By Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public Radio
Kentucky House leaders worked over the weekend to try to put the finishing touches on the state budget.
After meeting with university presidents Friday, Speaker Greg Stumbo said House leaders would try to find more money for higher education. In the House budget outline released 10-days ago, university budgets were cut two percent the first year and flat-lined the second.
“We’re hoping to put money back in both of those years. It’s harder the second year because there is more money, but we’re going to try to do something,” Stumbo said.
Stumbo says a budget bill should be ready in the next day or two, and he still hopes the House can vote on the spending plan sometime next week. There are 23 days remaining in the 2010 session.
How to grow native grasses – and creating the perfect “Welcome Home” effect for your front 
door – are the horticultural kindred spirits on HomeGrown this week. Randy Seymour of Roundstone Native Seeds in Upton, Kentucky, has the warm-season grass seeds and plugs to create a large or small prairie, and Seattle-based writer and landscaper Andrew Schulman has practical tips on plantings for your mailbox, gate, garage and porch to give your home a distinct and inviting appearance. Downloadable MP3
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by Stephanie Crosby
The final three games of the University of Louisville men’s basketball team’s regular season are this week. The 18-and-ten Cardinals face the 17-and-eleven Connecticut Huskies this afternoon.
Senior guard Edgar Sosa says both teams are looking to finish their seasons strong, so they can make it to the NCAA Tournament.
“There’s going to be a lot of desperation,” says Sosa. “Both teams desperately need this win. It’s going to be two teams just playing their hearts out. It’s going to come down to execution, rebounding, playing defense… it’s really just going to come down to who plays the better overall game.”
Coach Rick Pitino has told the team they need to win two of their last three games to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
After Connecticut, they’ll travel to Marquette on Tuesday and finish their season with a home game against Syracuse on Saturday.
By Rick Howlett
A public comment period is underway on the latest revisions proposed for the so-called bible of pyschiatry, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association,
The fifth edition of the directory is tentatively scheduled for publication in 2013, but University of Louisville Department of Psychiatry Chairman Dr. Allan Tasman says it could be delayed.
“I think it’s more important to get it right than to rush – that’s what people have been saying about health care reform – and I think that’s a target deadline but that’s not necessarily the final deadline if there’s serious, controversy,” he said.
Tasman, a former APA president, says the group wants to make sure it reaches what he calls “a reasonable consensus” on some of the more controversial revisions.
One of them comes in response to a sharp increase in the number children treated for bi-polar disorder. It would create a new diagnosis for some cases.
By Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public Radio
The 2010 session of the Kentucky General Assembly is entering its ninth week, with hundreds of bills still awaiting final action.
Amanda’s Bill on domestic violence cleared the Kentucky House on January 12th. Since then, it’s been lodged in the Senate Judiciary Committee where it’s had a couple of hearings, but still awaits a committee vote.
“If there was any attempt to kill the bill, it just wouldn’t be heard. I think that they’re doing a great job. There’s been some tremendous hearings. And I think there will be a good piece of legislation that will emerge,” said Senate President David Williams.
Amanda’s Bill would require electronic tracking of some individuals in domestic violence cases. It’s named for Amanda Ross, who was gunned down outside her Lexington townhouse last September. Accused of her murder is her ex-fiancé, former Rep. Steve Nunn of Glasgow. Nunn awaits trial and has pleaded no guilty.
By Rick Howlett
Indiana Congressman Baron Hill announced today he will not seek his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate seat now held by fellow Democrat Evan Bayh.
Bayh announced this month he would not seek re-election. Hill had been mentioned as a possible primary candidate for the seat, but said today he will endorse fellow Congressman Brad Ellsworth for the nomination.
Because Bayh’s announcement came too close to a deadline for other candidates to submit paperwork to get on the ballot, the nominee will be chosen by the state Democratic Party central committee.
At least one other Democrat, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, has expressed interest in the race.
Baron Hill represents southern Indiana’s 9th District and is seeking re-election this year.
Here is the text of Hill’s statement released today:
“Last week I was visiting our brave men and women fighting on the front lines of the War on Terror in Afghanistan. Although overseas, I did receive a call from Senator Bayh regarding his announcement not to seek reelection. Evan has been a devoted public servant to Hoosiers and a fellow companion in pushing for Congress to curb its reckless spending. And while I agree with him that the partisanship in Washington is alarming, to reference my athletic past – I opt to stay in the game and continue to serve as an independent voice for my Southern Indiana constituents.
Because I was away and trying to process this news while focusing on the task at hand – hearing from our troops what they are experiencing in Afghanistan – I took some needed time this week to thoughtfully reflect upon what had transpired. I would like to thank all those whose honest input I sought, including members of the Indiana Democratic Party’s Central Committee and folks from the Ninth District.
While seeking such input, however, I kept my focus on working for the people of the Ninth District of Indiana, evidenced by my meetings with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood regarding local infrastructure projects. My focus has been, and will remain, on fulfilling my job as the congressman from Southern Indiana and continuing to address the most pressing issues our nation and great state face, like deficit reduction, health care reform, energy independence and entitlement spending. That said, I will not seek the nomination for the United States Senate, and will continue my efforts to be re-elected to another term representing the Ninth District of Indiana.
I believe my friend and colleague, Congressman Brad Ellsworth, is the right man to fulfill the task of ensuring a Democrat is elected to succeed Senator Bayh.”
by Gabe Bullard
Listen to NPR’s coverage of this story here.
Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning’s blockage Friday of an extension of jobless benefits is unlikely to be felt by any recipients of those benefits this coming week.
Bunning repeatedly objected to a 10 billion dollar bill that would, among other things, extend certain jobless benefits.
Bunning objected because he didn’t want to run up the national debt, and with the Senate adjourned for the weekend, jobless benefits will expire for hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans.
The unemployed can still file Monday for their entitled benefits for the week, but unless an extension is passed, those benefits will not be renewed next week.
The program expiring offers several weeks of additional money after other benefits are exhausted. Other unemployment benefits will remain in place.
Congress has traditionally extended unemployment benefits retroactively if they expire.
