10 Kentucky House races to watch

by Tom Loftus, @TomLoftus_CJ – FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky Republicans say they have years of momentum and that a big voter turnout in November for a presidential election will help them seize majority control of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the first time since 1921. “A fantastic chance,” said Tres Watson, spokesman for the Republican Party of Kentucky.…

Methadone clinics: helping or hurting drug epidemic?

 by Miranda Combs | LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – It’s estimated at least 40,000 people in Kentucky are dealing with drug addiction. In our investigations into treatment options, we’ve found there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. According to Lexington Drug Treatment Specialist Dr. Stephen Lamb, about 10,000 people in Kentucky find help with Methadone. Methadone is a pure opiate agonist, meaning…

Paul endorses Shenita Rickman in 33rd Dist. state Senate race

by Nick Storm, @NickStorm_cn2 – LOUISVILLE — A newcomer to politics, Shenita Rickman, received the backing of Kentucky junior U.S. Sen. Rand Paul on Monday in her efforts to defeat longtime Sen. Gerald Neal. Rickman’s challenge to Neal represents the Kentucky GOP’s attempts to attract the African American population of west Louisville. Republicans in the state Senate currently hold a…

LRC’s shift to one-to-one compensatory time policy “just makes sense,” agency’s director says

by Kevin Wheatley, @KWheatley_cn2 – FRANKFORT — New Legislative Research Commission Director David Byerman faced a daunting task when he took over the LRC in October — reform an agency that had been blistered in a 2014 audit by the National Conference of State Legislatures. LRC’s handling of compensatory time was one of many issues highlighted in the NCSL report, with past directors…

Judge: Bevin’s executive order is like ‘a neutron bomb’

by Adam Beam, Associated Press –  FRANKFORT, KY. – A Kentucky judge compared one of Gov. Matt Bevin’s executive orders to a neutron bomb Wednesday in a case that challenges the governor’s ongoing purge of powerful state boards and commissions. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd said Bevin’s executive order abolishing the Workers Compensation Nominating Commission and…

Companies spend record $9.53 million lobbying Kentucky legislature

by Jack Brammer, [email protected] –  FRANKFORT — Companies and special interest groups spent an all-time high of $9.53 million lobbying Kentucky’s 2016 General Assembly, the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission reported Tuesday. That’s a 9 percent increase over lobbyist spending in 2014, the most recent 60-day lawmaking session. During this year’s session, a record 698 businesses and organizations registered to lobby.…

Gov. Bevin on removing former first lady from Ky. Horse Park Commission: Beshears “seem hung up on the idea of staying around”

by Kevin Wheatley, @KWheatley_cn2 – FRANKFORT — After former first lady Jane Beshear decried her removal from the Kentucky Horse Park Commission as an escalation in the feud between ex-Gov. Steve Beshear and first-year Gov. Matt Bevin, the current governor says it’s time for his predecessor to move on. Bevin abolished and then re-organized the Kentucky Horse Park Commission,…