All Entries in the "Robert Stivers" Category

No compromise on congressional redistricting; issue probably headed to court

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — State lawmakers failed to redraw the boundaries of Kentucky’s six congressional districts before Tuesday’s candidate filing deadline, which means the issue probably will end up in court.

House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, told House members about 20 minutes after the 4 p.m. filing deadline that a compromise agreement between the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate could not be reached.

The House and Senate had delayed the original deadline from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7 to give the two sides more time to reach an agreement.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, had worked with members of congress on a possible compromise that late last week looked promising, House leaders said. But Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers said Tuesday afternoon that the two sides appeared to “agree to disagree.”

Stumbo said congressional candidates will run in the state’s existing districts. That means someone — either a candidate or a national political party — will probably challenge the constitutionality of Kentucky’s districts.

House, Senate appear close on congressional redistricting plan

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — House and Senate negotiators appear close to an agreement on new boundaries for Kentucky’s six congressional districts.

“We have a map that shows great promise,” House Speaker Greg Stumbo said late Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said the Senate has had “little time to analyze anything” from the House, but “hope springs eternal.”

Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said the staff of U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, has been instrumental in helping the Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate come to a consensus after weeks of negotiations.

Senate leaders were looking at a proposed map after the chamber adjourned Thursday evening. If the Senate agrees to the new map, it’s possible for the legislature to approve the plan before the Feb. 7 filing deadline for congressional candidates.

‘Some movement’ on congressional redistricting

FRANKFORT – The state House and Senate still have not reached a compromise on the redrawing of boundaries for Kentucky’s six congressional districts, but House Speaker Greg Stumbo appeared more optimistic Thursday that the two sides could reach an agreement.

“I think there’s at least some movement,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg.

He said the House has offered another compromise plan to Republican Senate leaders. That plan specifically addressed some concerns of Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, Stumbo said. Rogers’ district includes most of Eastern and Central Kentucky.

The filing deadline for candidates is Jan. 31, but lawmakers could extend the deadline to give the two sides more time to hammer out an agreement.

Stumbo said he met and talked with Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers about the congressional map on Thursday morning, although no meeting has been set between leaders of the two chambers to produce a new congressional map.

Stivers, R-Manchester, said negotiations are “going slowly.”

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State Senate and House at odds over when to redraw political boundaries

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The state Senate and House remain at odds about when lawmakers should redraw boundaries for state legislative and congressional districts.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Wednesday that a special session of the legislature should be held to tackle the task between the Nov. 8 general election and the beginning of the 2012 General Assembly on Jan. 3.

A special session would keep lawmakers focused on one issue and not bog down redistricting talks with other issues, Stumbo said.

But Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said the work should be done during the first part of the 2012 regular session as it was after the 2000 U.S. Census was taken.

With clock ticking, Ky. lawmakers still debating many high-profile bills

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT —With time running out on this year’s legislative session, Kentucky lawmakers still haven’t reached an agreement on balancing the state’s Medicaid budget.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo told reporters on Friday that passing House Bill 305, which balances the Medicaid budget, is the one issue that must be rectified before the legislature adjourns. Monday will be the 23rd day of the 30-day legislative session.

“The budget issue is my main concern,” Stumbo said. “We have to fix that problem.”

So far, only a handful of proposals have cleared both the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-controlled House. Still on the drawing board are dozens of high-profile bills that would overhaul the state’s criminal code, increase the dropout age from 16 to 18, require a prescription for common cold medicines used to make meth and change the state’s immigration laws, among other things.

Legislative leaders claim more than half of new borrowing for roads

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — On the final night of last week’s special legislative session, Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, complained about voting on a 245-page bill outlining $6.7 billion worth of road projects without even seeing it.

“This is an absolute outrage,” she said after casting one of two votes against the measure in the Senate. “Who knows what’s in it?”

The answer: A lot.

A review of the massive bill passed after 10 p.m. last Saturday shows that the districts represented by legislative leaders fared well. The bill included more than $400 million in borrowing, more than half of which is going to projects in 12 legislative leaders’ districts.

In some cases they snagged money for new road projects that were not included in any of the road-building proposals considered by the House and Senate earlier this year.

For example, the plan calls for spending $3 million of borrowed money on a “scoping” study to determine the feasibility of building a new bridge over Lake Cumberland near Wolf Creek Dam, in the districts of House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, and Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville.

“The money always seems to go to leadership. They are the ones who hold the fiscal pencil,” said Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, who also voted against the road plan.

Taxpayer-funded project named after GOP state senator

By John Cheves – jcheves@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Construction is expected to begin this month in Barbourville on the Robert Stivers Appalachian Rural Wellness Initiative Center, a $7.2 million project that will include swimming pools and an exercise room.

The center is named for state Sen. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, the Senate Republican leader, who represents the area and helped secure millions in state funding. The state last month provided the final $750,000 needed for the center’s local organizers to pursue federal tax-credit financing.

Stivers and other Senate GOP leaders are arguing this week with House Democrats over the state budget and whether it should include projects the House wants. Voters will decide this fall if they favor fiscal conservatives willing to tighten the state’s belt or lawmakers who want to spend money on projects, Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, has said.

Given the Senate’s stance, it’s an odd time to fund a new facility named for the Senate Republican leader, said one lawmaker who has opposed project spending this year.

“I have to ask, if we have such a tight budget, we’re not going to address tax reform and we’re reducing essential services like education, why are we pursuing any additional projects at this time?” asked Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville.