All Entries in the "Dan Kelly" Category

Beshear appoints Borders to Public Service Commission; sets Aug. 25 special election

FRANKFORT — The resignation of a powerful Senate Republican to accept an appointment by Gov. Steve Beshear may put the Democratic administration a step closer to its goal of wresting control of the Senate from the GOP and expanding gambling.

Shortly after Beshear announced Wednesday that Charlie Borders, R-Grayson, was leaving the Senate to join the state Public Service Commission, Beshear set an Aug. 25 special election for the 18th Senate District seat that Borders has held since 1991.

Democrats are hopeful the special election is a step toward regaining control of the Senate, which they lost in 2000, and approving slot machines at horse racetracks. A slots bill died last month in the Senate budget committee, which Borders chaired.

With Borders’ departure, Republicans hold a 20-16 majority in the Senate, with one independent and one open seat in the chamber.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said Beshear is trying to make similar offers to other Republican senators.

Specifically, he said Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, may leave the Senate if he is offered a judgeship.

“He won’t leave unless he’s offered a judgeship, in my opinion,” Williams said.

Newsletter: Kelly and Borders leaving state Senate

FRANKFORT – Kentucky Roll Call, a Frankfort-based newsletter about Kentucky politics, is reporting without attribution that Gov. Steve Beshear soon will appoint two Republican state senators to positions that would remove them from the legislature.

The newsletter says that Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly of Springfield will be appointed to an unexpired term as a circuit court judge that will keep him on the bench through 2014 and Senate budget chairman Charlie Borders of Russell will become one of three commissioners on the state Public Service Commission. He would replace John W. Clay of Lexington, whose term expires at the end of the month. Clay’s current annual salary is $116,160.

Asked about the possible moves, Beshear spokesman Jay Blanton said “the governor does not discuss appointments before they are made, so it would be premature to discuss those issues at this time.”

Borders said Monday that any statement about his future would have to be made at the appropriate time. He declined to elaborate.

Kelly did not return repeated phone calls to his office and home Monday and last Friday.

Beshear says budget shortfall could top $1 billion

FRANKFORT — Kentucky is bracing for what may be the largest shortfall ever in its state budget — more than $1 billion.

Gov. Steve Beshear said Thursday that a special legislative session is likely to address the dismal financial scene that comes on top of this year’s law-making session that raised taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and made about $150 million in cuts to handle nearly a half-billion budget shortfall.

Senate panel approves pension relief for local governments

FRANKFORT – Despite concerns by the Kentucky Retirement Systems, the Senate budget committee approved a bill Thursday morning to extend local governments’ payments into the state’s ailing pension system.

House Bill 117, backed by Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky League of Cities, is designed to give cities and counties financial relief with their employee retirement costs.

Senate committee approves measure to handle executive orders

FRANKFORT – A Senate panel approved a “watered-down” version Friday of a bill dealing with executive orders issued by the governor.

Senate Bill 187, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, initailly would have made it easy for the legislature to kill policies established by the governor through executive orders.

It would have required the legislature to vote to approve executive orders that set policy. If the legislature didn’t act on it, the policies would expire.

Bill that could cut prison population passes House panel

FRANKFORT — A bill that would divert more non-violent drug offenders out of court and into treatment programs sailed through a House panel Wednesday.

The expanded drug treatment programs could cut the state’s burgeoning prison population by as much as 20 percent in the next five years, said Sen. Dan Kelly, R-Springfield, after the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 4. “That could save $100 million,” Kelly said.

Student testing overhaul clears Senate panel

A bill to overhaul Kentucky’s student testing system got a hasty, unanimous vote in committee Tuesday in order to get it onto the Senate floor later this afternoon and over to the House in the next few days.

There was no discussion of Senate Bill 1 Tuesday, but the committee did hear testimony last week.

Sen. Tim Shaughnessy, D-Louisville, said his yes vote was a push toward more work on the bill rather than an endorsement.

State education officials call for new standards, testing system

By Jim Warren and Linda Blackford – jwarren@herald-leader.com

The state’s top education officials acknowledged Monday that Kentucky’s academic standards and student testing system need major overhauls, but cautioned against making hasty changes.

The declaration, made in a position paper released by the Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Board of Education, comes as state lawmakers contemplate dramatic changes to Kentucky’s education system in coming weeks, including a Republican-led push to revamp math standards and the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, or CATS.

GOP bill would allow early college enrollment

FRANKFORT — High school students who complete required course work for graduation before their junior or senior years could enroll in college early and get state funding to help with tuition under a plan proposed by Senate Republicans.

The bill also would reduce the 22 minimum credit hours for high school graduation to as low as 16, while candidates for early graduation would have to maintain a 2.8 grade-point average to go to a two-year college or 3.2 GPA to go to a four-year university in Kentucky.

Senate panel OKs expanding drug diversion program

FRANKFORT — A legislative committee Thursday approved a bill that would beef up programs that divert drug offenders out of the state’s overcrowded prisons.

The bill would allow for pretrial officers to screen people for drug addiction and then make recommendations on what type of treatment they should receive. People who receive treatment would not be incarcerated. The legislation allows for the use of secured residential drug treatment.