Archive for May, 2010

What is Rand Paul’s political philosophy?

By Bill Estep – bestep@herald-leader.com

Commentators have put a lot of labels on Rand Paul, Kentucky’s Republican U.S. Senate nominee. Extremist. Constitutionalist. Face of the Tea Party movement. Defender of racists. And, most often, libertarian.

The effort by pundits, politicos and journalists across the country to peg Paul’s views ratcheted up after he won the primary May 18, then promptly threw cold water on the win with comments suggesting private business owners should have the right to discriminate against minorities.

His philosophical point on property rights has continued to echo on talk shows, opinion pages and the Internet, shifting focus away from Paul’s core message of limiting government spending and balancing the budget.

The Bowling Green eye surgeon’s stumble has raised a whole new line of questioning about his ideology — a mix of ideas from libertarians, social conservatives and the Tea Party movement — and how it would apply to a seemingly endless list of other government programs and mandates.

Where does he draw the line on consumer-protection laws? What about Wall Street regulations and workplace-safety rules? Is the Americans with Disabilities Act too onerous?

“These questions aren’t going to go away,” said Scott Lasley, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University.

Bluegrass Poll: Paul leads Conway by 6 points

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Rand Paul leads Democratic nominee Jack Conway by 6 points in a new Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

Paul held a 51 percent to 45 percent lead over Conway in the automated telephone survey of 569 likely voters. Another 4 percent said they were undecided.

The poll, conducted May 25-27, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

General Assembly approves road plan, ends special session

By Beth Musgrave – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – After six days of wrangling, the General Assembly adjourned a special legislative session late Saturday after House and Senate leaders agreed on a two-year road budget.

The Senate voted 34 to 2 just before 10:30 p.m. to approve compromise versions of a $4.4 billion road plan and a nearly $5 billion operations budget for the Transportation Cabinet. The House unanimously approved the two measures just before 10:45 p.m.

Without the legislation, which lawmakers failed to approve in the regular legislative session that ended April 15, the Transportation Cabinet would have essentially shut down on July 1 and all road work across the state would have come to a halt.

Sen. Ernie Harris, R-Crestwood, and chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the two-year road plan was “responsible and balanced.” Senate President David Williams said the plan calls for borrowing $400 million, about $100 million more than lawmakers had previously suggested.

The road plan includes money to begin adding concrete barriers to the median of a deadly stretch of Interstate 65 in Hart and LaRue Counties, said Sen. Carroll Gibson, R-Leitchfield. A Mennonite family from Marrowbone was among 11 people killed in March on that stretch of road when a tractor trailer crossed the median and struck a van carrying the family.

Aware of voters’ disgust, lawmakers promise to change budget process

By Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – Aware of Kentuckians’ disgust with the $63,000-a-day cost for last week’s special legislative session, leading lawmakers say they want to make sure there’s no repeat two years from now.

Although the General Assembly had 60 work days that spanned over more than three months earlier this year to approve the state’s various two-year spending plans, they found themselves holed up in the Capitol Saturday night trying to hammer out the politically-tricky details of a road-building plan.

“I guess it’s our punishment for not getting our job done in 60 days,” House Speaker Greg Stumbo said on the sixth day of a special law-making session that extended into the holiday weekend.

Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said he has been talking with Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, and the House and Senate budget chairmen about new policies to speed up the budget process and make sure lawmakers finish their work during their regular sessions.

Gov. Steve Beshear and Williams said this weekend that they support any move that would save Kentucky taxpayers’ money.

Beshear noted that the legislature already receives the budget requests of government agencies at the same time as the governor’s budget staff.

“Changing the law is unnecessary; more efficient use of time could improve results,” he said.

Stumbo: ‘Outline’ for road plan in the works

FRANKFORT — House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Saturday that House and Senate leaders have reached a “tentative understanding” on a two-year road plan.

“We have the outline for a plan, which we will present to the caucus,” Stumbo said. “It does have the support of leadership.”

House Democrats met behind closed doors to discuss the proposal later Saturday afternoon. House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, said after the meeting that the caucus agreed to the outlines of the plan, adding that he believed a “tentative agreement” between the two chambers had been reached on the two-year road plan.

Adkins said that the two sides were still working on an operating budget for the Transportation Cabinet.

In the Senate, Majority Floor Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, told his colleagues that it still wasn’t clear when or if lawmakers could approve a road plan on Saturday. “There are some things that are on the table right now,” he said during a rare Saturday session.

General Assembly approves state budget but lawmakers returning Saturday

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — After a day of tense negotiations, the Kentucky General Assembly approved a two-year, $17.1 billion budget late Friday, averting a broad shutdown of state government when the new fiscal year begins July 1.

However, the two chambers could not come to an agreement on the state’s two-year road plan or the Transportation Cabinet’s operating budget. Lawmakers will reconvene at 2 p.m. Saturday to continue negotiations.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said he believes lawmakers have “parameters for an agreement” on the road plan.

Without an operating budget, most of the Cabinet’s workers would be sent home and road work around the state would halt.

On the budget, Gov. Steve Beshear must now decide if he wants to veto any particular portion of the spending plan before signing it into law.

The spending plan includes 3.5 percent cuts in the first year and 4.5 percent in the second year for most state agencies, changes to the state employee health insurance plan and funding to help replace some of the state’s most dilapidated school buildings.

The measure also gives Beshear the authority to furlough rank-and-file state employees for up to 24 hours over six months. Non-merit or political appointees could be furloughed for an unlimited time period.

Senate approves compromise state budget

By Beth Musgrave – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The state Senate voted 34-1 Friday on a two-year, $17.1 billion state budget that includes funding to replace some of the state’s most dilapidated school buildings.

The amended Senate bill included changes made late Friday afternoon that were agreed upon by the House, said Senate Budget Chairman Robert Leeper, I-Paducah.

The agreement means it’s likely that the budget will win final approval on Friday, the fifth day of a special legislative session. Gov. Steve Beshear called the session to deal with the budget after the legislature failed to approve a spending plan during the regular legislative session that ended April 15.

The amended version of the budget includes 3.5 percent cuts in the first fiscal year and 4.5 percent cuts in the second year of the budget. It contains no new taxes and no raises for state workers, lawmakers said.

The compromise budget also includes language that would give Gov. Steve Beshear the authority to furlough rank-and-file employees for up to 24 work hours in a six-month period.

Stumbo says lawmakers have reached budget agreement

FRANKFORT — House Speaker Greg Stumbo expressed optimism that the special legislative session will end late Friday.

He said Senate President David Williams and he have reached an agreement on the $17.1 billion, two-year state budget bill.

The Senate budget committee approved an amendment that contains the compromise budget proposal early Friday evening and the full Senate was voting on the proposal at 6 p.m.

Stumbo also said it appears the two chambers might agree on a “continuation budget” for the state road plan but stressed that issue remains uncertain.

There had been concern earlier in the day that the special session, which began Monday, might run through the weekend and next week at a cost to taxpayers of more than $63,000 a day.

Sen. Neal denounces Paul’s comments on civil rights

FRANKFORT — State Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, spoke out Friday in a floor speech against statements by U.S. Republican Senate nominee Rand Paul on civil rights.

Paul, a Bowling Green eye surgeon, said last week that he abhors racism and discrimination but believes private businesses should be able to decide whether they want to serve minorities.

“This is a radical idea, outside of the mainstream,” said Neal, the only African-American in the state Senate. “As a result, this state has been subject to ridicule and risks becoming a laughing stock, because of this extreme belief.”

Neal said Paul’s message “calls for a full vetting of he who pretends to lead us.”

–Jack Brammer

Legislature approves unemployment insurance bill

FRANKFORT — The state Senate voted 36 to 1 Friday to approve a measure that would help shore up the state’s bankrupt unemployment insurance fund, a move that sends the proposal to Gov. Steve Beshear for his signature.

Sen. David Givens, R-Greensburg, said Thursday that he planned to put three amendments on the bill that would decrease benefits for the unemployed, but he did not call those amendments Friday for a vote in the Senate.

Sen. Elizabeth Tori, R-Radcliffe, was the only senator to vote against House Bill 5.

The state’s unemployment insurance fund — which is paid for through employer contributions — is bankrupt. The state has borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits.