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Kentucky legislature could call itself into session under amendment proposed by House speaker
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky legislature could call itself into session for an additional 12 days a year and extend regular sessions beyond constitutionally required end dates under a constitutional amendment filed Tuesday by House Speaker David Osborne.? Osborne, R-Prospect, told reporters Tuesday afternoon the amendment proposed by House Bill 4, if approved by voters, would […]
House passes two-year Kentucky budget, $1.7 billion in one-time spending
FRANKFORT — After hours of questioning and much criticism from Democrats, the GOP-dominated Kentucky House of Representatives on Thursday approved a $129.6 billion two-year state spending plan. The House also approved more than $1.7 billion in one-time spending from the state’s record-high “rainy day” fund which will pay down pension liabilities and fund infrastructure, in […]
School transportation would be fully funded for first time in decades under House budget plan
FRANKFORT — Kentucky House Republicans would fully fund school transportation in a state budget proposal that advanced from committee Wednesday.?? The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee in a special-called meeting approved bills funding all three branches of government, making one-time appropriations from the state’s “rainy day” fund and releasing tens of millions of dollars in […]
Pilot program to add speed cameras to roadway work zones heads to Kentucky House
FRANKFORT — Adding speed cameras to highway construction zones received a House committee’s approval with bipartisan support Tuesday.? Under House Bill 192, sponsored by Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville,? the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet would create a three-year pilot program starting in 2025 to add speed cameras to work zones in an effort to discourage speeding and […]
House-approved bill asks voters to make clear: Noncitizens can’t vote in Kentucky
FRANKFORT — A Republican-backed bill passed Tuesday by the Kentucky House of Representatives would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment barring people who aren’t U.S. citizens from voting in state and local elections, something that Kentucky’s chief elections official says doesn’t happen.? House Bill 341 sponsor, Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, described the bill as […]
Kentucky has tens of millions of dollars of backlogged requests to repair local roads
Kentucky is?unable to fulfill nearly $40 million of requests from cities and counties to help repair local roads because of a lack of funding, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet official told state lawmakers Monday.? Bobbi Jo Lewis, commissioner of the Department of Rural and Municipal Aid in the Transportation Cabinet, urged the House Budget Review Subcommittee […]
Chemical plant pollution has ‘elevated’ cancer risk in a West Kentucky city, study says
“Toxic air pollution,” largely from a single chemical manufacturer, is elevating the risk of cancer for the approximately 2,500 residents of Calvert City in West Kentucky, state and federal environmental officials are warning.? A study, conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with three air monitors put in place by the Kentucky Division of Air […]
A bill targeting low-income housing vouchers passes Kentucky Senate
A bill that would prevent Kentucky cities from requiring landlords to accept low-income housing vouchers, something housing advocates say doesn’t happen, passed the state Senate Wednesday by a near party line vote.? The debate on Senate Bill 25 echoed much of what was heard in the House the day before as a similar bill won […]
Kentucky House passes bill limiting power of Louisville’s air pollution authority
Kentucky lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would prevent Louisville’s air pollution authority from issuing fines against industries that self-disclose violations of federal pollution regulations.? Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, on the House floor reiterated his reasoning for House Bill 136 by saying it would bring industries in Jefferson County into […]
Opponents fear House-approved bill would preempt a Louisville housing ordinance
Republican-backed legislation passed the Kentucky House of Representatives Tuesday that would ban local governments from requiring landlords to accept federal housing vouchers from tenants, something housing advocates say no local government has done.? House Bill 18, sponsored by Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, passed 74-20 on a party line vote with the minority of Democrats repeating concerns […]
‘Excessive and disturbing’: Regulator slashes Kentucky Power proposed rate hike by two-thirds
Kentucky’s utility regulator has allowed Kentucky Power to raise its electricity rates, but by much less than what the utility had originally asked for.? The Kentucky Public Service Commission in a Friday afternoon order allowed Kentucky Power, which serves about 163,000 customers in 20 Eastern Kentucky counties, to increase monthly bills? for the average residential […]
Bill curbing fines for Louisville air pollution raises questions about sponsor’s self-interest
FRANKFORT — Louisville’s air pollution authority would lose the power to issue fines in some circumstances under a bill that has Democratic lawmakers asking if the Republican sponsor’s employer stands to benefit from the proposed change in the? law. House Bill 136, sponsored by Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, would bring the Louisville Air Pollution Control […]