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/2012/03/26/house-and-senate-to-resume-negotiations-at-2-p-m/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/26/house-and-senate-to-resume-negotiations-at-2-p-m/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:58:38 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21299 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/26/house-and-senate-to-resume-negotiations-at-2-p-m/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/06/house-panel-passes-19-5-billion-budget-26-2/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/06/house-panel-passes-19-5-billion-budget-26-2/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:35:15 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21036 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/06/house-panel-passes-19-5-billion-budget-26-2/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/05/house-budget-nixes-increase-for-retirees-horse-park/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/05/house-budget-nixes-increase-for-retirees-horse-park/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:29:24 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21029 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/05/house-budget-nixes-increase-for-retirees-horse-park/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/25/kentucky-horse-park-needs-millions-from-state-to-balance-budget/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/25/kentucky-horse-park-needs-millions-from-state-to-balance-budget/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:55:48 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20267 By Linda B. Blackford and Beth Musgave lblackford@herald-leader.com As most state agencies brace for dramatic budget cuts, the Kentucky Horse Park could be getting millions of additional dollars. In Gov. Steve Beshear's recommended budget, the Horse Park faces no budget cuts, and instead would receive an additional $3.5 million increase this fiscal year, plus another $1.6 million each year of the next two-year budget. State officials told lawmakers on Tuesday that the funds are needed to cover operational shortfalls that stem from utility costs for roughly 264,000 square feet of new facilities built at the park in anticipation of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Lawmakers said they want to hear more before agreeing to increase the park's funding.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/25/kentucky-horse-park-needs-millions-from-state-to-balance-budget/feed/ 4 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/20/comment-will-discuss-state-budget-redistricting/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/20/comment-will-discuss-state-budget-redistricting/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:41:26 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20214 Steve Beshear's proposed two-year state budget and the redrawing of state legislative and congressional district boundaries. Joining host Ferrell Wellman will be three journalists -- Greg Stotelmyer, political reporter for WTVQ-TV in Lexington; Joe Gerth, political writer for The Courier-Journal; and Jack Brammer, political writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. The show airs live at 8 p.m. ET on KET1. On Monday's edition of "Kentucky Tonight" at 8 p.m. ET on KET and at www.ket.org/live, host Bill Goodman and guests will discuss the state budget.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/20/comment-will-discuss-state-budget-redistricting/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/07/08/adviser-state-pension-fund-sinking-fast/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/07/08/adviser-state-pension-fund-sinking-fast/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:07:51 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=13337 By John Cheves - jcheves@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT -- Kentucky's state pension fund could run out of money in 2019 if contributions remain inadequate and market investments sag, under a worst-case scenario presented to lawmakers Thursday. More likely, by 2018, the fund will pay out nearly half of its assets every year for retiree benefits, making it difficult to get the high returns it needs from large, long-term investments, pension officials said. The fund currently earns far smaller returns -- 3.59 percent over the last decade -- than its goal of 7.75 percent a year. "You might be surprised at how expensive this is going to get," Jim Voytko, president of R.V. Kuhns & Associates Inc., told the Program Review and Investigations Committee. R.V. Kuhns advises the Kentucky Retirement Systems, which covers 330,000 state and county employees and retirees. "I'm already surprised," replied Rep. Rick Rand, D-Bedford, a committee member. Over the last two decades, the General Assembly sweetened retirement benefits for state workers, many of whom could leave after 27 years with a lifetime pension and free health insurance. But it failed to put enough money in the pension fund to honor its obligations. Kentucky, like many states, now faces a growing wave of government retirees and no consensus on how to pay them without wrecking other state programs.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/07/08/adviser-state-pension-fund-sinking-fast/feed/ 45 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/04/17/leaders-will-discuss-legislative-session-on-kentucky-tonight/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/04/17/leaders-will-discuss-legislative-session-on-kentucky-tonight/#comments Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:57:43 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=11990 Bill Goodman to discuss the 2010 General Assembly. They are Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville; House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook; Senate budget chairman Bob Leeper, I-Paducah; and House budget chairman Rick Rand, D-Bedford. The show will air at 8 p.m. EDT MOnday on KET and at www.ket.org/live. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/04/17/leaders-will-discuss-legislative-session-on-kentucky-tonight/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/23/concerns-raised-about-education-cuts-in-senates-spending-plan/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/23/concerns-raised-about-education-cuts-in-senates-spending-plan/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:58:44 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=11355 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/23/concerns-raised-about-education-cuts-in-senates-spending-plan/feed/ 4 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/11/house-budget-would-slash-salary-of-economic-development-chief/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/11/house-budget-would-slash-salary-of-economic-development-chief/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:53:16 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=11048 By Beth Musgrave - bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — A little-noticed provision in the state House’s proposed budget would nearly cut in half the $250,000 salary of the state’s chief economic development officer. The House on Wednesday passed a two-year, $17.5 billion budget that included a host of cost-saving provisions, including cutting the amount spent on service contracts by more than $100 million and saving $5 million by axing 120 political appointees over the next two years. But deep in the budget is another provision that would cap the salary of Larry Hayes, the secretary of the Economic Development Cabinet. Hayes, who makes $250,000 a year according to the state’s transparency Web site, is the highest paid cabinet secretary. The House budget says the Economic Development Secretary’s salary should not surpass the governor’s salary of $127,885. Both Hayes and Beshear took 10 percent pay cuts this year. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/11/house-budget-would-slash-salary-of-economic-development-chief/feed/ 16 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/09/10946/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/09/10946/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:36:53 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=10946 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/03/09/10946/feed/ 7