State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian

Gunning for Three Bills, Fairness Campaign Hopes at Least for Kentucky House Hearing

Rae Hodge — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:00:15 +0000

FRANKFORT — Seeking the passage of three pieces of legislation protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation, more than 200 people rallied on Wednesday in the Capitol Rotunda with Kentucky's Fairness Campaign.

Democratic Lawmakers Introduce Bill Addressing Gun Violence in Kentucky

Kenny Colston — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:04:06 +0000

Hoping to reduce gun violence in Kentucky, a group of Democratic lawmakers have filed a bill that would allow Kentucky State Police to set regulations banning certain firearms or high-capacity magazines.

The bill, which state Sen. Kathy Stein plans to file in the Senate on Thursday, would also allow cities and colleges to regulate guns and would require private background checks for every gun sale in Kentucky.

Kentucky Club for Growth Releases General Assembly Scorecard

Phillip M. Bailey — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:12:09 +0000

The Kentucky Club for Growth has released its legislative report card for the last two sessions of the General Assembly.

The state chapter is part of the larger conservative political action committee, which advocates for lower taxes, cuts in spending and limited government. Its national scorecards often target Democratic legislators, but it also criticizes Republican lawmakers for being "Republican In Name Only" (RINO) who vote against the club's taxation agenda.

The report card rates only four lawmakers with its top distinction of "Defenders of Economic Freedom" with a score over 85 percent. It gives Republican state Representatives Jim DeCesare of Warren County its top rating overall.

Andy Hightower is the executive director of the Kentucky Club for Growth. He says most Kentucky lawmakers continue to talk about controlling spending, but their rhetoric does not match their votes.

“The people who make decisions are again trying to spend as much as they can despite whatever restraints the revenue levels put on them. I will say this year, the budget reflected these constraints more than in the recent past. The level of spending only increased about 2.7 percent,” he says.