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/money-for-roads-in-williams-district-pales-in-comparison-to-house-leaders/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/money-for-roads-in-williams-district-pales-in-comparison-to-house-leaders/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:04:37 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21601 By John Cheves jcheves@herald-leader.com Gov. Steve Beshear blamed Senate President David Williams' "greed" last week after Williams added tens of millions of dollars in spending for his district to the state's two-year road plan. Meanwhile, Williams criticized Beshear for not signing the plan into law hours after legislative leaders hammered out a compromise version and delivered it to the governor. A week after the regular legislative session ended in failure because of this impasse, the facts don't entirely support either man. Though Williams, R-Burkesville, did try to fatten short-term road spending in his district, which includes six rural counties along the Tennessee state line, what he awarded himself pales in comparison to the asphalt anticipated by House Democratic leaders, who get first crack at the governor's road plan and share the governor's party affiliation. From 2012 through 2014, the road plan the legislature approved last Thursday would have spent $115 million in Williams' district, or $1,017 per person. Floyd County, home of House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, would get $95 million, or $2,411 per person. Elliott County, home of House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, would get $41 million, or $5,259 per person.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/04/18/money-for-roads-in-williams-district-pales-in-comparison-to-house-leaders/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/williams-house-dems-wrangle-over-debt-in-state-budget/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/williams-house-dems-wrangle-over-debt-in-state-budget/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:17:45 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21344 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT – Senate President David Williams and House Democratic leaders wrangled over how much debt there should be in the state budget Wednesday in a third day of negotiations over the two-year, $19 billion spending plan. Leading lawmakers are trying to produce a budget by 3 a.m. Thursday, which would allow the chambers to vote Friday on a budget bill. If they don’t meet that deadline, lawmakers still could rearrange the legislative calendar so that Saturday or Monday becomes the 59th day of the 60-workday legislative session. Wednesday was the 57th day of the session, which must end by April 15. Lawmakers hope to preserve the final day of the session to override any vetoes Gov. Steve Beshear might issue during a 10-day window in early April. In little more than an hour of negotiations Wednesday morning, lawmakers argued over whether to include in the budget a $100 million bond for school construction and a $20 million bond for high-tech economic development construction projects.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/28/williams-house-dems-wrangle-over-debt-in-state-budget/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/20/legislators-unveil-emergency-legislation-to-help-tornado-victims/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/20/legislators-unveil-emergency-legislation-to-help-tornado-victims/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:57:06 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=21230 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is backing emergency legislation to help Kentucky's tornado victims. The proposal would provide tax relief to owners of buildings damaged in the March 2 tornadoes and assist schools and staff suffering with potential loss of funds due to absences caused by the disaster. Flanked by 11 other lawmakers on Tuesday, state Rep. John Will Stacy, D-West Liberty, said building owners in all 21 Kentucky counties that were declared disaster areas by President Barack Obama could recover the state's 6 percent sales tax paid on building materials used to repair or replace any structure damaged in the disaster. The buildings must be repaired or rebuilt in the county in which they were damaged, said Stacy, whose hometown was decimated by a killer tornado.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/03/20/legislators-unveil-emergency-legislation-to-help-tornado-victims/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/02/22/stumbo-seeks-spending-records-for-morehead-state-officials/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/02/22/stumbo-seeks-spending-records-for-morehead-state-officials/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:24:39 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20656 By Linda B. Blackford lblackford@herald-leader.com The sponsor of a bill to make the University of Pikeville a public school has requested spending records for the president and Board of Regents of Morehead State University, which is vigorously opposing the measure. A Feb. 15 request under the Open Records Act from House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, asks for all records from the past five years showing expenses incurred by Morehead President Wayne Andrews, his staff and all 11 regents. The request asks for expenses related to travel, vacations, conventions, recreation, motor vehicles, country clubs or other memberships and any other items of value. In addition, the request asks for documents related to the “improvement of the educational opportunities” in the 12-county region of southeastern Kentucky that UPike would serve instead of Morehead. Neither Stumbo nor Andrews was immediately available for comment. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/02/22/stumbo-seeks-spending-records-for-morehead-state-officials/feed/ 3 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/12/house-leader-adkins-seeks-to-make-state-schools-greener/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/12/house-leader-adkins-seeks-to-make-state-schools-greener/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:52:29 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=20106 By Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT – House Majority Leader Leader Rocky Adkins touted Rosa Parks Elementary School in Lexington Thursday in promoting his legislation to make schools more energy efficient. At a Capitol news conference, Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, unveiled his “Kentucky Green Schools Initiative” that would allow schools to tap into a $50 million bond pool previously authorized to apply for loans for energy conservation measures such as new insulation and weather stripping. A Kentucky Green Schools Authority made up of various state officials and a representative from the Kentucky School Boards Association would oversee the bond pool. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2012/01/12/house-leader-adkins-seeks-to-make-state-schools-greener/feed/ 1 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/2011/07/12/ethics-panel-holds-closed-door-hearing-regarding-rep-keith-hall/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/07/12/ethics-panel-holds-closed-door-hearing-regarding-rep-keith-hall/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:24:26 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=18413 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.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2011/07/12/ethics-panel-holds-closed-door-hearing-regarding-rep-keith-hall/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/07/27/slew-of-republicans-considering-run-for-governor/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/07/27/slew-of-republicans-considering-run-for-governor/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:39:28 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=13553 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/07/27/slew-of-republicans-considering-run-for-governor/feed/ 36 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/06/04/legislative-leaders-claim-more-than-half-of-newly-borrowed-road-money/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/06/04/legislative-leaders-claim-more-than-half-of-newly-borrowed-road-money/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:06:17 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=12997 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. ]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/06/04/legislative-leaders-claim-more-than-half-of-newly-borrowed-road-money/feed/ 13 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