Kentucky News Now – July 17th 2014

BUDGET SHORTFALL

Beshear plugs $91 million budget shortfall

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has signed an order to plug a $91 million hole in Kentucky's $9.5 billion state budget.

State officials announced the shortfall last week following sluggish collections on state income taxes. Beshear's order Wednesday cuts just $3 million in state spending. Beshear made up the rest by transferring money from other sources, including $21.2 million from the state's reserves.

State officials said they had few options to make up the deficit because the shortfall came at the end of the fiscal year when most of the money had already been spent.

Beshear's order also dealt with a $22.1 million shortfall in the state's road fund, with just $300,000 in cuts to construction projects.

This was the 14th budget reduction Beshear has implemented since taking office in 2007.

ATTORNEY KILLED

Officer: Man says hidden message told him to kill

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — A detective has testified that a man accused of gunning down a prominent Kentucky defense attorney told police he had deciphered a newspaper message instructing him to carry out the killing.

Somerset Police Detective Chris Gates said at a hearing Wednesday that the defendant, Clinton Inabnitt, believed that if he killed Mark Stanziano, the ringing in his ears would stop.

Gates was among officers who interviewed Inabnitt shortly after Stanziano was shot repeatedly as he arrived at his law office in downtown Somerset last month.

Gates says Inabnitt told police he didn't want to carry out the shooting and understood it was wrong but it was something he had to do.

A judge sent the case to a grand jury after hearing testimony from Gates and a sheriff's detective who witnessed the shooting.

BAPTISTS-CAMPBELLSVILLE U

Campbellsville Univ. to break with Baptist church

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Christian university in central Kentucky is changing its longstanding relationship with Kentucky Baptists so it can appoint its own trustees, but it will also be giving up about $1 million in annual church funding.

Campbellsville University board of trustees Chairman Joseph L. Owens and President Michael V. Carter wrote in a letter Wednesday that the move is to "avoid undue influence and the imposition of theological and doctrinal control." It says the board voted to phase out the money over four years.

Under a 1986 agreement, the Baptist Convention approves the members of the board of trustees.

Baptist Convention President Chip Hutcheson says he is "terribly saddened" by the move and added that the university has made the decision "without so much as a conversation" with the convention.

CONGRESS-BIRTH CONTROL

Senate GOP blocks bill on contraception coverage

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have blocked a bill aimed at restoring free contraception for women who get their health insurance from companies that object on religious grounds.

The vote on Wednesday was 56-43 to move ahead on the measure, short of the 60 votes necessary to proceed.

Democrats sponsored the election-year bill to reverse last month's Supreme Court ruling that closely held businesses with religious objections could deny coverage under President Barack Obama's health care law.

Republicans called the bill a political stunt aimed at helping vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the midterm elections.

Democrats appealed to female voters, critical to their hopes of holding onto their Senate majority, in arguing for the measure.

EPA HEARINGS-ID

No public hearings in Kentucky on new EPA rule

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency will not have public hearings in Kentucky on its proposed new emission standards, despite a plea from the state's senior U.S. senator.

EPA's closest public hearing will be in a federal building in Atlanta on July 29 and 30 - about a 6 ½-hour drive from Union County, the state's largest coal producer. And Kentuckians who make the drive will have to show two forms of identification to attend because Kentucky is one of 10 states whose driver's licenses do not comply with new federal requirements.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said the identification requirement makes it virtually impossible for Kentuckians to attend.

An EPA spokeswoman said people can comment by email, fax or letter. And she said EPA's Kentucky employees are happy to meet with Kentuckians.

WINERY-SUNDAY SALES

Winery hopes to win right for Sunday sales

(Information in the following story is from: WPSD-TV, http://www.wpsdlocal6.com )

LONE OAK, Ky. (AP) — The owners of a local, small farm winery say they're ready to let voters decide their hours of operation.

Purple Toad Winery owner Allen Dossey is pushing for a vote under a new law that allows voters in Lone Oak to choose whether alcohol sales would be permitted on Sundays.

McCracken County Commissioners have shot down the idea twice. A local option vote would allow the winery to bypass the commission.

Right now, Purple Toad can sell wine and beer Monday through Saturday.

Dossey told WPSD-TV in Paducah that not having Sunday sales is hurting business because weekend visitors can't shop at the winery.

SHERIFF SUED

Judge: Ex-deputy violated rights of detainee

(Information in the following story is from: Daily News, http://www.bgdailynews.com )

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a former Barren County Sheriff's deputy violated the constitutional rights of a man under arrest.

U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley found that Adam Minor used excessive force on Billy Stinnett after a 2010 chase.

The Daily News reported decision is the latest in the long-running case involving former Barren County Sheriff Chris Eaton and other officials.

Stinnett claimed in a civil suit filed in federal court in 2011 that Eaton, Minor and other officers struck him or failed to intervene when others struck him after he was arrested.

The incident led to federal criminal charges against five officers, with Minor pleading guilty to providing false information to federal investigators and Eaton convicted of two counts of witness tampering.

Eaton has appealed his conviction.

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