All Entries in the "Richie Farmer" Category

Williams calls for elimination of corporate, personal income taxes in new jobs plan

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – Republican nominee for governor David Williams wants to eliminate state personal and corporate income taxes as part of his plan to create and retain jobs in Kentucky.

Williams’ plan, released Wednesday, also recommends several short-term tax suspensions designed to jumpstart Kentucky’s job market and several changes in the law, including allowing local voters to decide if their county should have a right-to-work laws. The plan also allows local voters to decide if local governments should have to pay the prevailing wage for public works projects.

Williams faces Democratic incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear and independent Gatewood Galbraith in the Nov. 8 general election.

The plan also calls for creation of a commission of economic and tax experts to come up with a new state and local tax structure that would receive an up-or-down vote in the legislature.

Farishes will hold fundraiser for Beshear-Abramson campaign

FRANKFORT – Father and son Will and Bill Farish of Lane’s End Farm near Versailles will host a fund-raising reception Friday at their thoroughbred race horse breeding farm for the Democratic ticket of Gov. Steve Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson.
The reception will be from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the farm’s Stallion Barn on Midway Road.

The invitation to the fundraiser says couples Will and Sarah Farish and Bill and Kelley Farish suggest a contribution of $1,000 to attend.

Ethics panel dismisses complaint against Williams on gambling winnings

By Jack Brammer

jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – The Legislative Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint Tuesday filed by state Democratic Party Chairman Daniel Logsdon accusing Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams of not reporting his gambling winnings to the watchdog agency.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Executive Branch Ethics Commission about the use of taxpayers’ dollars to buy a refrigerator for Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer’s house.

Farmer is running for lieutenant governor on the ticket with Williams against Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. Lexington lawyer Gatewood Galbraith is running as an independent with Frankfort marketing consultant Dea Riley.

The candidates’ political parties have been busy this year filing ethics complaints against their opponents.

Second poll shows Beshear with double-digit lead over Williams

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A second poll released this week shows Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear with a more than 20-point lead over Republican challenger David Williams.

Insight’s CN|2 poll, conducted by Braun Research, showed Beshear and running mate Jerry Abramson with 53.4 percent of the vote, compared to 25.3 percent for Williams and running mate Richie Farmer.

The independent slate of Lexington lawyer Gatewood Galbraith and marketing executive Dea Riley garnered about 7.2 percent of the vote.

Earlier this week, Public Policy Polling released numbers that showed Beshear witha 27-point lead over Williams.

Nov. 22 trial date set in Richie Farmer divorce case

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A judge set a Nov. 22 trial date Tuesday in Rebecca Farmer’s divorce case against state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer.

Franklin Family Court Judge Squire Williams also scheduled a mediation hearing Sept. 29 for the couple.

Richie Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball star from Clay County, is a candidate for lieutenant governor on the gubernatorial ticket of Republican David Williams.

Rebecca Farmer’s attorney, Brian A. Logan of Frankfort, wanted the trial date to be scheduled sooner. In response, the commissioner’s attorney, Richard Guarnieri of Frankfort, asserted in a hearing Tuesday that Logan wanted the trial before the Nov. 8 general election to get an advantage.

Logan said the assertion was “completely untrue.”

Board delays decision on expanding hiring probe of agriculture department

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Personnel Board deferred acting on an anonymous request Friday to expand its hiring investigation of the state Department of Agriculture. But the board did rule it lacked jurisdiction to pursue an allegation that Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer used a state employee to run personal errands.

A spokesman for Farmer, who is running for lieutenant governor this year on the Republican ticket of gubernatorial nominee David Williams, had no comment on the anonymous complaint, which was discussed in open session Friday by the Personnel Board.

The Personnel Board decided earlier this year to investigate the agriculture department’s decision to move two employees late last year from politically appointed non-merit positions to merit jobs, which would protect them from dismissal after Farmer leaves office at the end of this year.

Beshear avoids politics at Fancy Farm, gets heat from opponents

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

FANCY FARM — Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear avoided political partisanship during his speech Saturday at the annual Fancy Farm political picnic by entirely focusing on his trip last week to visit troops in the Middle East.

But his Republican opponent, Senate President David Williams, said Beshear touted his trip because he has no real accomplishments and independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith accused Beshear of “false military patriotism.”

With his voice breaking slightly in the hot weather, Beshear told a rowdy crowd at the 131st annual Fancy Farm picnic that traditionally kicks off fall campaigns in Kentucky that a week ago he was prepared to give a speech marked with barbs toward opponents.

But Beshear, who returned Friday night from a week-long trip visiting Kentucky troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, said the life-changing trip made him realize there were things more important than mud-slinging and name-calling.

Williams-Farmer campaign airs first ad

By Jack Brammer | jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – The Republican campaign of Senate President David Williams for governor and Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer for lieutenant governor started airing its first TV ad Tuesday for the Nov. 8 general election.

The 30-second ad features Williams speaking directly into the camera about why he is running for governor against Democratic incumbent Steve Beshear.

In his ad, Williams talks about his admiration for his late father, Lewis Williams, a longtime Cumberland County clerk who inspired his son to enter public service.

Judge orders mediation in Richie Farmer divorce case

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – A judge ordered mediation in Rebecca Farmer‘s divorce case against Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, ignoring pleas by Rebecca Farmer’s attorney to set a trial date.

Franklin Family Court Judge Squire Williams said the couple must participate in mediation within 30 days.

Throughout the brief hearing, Rebecca Farmer’s attorney, Brian A. Logan of Frankfort, told the judge his client was ready to proceed and “wanted to get the matter resolved.”

Logan noted that she filed the lawsuit in April and that commissioner Farmer’s schedule will get more crowded in coming months with this fall’s election. Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball star from Clay County, is a candidate for lieutenant governor on the gubernatorial ticket of Republican David Williams.

Two women at center of Ag Department investigation resign

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Two state Department of Agriculture employees at the center of a Personnel Board investigation have vacated their new merit position jobs and returned to their previous posts as political appointees.

The Personnel Board unanimously decided on Friday to continue investigating the department’s decision to place the two women in merit jobs, which would protect them from dismissal after Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer leaves office at the end of the year.

Farmer is running for lieutenant governor this year on the Republican ticket of gubernatorial nominee David Williams.