by Don Weber – FRANKFORT – A House bill that would require police to get a warrant before engaging in drone surveillance in most situations cleared the Senate Committee on Judiciary on Tuesday. House Bill 291, sponsored by Rep. Diane St. Onge, R-Lakeside Park, which passed by a 6-2 vote in the committee, would require a judicial warrant…
by Tom Loftus , @TomLoftus_CJ – FRANKFORT, Ky. — A surprise proposal that erupted last week to transfer the power to file civil lawsuits or handle appeals on behalf of Kentuckians from the attorney general to the governor is being revised. Sen. Whitney Westerfield, the Hopkinsville Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday morning that he expects his…
By Chris Otts – LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – On Sept. 19, 2013, Louisville Metro government cut a $1.1 million check to Newbridge Development, the family company entrusted with bringing a marquee development to a prominent corner of impoverished west Louisville. About six months later, Mayor Greg Fischer joined Newbridge’s owners,…
Bill would change the way coal mines are inspected in Kentucky By Angela Reighard | HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) – House Bill 384 would change the way coal mines are inspected in Kentucky. The bill calls for fewer mine safety inspections than years past. Some say this will make the mines safer, while others disagree. At one point, Kentucky required…
by BECCA SCHIMMEL – Attorney General Andy Beshear is speaking out against Kentucky’s new right-to-work law. Right-to-work eliminates a union’s ability to collect fair share fees, but still holds those unions responsible for defending any employee and collectively bargaining for all employees. Fair share fees are less than union dues, but cover the cost of union representation.…
by Don Weber – FRANKFORT – Senate President Robert Stivers says that his amendment to House Bill 281 which would strip the Attorney General’s office of some powers was his idea alone and not Gov. Matt Bevin’s. Stivers’ amendment would only allow the attorney general to sue in five types of cases, including Medicaid fraud and consumer protection,…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence plans to visit Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday as he tries to make the case for repealing and replacing former President Barack Obama’s health care law. Pence is set to appear with Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin at the event in the hometown of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Fellow Kentucky Republican Sen.…
By Associated Press | FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — House Republican Speaker Jeff Hoover has set a March 15 deadline for a bill that would allow charter schools in Kentucky. The House of Representatives approved the charter schools bill last week. But the Senate has yet to give the bill a committee hearing. After Wednesday, lawmakers are scheduled to meet Tuesday…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky home-school students could try out for public school sports teams under a bill that has passed the state House of Representatives. Lawmakers approved House Bill 58 55-34 on Tuesday. The bill would let home-school students try out for teams at schools they would have been assigned to attend or have…
by Morgan Watkins and Tom Loftus , The Courier-Journal – FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky House approved another abortion-related measure Tuesday night, passing the bill that would reduce Planned Parenthood’s access to federal family planning funds. Senate Bill 8, passed on a 75-13 vote, is likely the Republican-controlled Assembly’s final salvo targeting abortion rights during this year’s legislative session, which…