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/2012/03/29/house-gives-final-approval-to-bills-reforming-pension-system-for-profit-colleges/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/29/house-gives-final-approval-to-bills-reforming-pension-system-for-profit-colleges/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:26:30 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21387 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/29/house-gives-final-approval-to-bills-reforming-pension-system-for-profit-colleges/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/29/senator-seeks-to-quietly-boost-court-clerks-pay/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/29/senator-seeks-to-quietly-boost-court-clerks-pay/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:46:36 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21342 By John Cheves jcheves@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT -- The Kentucky Senate has approved a mandatory pay raise for circuit court clerks, at a possible cost to taxpayers of $2 million to $3 million a year, after a Senate Republican leader quietly added the proposal to an unrelated House bill. Under the proposed state budget agreed to early Thursday, state workers will not get a pay raise next year, and state retirees will not get a cost-of-living adjustment in their pensions. However, Senate Majority Whip Carroll Gibson of Leitchfield -- who is a retired circuit court clerk -- on Tuesday successfully amended House Bill 234 on the Senate floor to include language raising the 120 circuit court clerks' base salaries by 2 percent to 15 percent, depending on their individual circumstances. Gibson spent less than a minute explaining his changes on the Senate floor. He told his fellow senators that his amendments were aimed at "pretty much leveling the playing field" for court clerks, as compared to other elected county officials. None of the senators asked questions.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/29/senator-seeks-to-quietly-boost-court-clerks-pay/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/taiwan-donates-30000-for-storm-recovery-efforts/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/taiwan-donates-30000-for-storm-recovery-efforts/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:54:06 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21330 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/taiwan-donates-30000-for-storm-recovery-efforts/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/27/amish-buggy-bill-heads-to-governors-desk/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/27/amish-buggy-bill-heads-to-governors-desk/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:52:01 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21315 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/27/amish-buggy-bill-heads-to-governors-desk/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/27/bill-on-oversight-of-child-abuse-cases-clears-a-hurdle/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/27/bill-on-oversight-of-child-abuse-cases-clears-a-hurdle/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:26:39 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21313 By John Cheves jcheves@herald-leader FRANKFORT -- A Senate committee on Tuesday killed a measure that would establish outside oversight of Kentucky's troubled child-protective system, but a House committee revived it minutes later through a procedural maneuver. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee loaded down House Bill 200 with many amendments, including several pieces of legislation favored by Chairwoman Julie Denton, R-Louisville, that were stalled in the House. The bill then failed for lack of support in the committee. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, immediately walked down the hall of the Capitol Annex to a hearing room where the House State Government Committee unanimously approved Denton's Senate Bill 126, a routine measure on social workers. Attached to Denton's bill, as an amendment, was Westrom's oversight bill. If the full House approves Denton's bill as amended, the Senate must concur with the change for it to be sent to Gov. Steve Beshear for his signature.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/27/bill-on-oversight-of-child-abuse-cases-clears-a-hurdle/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/05/09/sparks-fly-at-kentucky-republican-gubernatorial-debate/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/05/09/sparks-fly-at-kentucky-republican-gubernatorial-debate/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 02:50:45 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=17857 By John Cheves | jcheves@herald-leader.com Sparks flew several times on Kentucky Educational Television's Kentucky Tonight on Monday as the three Republican candidates for governor debated how far state government should reach on certain issues, such as drug abuse and education. The three are competing for the chance to run against incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear in November. Kentucky Senate President David Williams, generally considered the frontrunner in the May 17 GOP primary, praised his opponents for offering themselves for public service. Williams pledged to support whoever wins the nomination. However, Williams also jabbed at Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, leading the two men to argue and talk over each other during parts of the live program.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/05/09/sparks-fly-at-kentucky-republican-gubernatorial-debate/feed/ 16 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/22/state-pension-agency-posts-salaries-online/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/22/state-pension-agency-posts-salaries-online/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:23:33 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=17731 http://opendoor.ky.gov. The salaries were a source of controversy this month after KRS refused to disclose them to a state retiree who requested them under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Attorney General Jack Conway ruled that KRS -- which manages about $13 billion in assets for state and county retirees -- had violated the law. On April 7, responding to Conway's ruling and several other recent controversies, the KRS board of trustees voted to replace its longtime chairman, Randy Overstreet, and fire its executive director, Robert Michael Burnside. KRS General Counsel Schuyler Olt also is departing. The new board chairwoman, Jennifer Elliott, on Friday said the board insisted that KRS salaries be posted online as quickly as possible.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/22/state-pension-agency-posts-salaries-online/feed/ 13 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/07/state-pension-agency-fires-executive-director/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/07/state-pension-agency-fires-executive-director/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:48:34 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=17550 Christopher Tobe, a member of the KRS board of trustees. Tobe cited pending inquiries into KRS' business practices by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and State Auditor Crit Luallen. Also, this week, Attorney General Jack Conway ruled that KRS violated the Kentucky Open Records Act by refusing to divulge KRS staff salaries to members of the public. "It's just the overall sense that there's too much stuff going on here, and we need to go in a different direction," Tobe said. KRS oversees $13 billion in assets to provide benefits for state and county government retirees.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/07/state-pension-agency-fires-executive-director/feed/ 37 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/05/ag-says-state-pension-system-violated-open-records-law/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/05/ag-says-state-pension-system-violated-open-records-law/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:55:10 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=17514 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/04/05/ag-says-state-pension-system-violated-open-records-law/feed/ 18 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/02/15/house-committee-approves-reforms-in-drug-laws/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/02/15/house-committee-approves-reforms-in-drug-laws/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:02:10 +0000 John Cheves http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=16478 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/02/15/house-committee-approves-reforms-in-drug-laws/feed/ 6