http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com Covering Kentucky politics and government Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:31:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/education-advocate-elisabeth-jensen-to-challenge-u-s-rep-andy-barr/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/education-advocate-elisabeth-jensen-to-challenge-u-s-rep-andy-barr/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:55:25 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24746 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — Longtime education advocate Elisabeth Jensen has launched a campaign to unseat Republican U.S. Rep Andy Barr in Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District. Jensen, a Democrat and director of the Lexington-based Race for Education, said she decided to challenge Barr, a freshman congressman who faces re-election in 2014, because she thinks young people and families need better representation in Washington. The 19-county district includes Lexington. “I think Congress is not working and we need something different,” Jensen said. “I think we need a voice for families and children and I don’t think we have that right now. I think I can be that voice.” Jensen, a Lexington resident who has one son, is making her first run for public office. She is a 2011 graduate of Emerge Kentucky, a leadership class designed to encourage more Democratic women to run for public office.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/education-advocate-elisabeth-jensen-to-challenge-u-s-rep-andy-barr/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/big-money-in-play-in-central-kentuckys-special-house-election/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/big-money-in-play-in-central-kentuckys-special-house-election/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:55:03 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24751 jbrammer@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — Democrat James Kay has raised substantially more money than Republican opponent Lyen Crews and independent John-Mark Hack in the June 25 special election for a state House seat in Central Kentucky. However, Crews continues to benefit from strong spending by a conservative political action committee in the race to represent the 56th House District, which covers Woodford County and portions of Fayette and Franklin counties. Kay reported raising $132,749 for the election, compared to Crews’s $68,806. During the latest reporting period — May 25 to June 10 — Kay took in $44,340 to Crews’ $19,596, according to 15-day pre-election campaign reports filed Monday with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Kay reported having $115,131 cash on hand. Crews reported having $66,065. The registry had not received a report from Hack, who said in an email later in the day that he had mailed his report. He said it will show that his campaign has about $14,000 cash on hand.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/big-money-in-play-in-central-kentuckys-special-house-election/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/beshear-says-lawmakers-may-redraw-kentuckys-congressional-districts/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/beshear-says-lawmakers-may-redraw-kentuckys-congressional-districts/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:28:39 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24741 By Beth Musgrave bmusgrave@herald-leader.com FRANKFORT — State lawmakers may have to redraw the boundaries of Kentucky’s six congressional districts later this year when they meet in a special session to remake state legislative districts, Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday. Beshear said he expects to announce the date of a special legislative session by Friday, when a hearing is scheduled in a federal court case filed by northern Kentucky officials and residents who say they are disadvantaged by the legislature’s inaction on redistricting. The House and Senate passed new boundaries for congressional districts and state legislative districts in 2012, but the maps for state districts were ruled unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court. Two federal lawsuits have been filed that seek to force lawmakers to create new boundaries for legislative districts or allow a federal court to draw the boundaries. Lawmakers are required to set new boundaries once each decade to account for shifting populations. A key point of contention between House Democrats and Senate Republicans has been whether to include federal prisoners in their population counts when redrawing district boundaries.]]> http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/17/beshear-says-lawmakers-may-redraw-kentuckys-congressional-districts/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/13/comment-will-discuss-special-legislative-session-special-state-house-election/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/13/comment-will-discuss-special-legislative-session-special-state-house-election/#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:38:11 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24733 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/13/comment-will-discuss-special-legislative-session-special-state-house-election/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/13/independent-candidate-criticizes-heavy-involvement-of-outside-groups-in-special-house-race/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/13/independent-candidate-criticizes-heavy-involvement-of-outside-groups-in-special-house-race/#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:04:17 +0000 Jack Brammer http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24726 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/13/independent-candidate-criticizes-heavy-involvement-of-outside-groups-in-special-house-race/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/state-using-coal-taxes-for-rupp-arena-project-upsetting-coal-county-leaders/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/state-using-coal-taxes-for-rupp-arena-project-upsetting-coal-county-leaders/#comments Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:05:26 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24715 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/state-using-coal-taxes-for-rupp-arena-project-upsetting-coal-county-leaders/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/legislative-panel-declines-to-approve-fish-and-wildlife-commissioners-contract/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/legislative-panel-declines-to-approve-fish-and-wildlife-commissioners-contract/#comments Wed, 12 Jun 2013 02:00:26 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24711 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/legislative-panel-declines-to-approve-fish-and-wildlife-commissioners-contract/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/kentucky-lottery-expects-to-offer-keno-in-hundreds-of-locations-later-this-year/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/kentucky-lottery-expects-to-offer-keno-in-hundreds-of-locations-later-this-year/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:16:52 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24709 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/11/kentucky-lottery-expects-to-offer-keno-in-hundreds-of-locations-later-this-year/feed/ 0 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/10/more-democrats-means-unhappy-republicans-after-precinct-change-in-house-special-election/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/10/more-democrats-means-unhappy-republicans-after-precinct-change-in-house-special-election/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:50:14 +0000 Accountability Editor http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24707 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/10/more-democrats-means-unhappy-republicans-after-precinct-change-in-house-special-election/feed/ 1 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/10/judge-state-must-explain-why-it-removed-info-from-child-abuse-case-files/ http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/10/judge-state-must-explain-why-it-removed-info-from-child-abuse-case-files/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:25:51 +0000 Beth Musgrave http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/?p=24697 http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2013/06/10/judge-state-must-explain-why-it-removed-info-from-child-abuse-case-files/feed/ 0