January 2008 Archives

Governor Beshear has appointed a new judge in southern Kentucky, a judge who donated $200 to Beshear's choice for the state senate seat that was vacated by Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo.

>> Continue reading: Appointed Judge Gave Cash to Beshear's Senate Candidate

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Ron Lewis has really ticked off folks in his own party, perhaps killing the chances that his handpicked successor can win the GOP nomination for Lewis' seat. And Gov. Beshear has some unhappy campers in his party with the way he's handled the open senate seat in E. Ky.

>> Continue reading: Lewis/Beshear Ticking Off Own Party

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As ABC News provides wall-to-wall coverage of Super Tuesday primary results, WHAS11 and WHAS11.com will provide analyis from local experts and supporters of the candidates.

>> Continue reading: WHAS11 a Super Place for Super Tuesday

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Louisville developer Chris Thieneman now says he's dropping out of the 3rd District Congressional race, changing parties and supporting John Yarmuth.

>> Continue reading: He's In. He's Out. He's Chris Thieneman

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I know most of you believed Steve Beshear when he said he wasn't cutting the main funding source for Kentucky schools. Like me, you didn't listen very well because Beshear chose his words carefully.

>> Continue reading: SEEK Money Targeted For Cut, Despite What You've Heard

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I believe it was former Senate President John "Eck" Rose who jokingly referred to former senator Henry Lackey as "the gentleman from Clairol". At the time, Lackey had a full head of blond hair.

>> Continue reading: Senator from Clairol Returns to Frankfort

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The Kentucky Senate pulled off a rare move today to get a bill to ban domestic partner benefits for state employees through a committee AND the full senate in the same day. Man, those senators work fast when they really want to.

>> Continue reading: Senate Puts Domestic Partner Insurance Ban on Fast Track

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The popular KEES scholarship program would face cuts if Governor Beshear's budget plan becomes law (Lexington Herald-Leader)http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/302988.html.

>> Continue reading: KEES Scholarships Face Ax

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Former House member Mike Weaver wants his old job back.

>> Continue reading: Interesting Candidate Filings

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Anne Northup officially filed her papers to run for U.S. Congress on Tuesday. And this time she had a $500 check ready.

>> Continue reading: Northup Files, Thieneman Doesn't Back Down

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Several democratic state lawmakers said they were glad that Governor Beshear finally used his bully pulpit to tie the casino gambling issue to Kentucky's budget problems.

>> Continue reading: Beshear Finally Pushes Casinos. Williams Pushes Back

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The Kentucky House of Representatives passed the so-called "Bully Bill" yesterday afternoon and there wasn't a single reporter there to log what happened.

>> Continue reading: Bully Bill Passes House, Nobody Notices

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Sorry about the lack of posts, especially with yesterday's wild day in Frankfort. But I couldn't get my llaptop to work last night and when I got home my power was out. I'll have some updates including the quote of the day from David Williams sometime after 9 this morning. Mark

>> Continue reading: Weather Kills Blogging

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Here's the official release from his office and comments from my conversation with his press secretary:
U.S. Representative Ron Lewis (KY-02) announced today that he has withdrawn his filing papers and will not seek reelection for an eighth full term.

>> Continue reading: Ron Lewis (R-KY) Retiring From Congress

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During his campaign for governor, Steve Beshear said he wouldn't fly to campaign stops in the state airplane. That statement came as Gov. Fletcher was being lambasted for using the state plane for the dual purpose of attending political fundraisers and official functions on the same trip.

>> Continue reading: Campaigning With State Plane

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There's a new education report out that compares Kentucky students CATS scores vs. the NAEP test scores. It depends on how you look at whether the report paints an optimistic or pessimistic view of Kentucky's public schools.

>> Continue reading: Education Report Out

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Paducah's largest TV station has done a story on the Heather Ryan vs. Mitch McConnell flap.

>> Continue reading: WPSD Report on Ryan vs. McConnell

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Many of you have questioned Gov. Beshear's claim that Kentucky's treasury could rake in $500 million a year in revenue from legalized casinos. That's a fair question.

>> Continue reading: Casino Tax Revenue Truths

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Some folks in higher education circles are worried that legalizing casinos in Kentucky would dig into Lottery revenues and, therefore, cut the number of KEES scholarships available to Kentucky college students. The story is in the H-L.

>> Continue reading: Could Casinos Hurt College Aid?

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Former congresswoman Anne Northup will make an announcement about her future on Tuesday in Frankfort, according to her long time political advisor, Ted Jackson.

>> Continue reading: Northup Announcement Tuesday

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Former appeals court judge Rick Johnson has filed to run for the state senate seat currently held by republican Ken Winters.

>> Continue reading: Johnson Vs. Hubbard In 1st

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The first democrat has filed to run for the Louisville Metro Council seat that Julie Raque Adams is leaving.

>> Continue reading: Dem. Files For Adams' Council Seat

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Former state representative Hank List of Lexington is back in a familiar post. List is back in his old job as deputy secretary in the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet.

>> Continue reading: List Is On The List

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Here's some news about Northup, Thieneman and Heleringer.

>> Continue reading: Candidate News UPDATED

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Transportation Secretary Joe Prather says he didn't order a new traffic light with a left turn signal be installed at an intersection near his hour. Prather says his staff made that decision.

>> Continue reading: Prather Defends Light, Beshear Defends Prather

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Ryan Alessi has the first story of what may appear to be special treatment from the Beshear administration to one of its own, new Transportation Secretary Joe Prather.

>> Continue reading: New Transportation Chief Gets Self-Serving Project

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Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith says friends are encouraging him to run for U.S. Senate, but even more on leaning on him to run for the second district congressional seat currently held by Rep. Ron Lewis.

>> Continue reading: Billy Ray Smith Encouraged to Run for Senate or Congress

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Former Kentucky Superintendent of Public Instruction, Alice McDonald, almost got a pardon in the closing hours of Governor Fletcher's administration.

>> Continue reading: Alice McDonald Gets Pardon......Almost

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Pat Crowley has my back on comments I made over the weekend on KET that folks in Governor Beshear's office have been encouraging Bruce Lunsford to run for U.S. Senate. Lunsford hasn't returned any of my phone calls in the past week. But in a conversation last summer, shortly after his defeat in the gubernatorial primary race, Lunsford told me he couldn't see himself taking on McConnell, believing the Senate Minority Leader would be too tough...

>> Continue reading: Gov. Encouraging Lunsford To Run

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A bill to let local communities decide if there should be liquor sales on election day passed a house committee today.

>> Continue reading: Booze Bill Gets Giggles

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Mitch McConnell has a challenger in the republican primary. Daniel Essek filed his papers in Frankfort today.

>> Continue reading: Williamsburg Man Challenging McConnell

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Some parents and loved ones of profoundly retarded residents of Central State Hospital are upset with staff cuts at the state run Louisville facility.

>> Continue reading: Anger About Staff Cuts At Central State Hospital

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Some of Senator McConnell's staff members are getting high fives as some of the most influential staffers on the Hill.

>> Continue reading: McConnell Staffer Get Kudos

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Kentucky now has its first female head of the Corrections Department.

>> Continue reading: Woman Leads Lock Em Up Agency

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A Paducah woman who helped her 12-year-old daughter chase down Mitch McConnell at the theatre where her mom worked, has now been fired, according to the Paducah Sun.

>> Continue reading: Woman Who Chased McConnell Gets Fired

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Louisville congressman John Yarmuth is apparently in tune with what the NAACP wants from its congressmen and women.

>> Continue reading: NAACP Likes Yarmuth, Vice Versa

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Kathy Stein (D-Lexington) says she won't bring up Rep. Bob Damron's bill to allow guns on college campuses.

>> Continue reading: Stein Won't Bring Up University Gun Bill

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Louisville developer Chris Thieneman says he's running for congress, no matter what Anne Northup decides. Thieneman and Northup are both republicans.

>> Continue reading: Thieneman Is In, No Matter What Northup Does

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One of the truly nice people in Louisville politics has passed away at age 62. Former deputy mayor Joan Riehm died after a long illness.

>> Continue reading: Joan Riehm, 62

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Former BluegrassReport.org founder Mark Nickolas has a new on-linie political venture. Former Louisvillian Shelby Bonnie has hired Nickolas to run a new political web site.

>> Continue reading: Nickolas Resurfaces

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The bull in the china shop wants to take on John Yarmuth. A spokesperson for Chris Thieneman says the Louisville developer will run for congress this year.

>> Continue reading: Thieneman Running for Congress

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