Legislature: The Final Days

Fletcher: politics partly the cause of deadlock

Gov. Ernie Fletcher this morning attributed the deadlock between the House and Senate in the current legislative session partly to gubernatorial politics. "You’ve got a couple of candidates in the House that are running for governor or lieutenant governor. You have some issues there that are challenging," Fletcher said. "And I think there’s some political posturing that’s going on. That’s unfortunate, but it is part of the political process." House Speaker Jody Richards of Bowling Green is a candidate for governor in the May 22 Democratic primary.

Campaigning stalls legislation? Politics creates gridlock? I never knew this.

Lawmakers reach agreement on Boni Bill

The state would hire as many as 80 new social workers under an agreement reached by the House and Senate on the Boni Bill Tuesday, said Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, and Rep. Jimmie Lee, D-Elizabethtown. But, with the late hour of the legislative session and the political maneuvering that goes with it, the bill could still fail to become law. The agreement has to be approved by the two chambers, and disagreements over other bills could hold it up.

The bill passes. The bill does not pass. Why not protect our social workers?

Military leader appeals for tax break in Senate speech

In a highly unusual move, Adjutant General Donald Storm addressed the Kentucky Senate today, issuing a last-minute appeal for a tax break for military personnel stuck in the House. Storm, head of the National Guard in Kentucky, profusely thanked senators for passing a measure that would exempt Kentuckians in the military from the state income tax.

These men and women are American heroes. They deserve every break possible.