repeated phone calls to his office and home Monday and last Friday.

Democrats have a good chance of winning the two special elections Beshear will call to fill the unexpired terms of the two GOP senators, Kentucky Roll Call speculated.

It said state Rep. Robin Webb of Grayson may replace Borders in the 18th Senate district that covers Bracken, Carter, Greenup, Lewis, Mason and Robertson counties.

In the 14th District that covers Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties, either former state Rep. Jodie Haydon of Bardstown or Nicky Rapier of Bardstown, son of the late House leader Kenny Rapier, likely would succeed Kelly, the publication said.

Republicans now control the Senate 21 to 16, with one independent in the chamber.

Several in the horse industry who were disappointed that a measure to allow video lottery terminals at racetracks died in the Senate budget committee last month have said changes should be made in the Senate. Both Borders and Kelly oppose slots at racetracks.

Martin Cothran, a spokesman for Say No to Casinos, said if Beshear appoints Kelly and Borders to positions that take them out of the legislature, “then it would appear to be a distortion of the political process, politics casino style.

“Stuff like this seems to happen when the gambling industry tries to get its way.”

Patrick Neely, executive director of the Kentucky Equine Education Project that wants slots at the tracks, could not be immediately reached for comment.