State Capitol

Kentucky's Tourism Secretary, Marcheta Sparrow will retire at the end of this month. Sparrow was one of Governor Steve Beshear's first cabinet appointments, taking office in 2007. Beshear did not return a request for comment, but in a statement, he praised Sparrow for the state's recent uptick in tourism, including a 4.4 percent jump last year. Beshear says he will name a new secretary soon. The secretary oversees many departments, in addition to tourism, including parks, fish and wildlife and other humanities-related offices. 

The trial date for former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer has been rescheduled to 10 a.m. Oct. 22, a federal judge ordered Wednesday. Farmer’s attorney, Guthrie True, had asked U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to delay the proceeding to February from its original July 2 trial date.

A lawyer for former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer wants federal prosecutors to turn over all documents that might used against Farmer at trial and all criminal records of any potential government witness. In documents filed in federal court Monday, lawyer J. Guthrie True asked a judge to compel prosecutors to turn over reams of information to Farmer's defense team. Federal prosecutors have already turned over 16 compact discs to Farmer's lawyers, according to previous court filings. Farmer has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the alleged misuse of approximately $450,000 in taxpayer funds. Read more...

The newest justice on Kentucky's Supreme Court will formally be sworn in this week, giving the court a record three women on the bench at one time. Justice Michelle Keller will take the oath tomorrow in the Capitol. The swearing in will take place at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. Keller previously served on the state Court of Appeals, and Beshear appointed her to the 6th Supreme Court District in April. There are seven justices on the Supreme Court. Never in state history have three of them been women. 

The General Assembly came away from the 2013 regular session with a host of accomplishments, but the biggest for many lawmakers was Senate Bill 2, known as the pension reform bill. SB 2 changed the current public employee pension system from a defined-benefit plan to a hybrid plan, in which the employee and the employer both contribute funds. The bill put a stop to the state’s ballooning $33-billion pension shortfall. But while SB 2 saves the state’s pension fund from getting any bigger, it also saves cities in Kentucky from having to pay their employees the same benefits they had in the past.

After months of deliberations, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has decided to expand Medicaid in Kentucky under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare—a move that's won praise from Democrats and health advocacy groups.  Beshear said Thursday that expansion benefits Kentucky in many ways.  "This move makes sense not only for our health but also for our pocketbook. More important it makes sense for our future," he says.  The expansion will insure more than 308,000 Kentuckians. And according to studies done by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Studies Institute at the University of Louisville, Medicaid expansion would bring about $800 million to Kentucky between next year and 2021.

When conducting a background check on a person buying a gun, Kentucky’s Attorney General says they’re still limited by the information available in the system.  And, with many mental health care providers already under a financial strain, Jack Conway says inputting all that data can be a hardship.  “Not only do those agencies have to provide mental health services, they have to interface with the data bases and law enforcement and provide the information and make sure it gets captured, make certain it’s available to people that need to access the information.  So, we’re in the process of looking, making certain that all of our information is getting into the system,” said Conway.

In a historic appointment, Governor Steve Beshear has named Court of Appeals Judge Michelle M. Keller of Fort Mitchell to the Kentucky Supreme Court. The appointment increases the number of women on the state's highest court to three. It is the first time the state Supreme Court has had three female justices on the bench. Keller replaces Justice Wil Schroder, who resigned January 17 due to health reasons.

Kentucky's legislative leaders have passed two bills to shore up the state's underfunded pension systems, effectively staving off a special session on the issue.  The new plan would reduce a personal tax credit of $20 to $10, generating roughly 33 million in revenue that would go to General Fund, but lawmakers would use for pensions. It would also use revenue from technical changes in the state's tax code, as well as money from federal tax changes.

Kentucky lawmakers have achieved a compromise that would set up a regulatory framework should the federal government legalize industrial hemp.  The so-called hemp bill—Senate Bill 50—gives control of licensing of future hemp farmers to the Industrial Hemp Commission, but allow the Kentucky State Police to do background checks on the farmers.  The state Department of Agriculture would be given many administrative roles for licensing hemp farmers and the University of Kentucky would be charged with researching the issue.

Kentucky military personnel serving overseas will be able to get ballots electronically under legislation approved late Tuesday in the Kentucky General Assembly. How they send them back is still to be determined. Working until the last minute of the 2013 session, legislators went back to the original Senate version of the military voting bill that allowed for electronic sending of ballots to overseas military, but snail mail return of the ballot.

Kentucky House and Senate leaders have changed the schedule of this year's legislative session, in hopes of  avoiding a special session.  A potential—and costly—special session has loomed over the General Assembly in recent days, as lawmakers continued work on pension reform. Instead of convening Friday, lawmakers will work on Tuesday, with hopes that talks started Thursday night could lead to an agreement on pension reform by then.

The commonwealth last deregulated telephone services in 2006.  Now, another effort, prompted by the popularity of cell phones and wireless access to the internet, is underway.   However, opposition from rural residents who worry they’ll lose access to reliable land lines has left the measure in limbo.   Phone companies like A-T-and-T promise they’ll improve cell phone and internet service in rural Kentucky if they can back away from traditional phone services.

There’s an old joke in Frankfort that goes, “Instead of meeting 60 days every two years, the general assembly ought to meet two days every 60 years.” More recently, lawmakers have gathered annually, but there’s talk among some that the old ways are best.  They want to gather for a couple months, every other year.  The discussion is being provoked by a constitutional amendment proposed by western Kentucky Senator Bob Leeper.  Over a decade ago, voters agreed the general assembly should gather every winter.  Now, Leeper, who’s the only independent in the general assembly, would like voters to re-visit that decision.

Lexington’s repair plan for its police and fire pension fund faces one more vote in the General Assembly.  The bill, already approved by the House, won committee approval today and soon goes before the full Senate.  Scott County Senator Damon Thayer, who’s working to fix the state’s pension systems, calls Lexington’s proposal inadequate.

The voices of hundreds of disabled Kentuckians were heard  Tuesday at the state capital.  Rally organizers claim a record number of individuals with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities were expected.  Their aim was to leave a lasting impression on the state’s policy makers.  The day began with activists, many with disabilities, filling the hallways at the state capital annex.  They filed into a couple rooms to hear their marching orders.  After getting directions to offices occupied by state lawmakers, they left…hoping to make a case for state services needed by Kentucky’s disabled residents.

The recent passage of Senate Bill 88 by the Kentucky state Senate has alarmed some with concerns they may soon find land line telephone service a thing of the past. Senate Bill 88 is directed at deregulating certain aspects of communication services. Lourdes Baez, communications director for the Senate Majority, said this bill will not leave rural homes without access to land lines. “There has been an immense amount of misinformation,” said Baez. According to Baez, there are protections in the bill which will not allow land lines in rural areas to be discontinued.