http://mycn2.com/politics/sen-higdon-says-he-expects-david-williams-to-do-what-he-promised-and-work-with-governor

Publication Date: November 27, 2011

Author: Ryan Alessi

Sen. Higdon says he expects David Williams to do what he promised and work with governor

Republican state Sen. Jimmy Higdon said David Williams struck the right tone in his concession speech on Election Night this month — and that he expects Williams to keep true to it.

“He pretty much said he was willing to work with the governor and to move forward on legislation and to work with the House and the Senate. And I take him at his word,” said Higdon, who represents the 14th district and lives in Lebanon.

Higdon said he expects Williams to serve the rest of his two-year term as Senate president through all of 2012. And he said he didn’t expect Republicans to replace him.

“At this time, no,” Higdon said after the 4:15 mark.

As for what the Republican Senate majority pushes, Higdon said that will be decided at the group’s retreat in mid-December. But he said the agenda won’t necessarily be a rehash of the Senate GOP’s bills from 2011. Only two of those 13 proposals became law.

“A lot changes in a year’s time. Do we want all of those issues back?” Higdon said at the 1:00 mark.

Higdon said the 13 bills from the Senate Republicans’ 2011 agenda were not just driven by Senate President David Williams, who was running for the GOP nomination for governor at the time.

“Yes, you can probably say that some of them were campaign related but the lion’s share came from the majority caucus,” Higdon said just before the 3:00 mark.

One issue that will be on the 2012 agenda is “reciprocity” in the pension system, in which a lawmaker can get a higher pension payout upon retirement by taking a higher paying job elsewhere in government.

Higdon also explained his proposal for a constitutional amendment to limit legislative sessions to 30 days — even on even years. Currently, even-year sessions that require passage of a two-year state budget last for 60 days. (4:45 of video)

He addressed the issue of expanded gambling (6:45).

And he said it’s time to look at re-evaluating the need for certain constitutional officers: lieutenant governor, state treasurer, agriculture commissioner and constables. (7:45)

Ryan Alessi
About Ryan Alessi

Ryan Alessi joined cn|2 in May 2010 as senior managing editor and host of Pure Politics. He has covered politics for more than 10 years, including 7 years as a reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Ryan says he enjoys the challenge of interviewing political figures and civic leaders about how they want to improve Kentucky.

Comments

  • Bruce Layne wrote on November 28, 2011 12:18 PM :

    If there is anything worse than all of this partisan sniping and gridlock, it’s guys like David Williams working with guys like Steve Beshear. More Big Government is coming our way, with a commensurate loss of our money and our liberty.

    The last thing any Kentuckian should hope for is the Stupid Party working with the Evil Party. We need to first elect good representatives before making government more efficient. If not, they’ll just do a better job of doing the wrong job. As usual, that means more for them, and less for us.

  • bob wrote on November 28, 2011 02:00 PM :

    I expect to win the Lottery.

  • bob wrote on November 29, 2011 10:20 AM :

    Bruce, again I agree with your comments. But, there is a fundamental problem here in Kentucky.

    The Republican leader in our State, Mitch McConnell is the king of pork. Hal (House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers) ranks right there with him but his unofficial title “King of Pork” should be the VP of pork. Mitch is President.

    They are now converts to Sen. Paul’s anti-big government message. But, the reality is Kentucky receives more federal dollars than any other State and Mitch and Hal are responsible for those dollars. It’s a shell game to stay in office. And they want to lure Rand Paul in. (Mitch has help him form RANDPAC). I see on the horizon a lot of Change from Rand on how to govern and keep people in subjection.

    So, do we defund Kentucky? Cut it off the federal dole. Kentucky is a welfare state to begin with. The conservative Tax Foundation says the Bluegrass State received $1.51 back from Washington for every dollar it paid in federal taxes in 2005 (the most recent data I could find on the Tax Foundation’s website.) We need to listen to the people of Kentucky. They don’t want any more federal spending in their state—and they certainly must be appalled by the notion that they’re a bunch of welfare queens. Right?

    Try taking it all away and listen to air rush out of the Conservative hot air balloon.

    80 percent of Kentucky’s Medicaid bill is paid by Washington and more than one in five Kentuckians receives a monthly check from the Social Security System, totaling $8.5 billion a year. Washington also spends over $2 billion a year on flood insurance for Kentuckians, $667 million in crop insurance, and $877 million in mortgage insurance. Plus the Bluegrass State is home to federal facilities ranging from Ft. Knox to the Department of Energy’s Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah as well as others. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of our Republican Leaders. They have help keep Kentuckians poor and ignorant and that’s just how they want it.

    So, while Mitch and Hal play their hypocritical game as effectively as they do. As much as we would like to see change here in Kentucky and a truly leaner more efficient government. Not going to happen. At least not until they’ve helped completely bankrupt the country. Then, perhaps, maybe, people will wake up?

What do you have to say?





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