New Authority Could Coordinate State Recreational Trails

by STU JOHNSON –  Proposed legislation to better coordinate recreational trail development, especially in eastern Kentucky coalfields, is moving through the General Assembly. A proposal to create the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority passed the full House Monday. Debby Spencer is president of a Bowling Green-based development firm called We Make Things Happen. She said 20 county…

House panel approves bill on medical review panels, with some changes

by JOHN CHEVES, [email protected] –  FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House will get a Senate bill that would establish “medical review panels” to intervene in malpractice or neglect lawsuits, with changes that its supporters hope will help it survive a constitutional challenge. The House Health and Family Services Committee on Tuesday voted 9-2 in favor of Senate Bill 4, sponsored by…

Why study bourbon if you can’t taste it?

by Bailey Loosemore , @bloosemore – Kentucky distilleries and breweries are in the middle of a building boom — and that means a lot of jobs will be added in and around the beverage industry. But will the state’s workforce be able to fill them? Universities across the state aren’t waiting to find out. They’ve implemented programs that combine…

‘War on Louisville’ bill moves through Senate committee

by Phillip M. Bailey and Morgan Watkins , The Courier-Journal – A brief look at nine issues that will be getting attention at Kentucky’s next General Assembly. Scott Utterback/The CJ A Senate committee approved a bill Thursday morning that would give Kentucky’s governor the power to fill vacancies in Louisville, although significant changes were made overnight to make the proposal more…