But we won't know whether Northup really generated $300,000 at the fundraiser until the end of March, because of Kentucky's crazy election finance reporting deadlines. The first reporting date for statewide candidates is March 31, less than two months before the election. By that time candidates have either failed miserably in their fundraising efforts or raked in tons of cash that nobody knew about. There are some recommendations and proposed bills that would add some reporting deadlines earlier in the election season so folks would have a better handle on how much candidates are generating for their campaigns, and more importantly, who's giving them the early money.

Governor Ernie Fletcher has found a hot button issue to hang his hat on during this legislative session. The decision by house leaders to gut the so-called "Boni bill", which added 300 social workers and on-the-job safety measures for them, has opened the door for Fletcher to fire some salvos. And he's launched the first one at House Speaker Jody Richards. Fletcher has fired off a letter to Richards expressing his "deep disappointment" for the House Health and Welfare committee's decision to strip the $20 million in funding from the social workers bill. Fletcher says the house shouldn't "play politics" with the lives of state social workers. Of course, he's playing politics with this very issue but Fletcher appears to have the upper hand on this one. Social workers were promised reforms, more money, more staff and safe places to meet with emotionally torn families after the murder of social worker aide Boni Frederick last fall. They were stunned when the house committee gutted the bill last week. House leaders say a blue ribbon task force will recommend improvements to Kentucky's child protection system to the 2008 legislature. The house leaders don't want to open up the budget in this off year session. Fletcher has proposed a host of programs and projects on which to spend the projected, and misleading, $401 million dollar surplus. This is one program that the legislature might consider an emergency and implement funding in the off-budget session.