http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com Covering Kentucky politics and government Tue, 22 May 2012 21:44:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/16/new-campaign-to-eliminate-child-abuse/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/16/new-campaign-to-eliminate-child-abuse/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 21:00:08 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21722 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/16/new-campaign-to-eliminate-child-abuse/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/14/ethics-charges-filed-against-former-tourism-chief-mine-inspector/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/14/ethics-charges-filed-against-former-tourism-chief-mine-inspector/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 21:09:40 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21712 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — A state ethics panel issued charges Monday against former Tourism Commissioner Mike Cooper, alleging that he misused state resources for his own financial gain. Cooper, who resigned in February after a series of articles by the Lexington Herald-Leader, allowed a state contractor to pay $735 for his meals, party tickets and other expenses in June 2011 during an unauthorized trip to London, England, according to documents obtained by the newspaper. When questioned about the London trip by superiors at the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, Cooper said in an email that his trip was for personal reasons, according to the Executive Branch Ethics Commission. However, Cooper later authorized spending state money to repay the British public relations firm that had covered his expenses in London. Eventually, Cooper was ordered to repay the money to Gosh P.R., which had a $179,900 a year contract to promote Kentucky tourism in the United Kingdom. Cooper helped award Gosh’s contract in 2008 and signed off on its monthly billing.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/14/ethics-charges-filed-against-former-tourism-chief-mine-inspector/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/10/ky-state-recipets-down-for-april-but-on-pace-to-meet-estimates/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/10/ky-state-recipets-down-for-april-but-on-pace-to-meet-estimates/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 17:45:17 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21690 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/10/ky-state-recipets-down-for-april-but-on-pace-to-meet-estimates/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/23/prescription-drug-drop-off-slated-for-saturday/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/23/prescription-drug-drop-off-slated-for-saturday/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:44:04 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21634 http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html. A recent survey showed that 70 percent of teens acquired a prescription drug through a relative or friend, compared to five percent who said they received prescription drugs from a drug dealer, said Secretary for Justice and Public Safety J. Michael Brown.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/23/prescription-drug-drop-off-slated-for-saturday/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/19/senate-committee-adds-williams-projects-back-into-road-budget/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/19/senate-committee-adds-williams-projects-back-into-road-budget/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:05:05 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21606 By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — The $50 million in road projects that Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed in or near the Southern Kentucky district of Senate President David Williams are back — for now. In a surprise move Thursday, the fourth day of a special legislative session, the Senate budget committee added the projects to a bill containing the Transportation Cabinet’s operating budget. The panel adopted by voice vote an amendment offered by committee Chairman Bob Leeper, I-Paducah, that restored the projects. The committee then approved the amended House Bill 2 on a 14-0 vote and sent it to the Senate, which is expected to consider it Friday. If the changes become law, which seems unlikely, they would reverse Beshear’s decision on Wednesday to veto the road projects from the state’s two-year road plan. That bill was approved on April 12, the last day of the regular legislative session. Leeper said he introduced the amendment “as a matter of principle” because it was not fair for the governor to direct his vetoes at one legislator.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/19/senate-committee-adds-williams-projects-back-into-road-budget/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/beshear-vetoes-50-million-in-road-projects-in-williams-district/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/beshear-vetoes-50-million-in-road-projects-in-williams-district/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:28:50 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21593 By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Senate will approve a $4.5 billion operating budget for the Transportation Cabinet on Friday and end a special legislative session that began Monday, Senate President David Williams said late Wednesday. The announcement came after Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law a two-year road plan, but not before vetoing about $50 million in funding for road projects in or near Senate President David Williams’ Southern Kentucky Senate district. Williams said he was “very pleased” that the governor finally signed the road plan, “and we will proceed now to pass the operating budget” for the Transportation Cabinet. He said Beshear’s vetoes were “vindictive and unconstitutional. But since he just directed them at me, we will proceed.” The Senate GOP leader said per capita spending in the road plan for his district after Beshear’s vetoes is about $700, compared to about $2,400 in House Speaker Greg Stumbo’s district. Williams’ district includes Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Monroe, Wayne and Whitley counties.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/beshear-vetoes-50-million-in-road-projects-in-williams-district/feed/ 4 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/house-passes-road-bill-pill-mill-bills/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/house-passes-road-bill-pill-mill-bills/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:56:21 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21579 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/house-passes-road-bill-pill-mill-bills/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/17/house-poised-for-vote-wednesday-on-road-budget-pill-mill-bills/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/17/house-poised-for-vote-wednesday-on-road-budget-pill-mill-bills/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:13:38 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21567 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/17/house-poised-for-vote-wednesday-on-road-budget-pill-mill-bills/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/beshear-says-special-session-is-a-result-of-williams-greed/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/beshear-says-special-session-is-a-result-of-williams-greed/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:04:47 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21517 By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer bmusgrave@herald-leader.com PDF: Read Beshear's call for a special session FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear has ordered the Kentucky General Assembly to convene a special law-making session at noon Monday to consider a transportation budget and a bill aimed at battling prescription drug abuse. Beshear’s call for a special legislative session came about 12 hours after lawmakers ended their regular 60-day session just before midnight Thursday without approving the Transportation Cabinet’s operating budget, which funds everything from road building to snow removal. A special session costs taxpayers $60,456.50 a day. It will probably last at least five days — the minimum amount of time needed to move a bill through the legislative process — but could go on for weeks.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/beshear-says-special-session-is-a-result-of-williams-greed/feed/ 3 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/12/stumbo-predicts-road-planpill-mill-and-scholarship-bills-will-pass/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/12/stumbo-predicts-road-planpill-mill-and-scholarship-bills-will-pass/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:38:28 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21487 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT -- House and Senate negotiators struck a deal on the state's road-building plan early Thursday morning, said House Speaker Greg Stumbo. Stumbo also predicted that the General Assembly will approve on Thursday a bill to crack down on abuse of prescription pain pills and a measure that would start a new scholarship program for kids in coal-producing counties. Stumbo's comments came on the 60th and final day of the legislative session. The agreement on the state's road plan was inked shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday morning, he said. Negotiators were trying to hammer out an agreement in time for a vote on Thursday. Stumbo said he could not say if the House would override any of Gov. Steve Beshear's vetoes in the General Fund budget. Beshear will meet with House Democrats at 2 p.m. to explain the 45 line-item vetoes he made Wednesday night in the two-year, $19 billion budget bill.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/12/stumbo-predicts-road-planpill-mill-and-scholarship-bills-will-pass/feed/ 0