Kentucky General Assembly

FRANKFORT - Remember when the Kentucky public education system was created? How about the Kentucky State Fair? The Kentucky Historical Society remembers and is offering legislators and the public a quick look back through "Moments in Legislative History. " A new vignette is presented each day during the legislative session, along with an illustration from the collections of the Kentucky Historical Society. "The actions taken by the Kentucky General Assembly provide insight into how the commonwealth's fate was shaped," says Kent Whitworth, executive director of Kentucky Historical Society.

Clinton Hall, Matthew Hart and Lauren Vanhook, all 2008 graduates of Lincoln County High School, have been named Sen. Jeff Green Scholars. Students earn this designation by achieving a 4.0 grade point average all four years of high school and scoring at least a 28 composite on the ACT. As Sen. Jeff Green scholars, these students are eligible for $2,500 a year in Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) awards. Students may receive up to $10,000 toward their college expenses if they continue to do well in school.

Chase Kirkpatrick and Mollie Lair, both 2007 graduates of Lincoln County High School, have been named Sen. Jeff Green Scholars. Students earn this designation by achieving a 4.0 grade point average all four years of high school and scoring at least a 28 composite on the ACT. As Sen. Jeff Green scholars, Kirkpatrick and Lair are eligible for $2,500 a year in Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) awards. Students may receive up to $10,000 toward their college expenses if they continue to do well in school.

Correction The name of Dr. Naren James, owner of Bluegrass Clinic in Stanford, was incorrect in a business page story and photo caption Sunday due to the reporter's error. Do-not-call list changes FRANKFORT - The Kentucky Public Service Commission is reminding residents that the Federal Trade Commission has assumed responsibility for maintaining the list of telephone customers who do not want to receive calls from telemarketers. In an order issued recently, the PSC instructed telephone service providers on the steps they must take annually to inform their customers of the provisions of Kentucky's telemarketing laws.

Dear Editor: Having served in the Kentucky General Assembly for over 20 years, I have seen many landmark issues come before the state legislature. I was there for the education reforms, the ethics reforms and countless other bills that we have passed. Never before, though, have I thought an issue could impact the future of Kentucky so much as legalized gambling. The supporters of gambling defend it by talking about how much money it will bring into our state. After several years of the state budget being a crucial issue, I can appreciate the fact that Kentuckians are looking for new ways to bring in revenue to our state.

Feb. 15, 1982 U.S. Rep. Larry J. Hopkins announced today the nomination of Anthony Lynn White to the United States Air Force Academy. White is a student at George Rogers Clark High School and is ranked fifth in a class of 365. Trees Ann Durbin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Durbin, 17 Manor Drive, has been named to the Dean's List for the fall semester at the University of Kentucky. Miss Durbin achieved a perfect 4.0 standing. She is a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, Si Chi, the National Honor Society and is listed in Who's Who Among American College Students.

Twenty-three area students have been named Sen. Jeff Green scholars. Students earn this designation by achieving a 4.0 grade point average all four years of high school and scoring at least a 28 composite on the ACT. As Sen. Jeff Green scholars, these students are eligible for $2,500 a year in Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship awards. Students may receive up to $10,000 toward their college expenses if they continue to do well in school. The title honors the late state Sen. Jeff Green of Mayfield, who served in the Kentucky General Assembly from 1992 to 1997.

FRANKFORT - Visitors going to the Capitol for the Governor's Derby Celebration will have an opportunity to view an exhibition of Kentucky-themed art and photography, "Kentucky Visions at the Capitol," coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council on behalf of Gov. Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear. "We have a wealth of artistic talent in Kentucky, and Derby Day is the perfect day to show it off in our state Capitol," said First Lady Beshear. Patrick Fretz of Danville is a local artist participating in the exhibit.

About two dozen people joined state Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, and state Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, at a legislative breakfast Saturday as they discussed topics tackled by legislators during the short session of the general assembly. Pension reform, redistricting and health-care reform were the main topics discussed during the breakfast, held by the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce at J.D. Legends. A plan proposed by the senate for pension reform, one of the major issues yet to be resolved by the legislature, is “a losing proposition,” Buford said.

Required redistricting was not  passed by the Kentucky legislature during its regular law-making session, though a plan that split Jessamine County in three House districts passed the House last Wednesday. Under the plan, which is House Bill 2, the county would have three House representatives, with much of the northwestern portion of the county in District 55 under Rep. Kim King, a small portion of the county in the Southland Christian Church area in District 45 under Rep. Stan Lee, and the remainder of the county staying in District 39, under Rep. Bob Damron.

A measure intended to provide greater oversight of the state's special taxing districts passed both houses of the general assembly Tuesday without opposition. The bill, House Bill 1, was the result of a compromise between the House and the Senate after the Senate made additions to the original bill that the House did not approve. The proposed changes, which were opposed by many local government officials, would have given county fiscal courts the ability to veto any tax or fee increases by special taxing districts.

State Rep. Donna Mayfield, R-Winchester, will begin her second term in Frankfort Jan. 8, and she is optimistic about what can be accomplished this year, despite the short 30-day session. “I'd like to see us accomplish what we need to accomplish in the time we have,” Mayfield said. This term will be busy, with issues like redistricting, pension reform and tax reform likely to be on the agenda. On Dec. 17, the Blue Ribbon Tax Commission, formed earlier this year by Gov. Steve Beshear to look for inefficiencies in Kentucky's tax code and led by Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, submitted its formal recommendations to the governor.

FRANKFORT - The 2012 Legislation Session is down to the final days, and the good news from this week is for the first time in three sessions we will leave Frankfort with a budget agreement. Leadership from both the House and Senate worked into the night Wednesday before finally agreeing on a biennial budget in the early hours on Thursday morning. Among some of the items in the agreement is funding to renovate Rupp Arena, funds for the University of Louisville Hospital and a reduction in the amount of the Commonwealth's bonded debt.

FRANKFORT - Last week's warm temperatures are a sign that we are entering the spring season, and it's also a sign the Kentucky General Assembly is entering the home stretch of the legislative session. With the majority of budget bills now in the Senate, the House focused on several key bills. House Bill 481, which continues the fight in Kentucky against the sale of synthetic drugs, was approved by the full House. During the 2011 session, we passed legislation that banned the sale of so-called “bath salts.” House Bill 481 expands the ban on synthetic drugs to include synthetic forms of marijuana sold in shops under product names like 'Spice' and 'Scooby Snacks.' Synthetic drugs are a great danger to our communities and especially our young people. One of the co-sponsors of House Bill 481, Rep. C.B. Embry Jr. of Morgantown, said two young people living in his district recently died as a result of using synthetic marijuana.

FRANKFORT — Thirty-three area students have been named Sen. Jeff Green Scholars. Students earn this designation by achieving a 4.0 grade point average all four years of high school and scoring at least a 28 composite on the ACT. As Sen. Jeff Green Scholars, these students are eligible for $2,500 a year in Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship awards. Students may earn up to $10,000 toward their higher education expenses if they continue scholastic achievement in college.

Jim Talley's personal campaign to enact more strict regulations for personal emergency response systems has reached the halls of Congress. Sixth District Rep. Ben Chandler introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives on Thursday that urges all states to adopt laws similar to the one that went on the books Jan. 1 in Kentucky. The Kentucky law is known as the "Christine Talley Act" in honor of Jim Talley's mother Christine who died on Memorial Day 2007 of a heart attack after using her PERS device.

FRANKFORT - Portions of the Woodburn Farm Collection, a major collection detailing the lives and business dealings of one of Kentucky's earliest Woodford County families, are now available in the Kentucky Historical Society Special Collections reading room in Frankfort. The Woodburn Farm Collection consists of thousands of documents from the Alexander family. The portion now available for research dates from 1767 to 1934 and includes manuscripts, ledgers, correspondence, business records and personal papers.

FRANKFORT - Visitors going to the Capitol for the Governor's Derby Celebration will have an opportunity to view an exhibition of Kentucky-themed art and photography, "Kentucky Visions at the Capitol," coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council on behalf of Gov. Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear. "We have a wealth of artistic talent in Kentucky, and Derby Day is the perfect day to show it off in our state Capitol," said First Lady Beshear. Patrick Fretz of Danville is a local artist participating in the exhibit.