All Entries in the "US Senate Race" Category

Ethics panel holds closed-door hearing regarding Rep. Keith Hall

By John Cheves – jcheves@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The Legislative Ethics Commission held a closed-door hearing Tuesday to review a complaint about state Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, and more than $171,000 one of his companies collected through utility contracts that avoided competitive bidding and public discussion.

The commission heard testimony from several witnesses, including an auditor for state Auditor Crit Luallen, who issued a report about Hall’s contracts in January and referred it to the ethics commission.

“Today they requested testimony from one of our auditors who worked on that report,” said Luallen, who did not attend the hearing. “It certainly is gratifying to see the process moving forward.”

George Troutman, the commission’s chairman, declined to discuss the day’s proceedings or publicly identify the subject of the complaint. The panel plans to meet again Aug. 16 to resume its work on the case, Troutman said.

Former legislator suspended from practicing law for three years

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A former state legislator and prosecutor has been suspended from practicing law for three years, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Leo Marcum, who is also facing charges of not paying state and federal income taxes, was suspended for three years on Thursday for mixing client money with his own money in an escrow account and not answering truthfully when asked by the Kentucky Bar Association about the money.

The Kentucky Bar Association obtained the financial records of Marcum’s escrow account, which showed that he was using the account to pay for his personal expenses as well as expenses relating to his client’s cases. Lawyers are not allowed to mix client money with office or personal funds. In its order, the Supreme Court noted Marcum’s lengthy disciplinary history.

Marcum has been publicly reprimanded twice and has received three private admonitions and was suspended once for 181 days, according to the order. And then Marcum has also been suspended for a year for mishandling client money.

Senate convenes, Stein calls it “political theater”

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The state Senate convened Wednesday and appears posed to pass a series of resolutions to override some of Gov. Steve Beshear’s vetos of a budget fix designed to shore up Medicaid.

Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, told the Senate Wednesday that it would recess so the Republicans and Democrats could caucus. When the Senate returns later Wednesday afternoon, it will consider resolutions that would override some language that Beshear vetoed in House Bill 1, which was passed by the House on March 24 and vetoed by Beshear on March 25.

UPDATED: Senate likely to vote Thursday on Medicaid budget fix

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Members of the Senate budget committee grilled Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Janie Miller Wednesday on how the state would document planned savings in the $6.5 billion Medicaid program.

Miller told the Senate panel that when the cabinet enters into contracts with managed care programs sometime after July 1, the cabinet will be able to tell how much it will pay per Medicaid patient. Under the current system — which pays fees based on services provided — the costs are not known. Many managed care programs are paid a set rate per patient, regardless of how many health care services the patient uses.

“I am confident that we will be able to generate the savings,” Miller said, after repeated questions by many Senate Republicans on how much savings the managed care programs will generate.

How the new managed care programs will generate savings is key to a compromise budget passed by the House on Monday. Under House Bill 1, if the state can not demonstrate that it has generated more than $116 million in savings through managed care and other efficiencies by Aug. 15, there will be across-the-board cuts in most areas of state government by Oct. 1. Education would be exempt from most of those cuts.

House leaders propose a compromise on state budget fix

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — State House leaders have proposed using a host of one-time money and cost-saving measures to plug a hole in the state Medicaid budget.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo said the House’s counter-proposal to a Senate plan that would cut education spending includes nearly $100 million in savings in the Medicaid program. It also relies on one-time money that the Senate used in its budget bill to plug a $166.5 million hole in the Medicaid budget.

Republican Senate leaders are considering the proposal by House Democrats and are expected to return to the negotiating table later Monday night.

The House proposal came during the third round of budget negotiations on Monday as the two sides try to hammer out an agreement on a possible fix for the state’s Medicaid budget.

Senate panel approves ban on ‘bath salts’ drugs

UPDATED AT 4:46 P.M.

By John Cheves — jcheves@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A Senate committee on Thursday approved a bill banning synthetic drugs commonly sold as “bath salts” while more horror stories emerged about their use.

House Bill 121 would ban the possession, trafficking or making of several related combinations of chemicals that go by street names such as “Hurricane Charlie” and “Red Dove.” The drugs are sold on the Internet and at gas stations and other stores as small plastic bags of white powder, misleadingly labeled as bath salts, plant food or insect repellent.

The drugs cause hallucinations and sometimes violent or suicidal behavior, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville. They can be snorted, smoked or consumed with food or drink, Tilley said.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the drugs often contain amphetamine-like chemicals, such as methylenedioxypyrovalerone, mephedrone and pyrovalerone, which can stimulate the brain and lead to addiction much as cocaine does.

“It produces a bad trip,” Tilley told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “And it’s toxic, it’s a poison. It’s not a naturally occurring substance.”

Rand Paul dishes about McConnell, 2010 campaign in new book

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — In his new book, “The Tea Party Goes to Washington,” U.S. Sen. Rand Paul recounts his tense meeting last year with U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in a Louisville airport hangar with Secret Service surrounding them.

McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, was raising campaign money for Paul’s opponent, Secretary of State Trey Grayson, in the Republican primary election for the U.S. Senate.

Paul, a Bowling Green eye surgeon who rode a wave of support from the Tea Party movement to win his first race for public office, said he tried “to keep the conversation light.”

“As our meeting continued,” Paul said, “Senator McConnell reiterated that he didn’t want to get involved in the primary. I thought to myself, ‘Not get involved — I wonder what it would mean if he did get involved.”

Paul writes of his historic 2010 campaign and his eventual working relationship with McConnell in his 249-page book now on sale for $21.99.

House panel approves bill to ban pension ‘placement agents’

FRANKFORT – A House committee unanimously approved a bill Thursday that bans state governments’ pension funds from paying middlemen known as “placement agents.”

But the sponsor of House Bill 480, House State Government chairman Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, removed from the measure term limits for members on the boards overseeing billions of dollars held by the Kentucky Retirement Systems, the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System and the Judicial Form Retirement System.

He also deleted from the bill a requirement that the state auditor review the retirement systems every five years.

Cherry said he made the deletions because he wants to see what recommendations state Auditor Crit Luallen may have after she is finished with her review of the Kentucky Retirement Systems.

Racing compact passes Senate panel

By Beth Musgrave — bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Kentucky would be the first state to join an interstate racing compact if the bill allowing it passes the legislature this year.

The Senate State and Local Government Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 24 on Wednesday, which would create an interstate racing compact that would help states develop uniform rules regarding racing and wagering.

Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, and sponsor of SB 24, said that six states would have to pass similar legislation before the compact would go into effect.

New York tried to pass legislation last year to join the compact, but failed. Rick Goodell, an attorney with the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, said that New York is pushing it again this year.

Goodell told the committee that if a national commission created a rule that Kentucky disagreed with, the state would not have to adopt the rule.

The Kentucky bill now goes to the full Senate.

Whitley County judge charged with misconduct over campaign issues

FRANKFORT — A Circuit Court judge for McCreary and Whitley counties has been charged with two counts of judicial misconduct for contributing money to Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign and for sending U.S. Sen. Rand Paul campaign materials to other judges via email.

Circuit Judge Daniel Ballou was charged by the Judicial Conduct Commission in November 2010 for contributing $543 to McCain’s campaign in 2008. Ballou also sent out an email in January 2010 about U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s stance on the 2nd Amendment. The email was sent to dozens of people.

The judicial canons, which govern judicial conduct, say a judge “shall refrain from inappropriate political activity.” According to the canons, that political activity includes not soliciting funds or making contributions to a political organization or candidate.