by Deborah Highland, dhighland@bgdailynews.com – When someone calls 911 in Butler County, retired farmer Don Sullivan wants an operator on the other end to answer and send help. That’s why Sullivan, who is chairman of the Butler County ambulance taxing district which oversees Butler 911, sits as a volunteer on the board and stumps for…
by Tom Loftus, @TomLoftus_CJ – FRANKFORT, Ky. – Three members of the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees who for several years were among the biggest contributors to the Kentucky Democratic Party gave as much money as the law allows in February to the Republican Party of Kentucky. William C. Britton, of Louisville, Edward Britt Brockman,…
by RYLAND BARTON – First it was Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, then it was the House, and now it’s the Senate’s turn to weigh in on how to spend the state’s money over the next two years. Senate President Robert Stivers says he wants his chamber to vote on a budget Tuesday or Wednesday. That would give…
by Tom Loftus, @TomLoftus_CJ – Gov. Matt Bevin announced Wednesday he has begun work to transform Kentucky’s Medicaid program by 2017. But in the meantime he envisions no major changes in the government health plan. (Full press conference) FRANKFORT, Ky. – On a party line vote with the majority Democrats voting yes, bills that extend the…
BY JANET PATTON, jpatton1@herald-leader.com – The Kentucky Horse Park is “making good progress,” state Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Don Parkinson said after hearing Wednesday that the park is on track to meet budget projections for the year. Executive director Jamie Link told the Kentucky Horse Park Commission the park has more than $538,000 in hand after…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) — A bill that would expunge the record of some felons has passed a key hurdle in the Kentucky Senate. The Senate version of a bill that would clear the record of some convicted felons looks much different than the one that has already been passed by the House. The Senate bill that…
by Nick Storm, @NickStorm_cn2 – FRANKFORT — With the passage of House Bill 8 in the 2015 session Kentucky became the last state in the nation to offer protective orders for victims of dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. As the state embarks on “something very new” advocates are issuing guidelines in an effort to raise awareness of the…
by Stu Johnson, WEKU NEWS – The Kentucky Senate Agriculture Committee has passed a House approved bill that would regulate zip lines across the Commonwealth. The measure aims to help ensure consistency in construction, training, and rider safety. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer cast a no vote in committee, citing concerns about over-regulation. “Do we have to regulate…
by Adam Beam, Associated Press – FRANKFORT, KY. — Convicted felons can’t vote in Kentucky unless the governor allows it, but a bill moving through the Republican-controlled state Senate would let lawmakers make the decision instead. Kentucky’s constitution bans all convicted felons from voting in elections, even if they have completed their sentence and been released from prison.…
by Tom Loftus, @TomLoftus_CJ – FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. said Wednesday the judicial budget as approved by the House budget committee on Tuesday would have a “catastrophic” impact on Kentucky’s court system. Minton complained last month about what he said were inadequate funds set aside for the judicial branch in Gov. Matt…