CN|2 Politics

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers announced on Monday that he plans to personally pay the $985 tab for meals for senators and staff on March 7 when the Senate session went until 11:50pm. The Lexington Herald-Leader’s Jack Brammer first reported on the expense that initially was charged to the Legislative Research Commission. It was the first time since 2008 that taxpayers’ dollars were used to cover food costs for senators during a legislative session, Brammer reported. All lawmakers receive a... Read more 

A bill that would allow Kentucky to disregard new federal gun laws passed the Senate on Monday. Senate Bill 129, sponsored by Sen. Jared Carpenter, R-Berea, passed easily by a vote of 34-3. Carpenter described his legislation as a preemptive strike against legislation Congress is debate about guns. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday is taking up a bill that would ban the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons. “This lean and concise bill simply protects this well defined right. ... Read more 

The latest versions of two abortion-related bills made it through the Senate on Friday. Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, requires a woman seeking an abortion to have a face-to-face meeting with a physician or physician assistant, licensed nurse or a social worker who was designated by a physician, according to the bill. It passed by a vote of 32-4. Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, also passed by a 32-4 margin. The bill... Read more 

ERLANGER — Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on Monday shrugged off critical comments from Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer, a Republican, as being red meat for a partisan crowd and said the two will continue to work with each other. Comer told a crowd of Republicans at the Spencer County Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday that Beshear, a Democrat in his second term, exhibited “complacency” and “mediocrity” and had few goals for the 2013 legislative session. “I know he’s thinking... Read more 

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS- Governor Steve Beshear told about 125 Democrat supporters on Monday at Northern Kentucky University that even though President Barack Obama will not carry Kentucky on Election Day, he will still win re-election. Beshear told the crowd that Americans “vote on a general feeling that they develop about candidates. With the president, they have a guy that they can trust, they think that he’s a good guy, they think that he’s an honest guy.” In contrast, Beshear described... Read more 

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS- Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said he’s confident that the Democrat Party will field a viable candidate to run against US Senator Mitch McConnell in 2014. “It’ll be tough to raise the kind of money that Senator McConnell can raise because he’s the king of fundraising,” Beshear said. Beshear would know. He lost to McConnell in 1996. But don’t look for Beshear to go for a rematch. Beshear said on Pure Politics last year that his re-election for governor was... Read more 

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce canceled its Oct. 26 Government Forum featuring Republican congressional candidate Thomas Massie after Democrats objected that their candidate was left out. The chamber’s had invited Massie but not Democratic candidate Bill Adkins. The Chamber released a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying that its executive committee determined that inviting one candidate but not the other “violates the organization’s policy.” “Our policy has always been to invite all candidates for a particular office to appear before our... Read more 

State agriculture officials told lawmakers Wednesday that they think they have solutions to the money pit of the state fuel lab. The fuel lab, proposed and started by former Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer, is tasked with quantity and quality testing of fuels and pesticides. It cost taxpayers $900,000 in 2011. Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who took office in January, brought in Larry Cox, former state director for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, to clean up the mess as executive director... Read more 

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce invited Republican 4th District Congressional candidate Thomas Massie to speak at their Oct. 26 government forum but not Democratic candidate Bill Adkins. And Northern Kentucky Democrats aren’t happy. The Chamber of Commerce had invited both candidates to appear at a Chamber-sponsored debate at Northern Kentucky University. Adkins accepted the invitation, while Massie declined. Monday, Kenton County Democratic Chair Col Owens called the invitation to Massie but not Adkins “a violation of their own tradition.” “It’s not... Read more 

CINCINNATI – Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan told a town hall meeting crowd in Cincinnati on Tuesday that he and presidential candidate Mitt Romney will address the national debt, unemployment, and nuclear weapons in Iran if elected. Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman and avid Green Bay Packers fan, also opened his remarks to a crowd of several hundred people at a steel company by making a pitch for ending the lockout of NFL referees. He said he couldn’t resist after his... Read more