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/2012/04/18/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/2012/04/16/house-starts-special-legislative-session/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/16/house-starts-special-legislative-session/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:03:49 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21543 By Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT -- The state House gaveled into a special session shortly after noon Monday that will cost taxpayers about $60,000 a day. The House on Monday introduced bills to provide a transportation budget and curb prescription drug abuse, the two tasks Gov. Steve Beshear put on the agenda of the special legislative session. Committees will act on the bills on Tuesday, and the full House will vote on them and send them to the Senate by noon Wednesday, said House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg. Stumbo said he did not know what will happen in the special session after that. The Senate is set to convene at 4 p.m. Monday.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/16/house-starts-special-legislative-session/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/beshear-plans-to-call-a-special-legislative-session/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/beshear-plans-to-call-a-special-legislative-session/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:49:51 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21502 David Williams was responsible for the Senate’s failure to approve a road plan budget bill on the final day of the 60-day regular session. “Without the transportation budget bill, you can’t fund any of the projects in the transportation plan that has been passed,” said the Democratic governor who won re-election last November in a contentious campaign against Williams, R-Burkesville. Beshear also charged that Williams was responsible for the Senate’s inaction Thursday on a bill that would more closely regulate pain management clinics and put the state’s electronic prescription reporting system in the attorney general’s office instead of in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “We need that bill. We need the transportation budget bill. So I’ll be issuing a call for a special session of the General Assembly,” Beshear said. “They should have and could have been passed by the Senate today.”]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/13/beshear-plans-to-call-a-special-legislative-session/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/20/debt-bill-faces-uncertain-fate-in-house/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/20/debt-bill-faces-uncertain-fate-in-house/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:27:41 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21229 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — A Senate bill that would cap the amount of debt Kentucky could accumulate was met with skepticism in the House budget committee on Tuesday. House Appropriations and Revenue Chairman Rick Rand said after Tuesday’s hearing on Senate Bill 1 that he was not sure if the Democratic House would vote on the measure, which passed the Senate 34-2. The bill would not allow debt payments to exceed 6 percent of state revenue. The bill has an admirable goal., but reducing the state’s debt will take a long-term commitment, Rand said. The Senate’s proposal is a “short-term political answer,” he said.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/20/debt-bill-faces-uncertain-fate-in-house/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/16/house-passes-3-5-billion-two-year-road-plan/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/16/house-passes-3-5-billion-two-year-road-plan/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:40:09 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21211 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/16/house-passes-3-5-billion-two-year-road-plan/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/31/judge-issues-restraining-order-in-filing-deadline-case/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/31/judge-issues-restraining-order-in-filing-deadline-case/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:45:30 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20327 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — A judge issued an order Tuesday that extended the filing deadline for state legislative candidates by at least a week as he considers a legal challenge of Kentucky’s new legislative district boundaries. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd, in a four-page order, said the filing deadline for state House and Senate candidates won’t come before 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 7. It was scheduled for 4 p.m. Jan. 31. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said her office will continue to accept nomination papers from candidates for state senator and representative until the new deadline. Despite the extension, several candidates filed Tuesday for Kentucky’s General Assembly, while two longtime state lawmakers — Sen. Walter Blevins, D-Morehead, and Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster — said they have decided not to seek re-election. Their terms will end at the end of this year.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/31/judge-issues-restraining-order-in-filing-deadline-case/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/26/lawsuit-challenges-new-boundaries-for-kentucky-legislative-election-districts/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/26/lawsuit-challenges-new-boundaries-for-kentucky-legislative-election-districts/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:57:40 +0000 admin http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20269 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com PDF: Read the lawsuit FRANKFORT — House Republicans filed a lawsuit Thursday in Franklin Circuit Court to challenge a redrawing of state House districts that Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law last week. The suit affects all of House Bill 1, which also redrew boundaries for state Senate and Supreme Court districts, said Louisville attorney Jason Nemes, who is representing the Republicans. “If one part of the bill is declared unconstitutional, then the whole bill is unconstitutional,” Nemes said. Sen. Kathy Stein, a Democrat whose Lexington district was moved to northeastern Kentucky, said it’s “highly likely” that she and some Fayette County residents will join the lawsuit. “I’ve had several constituents — Democrats and Republicans alike — say they would be willing to be a plaintiff in a lawsuit. This may certainly well be a vehicle to get it in front of the court as expediently and efficiently as possible,” she said.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/26/lawsuit-challenges-new-boundaries-for-kentucky-legislative-election-districts/feed/ 4 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/11/house-committee-approves-bill-to-redraw-state-house-districts/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/11/house-committee-approves-bill-to-redraw-state-house-districts/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:57:37 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20082 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com PDF: House redistricting plan FRANKFORT — Over protests from Republicans, a state House committee approved a bill Wednesday to redraw boundaries of the 100 state House districts. The new House redistricting plan, prepared by House Democratic leadership, puts nine incumbents in districts with other incumbent representatives. That affects eight incumbent Republicans and one Democrat. House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, and Rep. Jill York, R-Grayson, would both be in the 99th House District.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/11/house-committee-approves-bill-to-redraw-state-house-districts/feed/ 2 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/12/29/ket-to-partner-with-public-radio-stations/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/12/29/ket-to-partner-with-public-radio-stations/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:43:09 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=19964 Bill Goodman and guests will discuss Kentucky's 2012 General Assembly. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/12/29/ket-to-partner-with-public-radio-stations/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/11/16/house-gop-leader-asks-beshear-to-reject-special-session-on-redistricting/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/11/16/house-gop-leader-asks-beshear-to-reject-special-session-on-redistricting/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:41:45 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=19775 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT -- House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, asked Gov. Steve Beshear Wednesday not to call a special legislative session to redraw boundaries of legislative and congressional districts. Hoover's position differs from House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who has suggested that Beshear call a special session for next month on redistricting. In a letter to Beshear, Stumbo, Senate President David Williams and Senate Minority Leader R.J. Palmer, Hoover said the state is facing a potential $337 million hole in the next state budget. "It is simply wrong for us to spend taxpayers’ money at an approximate cost of $60,000 a day on a special session to deal with redistricting," Hoover said. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/11/16/house-gop-leader-asks-beshear-to-reject-special-session-on-redistricting/feed/ 0