Tagged: Kentucky General Assembly

Kentucky's governor and other statewide constitutional officers would be elected in the same year as presidential elections under a bill approved Wednesday in a state Senate committee.

Without a change, statewide constitutional officers—including the secretary of state, state auditor and others—would be next up for election in 2015. 

Under Senate Bill 55, those elections would move to 2016.

Kentucky farmers who donate produce to food banks would get a tax credit under a bill being considered in Frankfort.

The measure is sponsored by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McKee.  He says the ten percent credit could help get more fruits and vegetables to a growing number of families in need.

A bill aimed at allowing victims to ask for quick HIV testing of defendants in sexual assault cases has cleared the state House.

Under current laws, only prosecutors can ask for HIV testing of an accused person and only after a conviction. But the bill would allow a victim to ask for such a test before a conviction.

Rep. Joni Jenkins, a Louisville Democrat and the bill's sponsor, says medical advances can prevent HIV from spreading into AIDS if caught early on, but convictions often take up to three years.

Gov. Steve Beshear says he's a fan of Instant Racing for Kentucky's horse racing tracks—but he's not sure if legalizing the gambling format would be used to fund the state's struggling pension system.

Meanwhile, Beshear said casino gambling is not happening this year.

A bill aimed at reforming the way special districts are treated in Kentucky is likely to undergo some changes in hands of the state Senate.

House Bill 1 is a partnership between Auditor Adam Edelen and House Speaker Greg Stumbo, based off recommendations Edelen made during his investigation of special taxing districts across Kentucky.