New chief of Ky legislative staff brings reform

by Tom Loftus , @TomLoftus_CJ –  Jeff Hoover, a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, and Robert Stivers, a Republican member of the Kentucky Senate, speak the day after elections. Scott Utterback/The CJ FRANKFORT, Ky. — In one respect, the job of directing the Legislative Research Commission’s 400-member staff is like that of a baseball umpire: If…

Adelsons give $15M more to McConnell super PAC

by Tom Loftus , @TomLoftus_CJ –  Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam gave another $15 million late in the fall campaign to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s super PAC devoted to electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate. That brought the Adelsons’ total contributions to Senate Leadership Fund to $35 million – dwarfing even other billionaire donors who…

Greenup approves needle exchange program

by MIKE JAMES, The DAILY Independent – GREENUP The Greenup County Health Department is poised to launch a needle exchange program its director says would cut down on diseases contracted by drug addicts using dirty needles. The exchange also would protect first responders and health care workers who risk exposure from accidental needle sticks, said county…

State audit rips U of L Foundation, Ramsey

by Tom Loftus , @TomLoftus_CJ – Kentucky Auditor Mike Harmon briefed the media on the findings of an audit of the University of Louisville. FRANKFORT, Ky. — The University of Louisville Foundation exceeded its authority in paying former University President James Ramsey more than what was approved in 2014 by the university’s board of trustees, according to a…