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/2012/05/22/live-election-results-on-kentucky-com-starting-at-6-p-m/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/22/live-election-results-on-kentucky-com-starting-at-6-p-m/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 21:44:15 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21736 http://www.kentucky.com/voteresults/. Also, we'll be tweeting tonight from https://twitter.com/#!/BGPolitics and https://twitter.com/#!/heraldleader.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/22/live-election-results-on-kentucky-com-starting-at-6-p-m/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/14/treatment-center-says-coventry-cares-will-continue-paying-for-addiction-drug/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/14/treatment-center-says-coventry-cares-will-continue-paying-for-addiction-drug/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 18:09:45 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21708 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/14/treatment-center-says-coventry-cares-will-continue-paying-for-addiction-drug/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/09/challenger-questions-conservatism-of-thayer-in-state-senate-primary-election/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/09/challenger-questions-conservatism-of-thayer-in-state-senate-primary-election/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 21:06:27 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21683 By John Cheves jcheves@herald-leader.com Editor's note: This is one in a series of stories previewing Kentucky's May 22 primary election. Ricky Hostetler is trying to squeeze to the political right of state Sen. Damon Thayer, one of the General Assembly's most vocal conservatives. Hostetler is challenging Thayer in the May 22 Republican primary for the 17th Senate district, which represents Scott, Owen and Grant counties and part of Kenton County. The winner will face Democrat David Holcomb on Nov. 6. All three men live in Georgetown. Hostetler says Thayer — who is seeking a fourth term — has become part of the Frankfort political establishment that drives up government spending while enjoying public pensions and cozy relationships with lobbyists. Hostetler pledges to limit himself to two terms, which he said he would use to slash taxes and regulations, giving the private sector the freedom it needs to grow. "Just take a look at the numbers. In the last 10 to 12 years, our state's debt has increased ten-fold to about $40 billion, if you count the state pension system liability," Hostetler, a 53-year-old electrical contractor, said in an interview. "Senator Thayer has been there most of that time. I think he has to accept some of the responsibility." Thayer, 44, responds by calling Hostetler "a little desperate." Thayer touts his conservative support from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the National Rifle Association, the pro-business Kentucky Club for Growth (which ranks him best among 38 state senators) and the anti-abortion Kentucky Right to Life.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/05/09/challenger-questions-conservatism-of-thayer-in-state-senate-primary-election/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/money-for-roads-in-williams-district-pales-in-comparison-to-house-leaders/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/money-for-roads-in-williams-district-pales-in-comparison-to-house-leaders/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:04:37 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21601 By John Cheves jcheves@herald-leader.com Gov. Steve Beshear blamed Senate President David Williams' "greed" last week after Williams added tens of millions of dollars in spending for his district to the state's two-year road plan. Meanwhile, Williams criticized Beshear for not signing the plan into law hours after legislative leaders hammered out a compromise version and delivered it to the governor. A week after the regular legislative session ended in failure because of this impasse, the facts don't entirely support either man. Though Williams, R-Burkesville, did try to fatten short-term road spending in his district, which includes six rural counties along the Tennessee state line, what he awarded himself pales in comparison to the asphalt anticipated by House Democratic leaders, who get first crack at the governor's road plan and share the governor's party affiliation. From 2012 through 2014, the road plan the legislature approved last Thursday would have spent $115 million in Williams' district, or $1,017 per person. Floyd County, home of House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, would get $95 million, or $2,411 per person. Elliott County, home of House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, would get $41 million, or $5,259 per person.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/money-for-roads-in-williams-district-pales-in-comparison-to-house-leaders/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/16/legislators-slim-down-during-session-with-weight-loss-challenge/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/16/legislators-slim-down-during-session-with-weight-loss-challenge/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:20:17 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21541 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — Voters in Marion County elected two of the "biggest losers" in the General Assembly. Rep. Terry Mills, a Democrat, and Republican Sen. Jimmy Higdon — both from Lebanon — took top honors for cutting the most fat during the 2012 General Assembly as part of a weight-loss contest legislators began at the beginning of the session. Mills was the top loser overall, shedding 40 pounds from January to the end of March. Higdon lost 36 pounds during the same time. "Now, the real challenge is keeping the weight off," Mills said recently. The weight-loss challenge was the brainchild of Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown, and Sen. Joey Pendleton, D-Hopkinsville. The two started to talk about Kentucky's burgeoning childhood-obesity problem after a legislative meeting last summer where it was discussed.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/16/legislators-slim-down-during-session-with-weight-loss-challenge/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/bills-that-passed-the-2012-general-assembly/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/bills-that-passed-the-2012-general-assembly/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:58:17 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21535 The House and Senate approved a two-year, $19 billion General Fund budget and more than 200 bills in the 60-day legislative session. Some of the measures that passed this legislative session include: ■ Meth: Senate Bill 3 further limits the amount of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine that people can buy. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in methamphetamine. ■ Amish: Senate Bill 75 allows Amish or other religious sects to use white reflective tape instead of an orange triangle on slow-moving vehicles. ■ Dental care: House Bill 510 creates a pilot program to improve dental care in the state’s nursing homes. ■ School age: Senate Bill 24 requires a child to be five years of age by August 1 rather than October 1 to enter a public school. The provision does not take effect until 2017-2018.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/bills-that-passed-the-2012-general-assembly/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/bills-that-died-in-the-2012-general-assembly/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/bills-that-died-in-the-2012-general-assembly/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:19:51 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21528 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com These high-profile proposals did not pass the 2012 General Assembly, which ended Thursday: ■ Cooper's Law: House Bill 160 would have nullified deed restrictions on small outdoor structures deemed medically necessary for children 12 and younger. The bill was named after a Lexington boy whose parents were at odds with the Andover Forest Home Owners Association. Cooper Veloudis uses an outdoor playhouse as part of his treatment for cerebral palsey, his parents said. The association said the play house violated deed restrictions for all homes in the neighborhood. The bill passed a House committee but was never called for a vote on the House floor. ■ Human trafficking: House Bill 350 would have given law enforcement more training and more tools to crack down on human trafficking. It passed the full House and a Senate committee but was never called for a vote on the Senate floor. ■ Child abuse: House Bill 200 would have created an independent panel of experts to review deaths caused by child abuse and an ombudsmen's office to investigate complaints about child protection. The bill passed the House but died in the Senate.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/bills-that-died-in-the-2012-general-assembly/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/31/legislators-approve-pseudoephedrine-other-bills-some-left-undone/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/31/legislators-approve-pseudoephedrine-other-bills-some-left-undone/#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:16:04 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21439 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/31/legislators-approve-pseudoephedrine-other-bills-some-left-undone/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/30/kentucky-senate-sends-personal-care-home-bill-to-beshear/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/30/kentucky-senate-sends-personal-care-home-bill-to-beshear/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:44:17 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21420 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com The Kentucky Senate gave final approval Friday to a bill that would require potential residents at personal care homes to be screened for brain injuries by medical professionals. Senate Bill 115, sponsored by Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, now goes to Gov. Steve Beshear for his signature or veto. The measure stems from the death last year of Larry Lee, a brain-injured resident who disappeared from a personal care home and was found dead four weeks later on the banks of the Licking River, not far from the Falmouth Nursing Home in Pendleton County. There are about 2,500 to 3,000 people in 82 free-standing personal care homes across Kentucky. Personal care homes provide long-term care for people who do not need full-time nursing care but need some assistance. Many of those served by such homes are mentally ill or mentally disabled. Advocates have long said personal care homes are not an appropriate place for brain-injured individuals to live because the facilities are not equipped to provide them with adequate care and therapy. Last week, a watchdog state agency released a report that said the continued placement of mentally ill residents in Kentucky’s personal care homes is a violation of federal disability laws. Kentucky’s personal care homes unfairly segregate people with disabilities from the community, denying residents their right to interact with non-disabled people to the fullest extent possible, according to a report by Kentucky Protection and Advocacy. The group is an independent state agency that protects and promotes the rights of people with disabilities.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/30/kentucky-senate-sends-personal-care-home-bill-to-beshear/feed/ 2 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/bills-targeting-meth-labs-and-pain-pill-abuse-gain-new-life/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/bills-targeting-meth-labs-and-pain-pill-abuse-gain-new-life/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:11:29 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21366 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/bills-targeting-meth-labs-and-pain-pill-abuse-gain-new-life/feed/ 0