Kentucky News Now – March 11th 2014

KENTUCKY BUDGET

House plan sticks with education funding boost

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A state budget plan awaiting action by a Kentucky House panel sticks with the governor's recommendation for a funding increase for elementary and secondary education.

The House version outlined Monday drops a recommendation by Gov. Steve Beshear that would have let county property valuation administrators charge new fees to special taxing districts. The House plan provides an extra $2 million in operating funds for PVAs.

The House budget committee could vote on the plan Tuesday. The full House is expected to take up the budget this week.

The House plan closely mirrors Beshear's proposal to increase funding for the state's main funding formula for kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms. Rep. Kelly Flood says the proposal will result in better education.

The House plan includes funding to hire more social workers and provide pay raises for court employees.

KENTUCKY BUDGET-AGRICULTURE

House budget plan seeks new roles for Ag Dept.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Agriculture Department would be assigned new responsibilities under a budget plan pending in the House budget committee.

The budget plan revealed Monday would assign a Diabetes Education Program and an Appalachian Renewable Energy Efficiency Program to the Agriculture Department.

In all, the department would assume about $4 million in new funding responsibilities over two years for those and other initiatives.

The department is run by Republican James Comer, who is seriously considering a run for governor next year.

Comer says it appears the Democratic-run House committee is treating him differently than other state constitutional officers, who are all Democrats. Comer says that's about as predictable as "death and taxes."

House Speaker Greg Stumbo says Comer isn't being singled out and other agencies will be directed to fund certain programs.

XGR-TANNING BEDS

Bill aimes to keep minors away from tanning beds

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) The Kentucky House has passed a measure aimed at blocking minors from using tanning beds.

The measure cleared the House on a 61-31 vote Monday. It now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

The bill is sponsored by Democratic Rep. David Watkins of Henderson. He cites rising rates of skin cancer, especially among young women, as the reason for his proposal to keep people under age 18 from becoming customers at tanning facilities.

The bill would make exceptions for minors who have been prescribed the use of tanning beds by physicians.

The legislation is House Bill 310.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

House OKs bills to extend tax incentives

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky House has passed two bills aimed at extending state tax incentives to General Electric and AK Steel.

Both measures sailed through the House with no opposition Monday. The bills now head to the state Senate for consideration.

One bill would expand a state incentives program to apply to GE's Appliance Park in Louisville. House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark of Louisville says the incentives would help spur a $325 million investment at the appliance manufacturing center that employs thousands of workers.

The other measure is targeted at AK Steel in northeastern Kentucky but could apply to other companies.

It would give AK Steel an extra 24 months to begin supplemental projects and qualify for state incentives. Those incentives would follow terms of the initial project that qualified for incentives.

SCHOOL DAYS

House budget would let schools forgive 10 days

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky public school students would not have to make up as many as 10 canceled school days under a proposal in the House budget.

State law requires public schools to have a minimum of 170 days and 1,062 hours of classroom instruction. But 31 of the state's 173 school districts have missed at least 20 days because of snow and ice, according to the Kentucky School Boards Association.

Lawrence County School District in eastern Kentucky was one of the hardest hit. Superintendent Mike Armstrong said the district has missed 32 days so far. In January, students were in school just five days.

House lawmakers are considering a separate bill that would let school districts lengthen the school day to make up missed time because of an emergency.

BRANDEIS MEDAL

Brandeis medal to be given to journalist Eugene Robinson

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Robinson will be in Louisville next month to receive the University of Louisville School of Law's Brandeis Medal for social justice advocacy.

Robinson is an author, columnist, political commentator and former assistant managing editor of The Washington Post. He received a 2009 Pulitzer Prize in commentary for his columns on the 2008 presidential campaign. His most recent book, "Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America," was published in 2010.

The program for the ceremony on April 9 will feature an on-stage discussion between Robinson and journalist Bob Edwards, who is a U of L alumnus.

Law school Dean Susan Duncan says Robinson has throughout his career sought equality, freedom and human compassion. The ceremony costs $75 per person, and registration is required by March 25.

PERSONAL INFORMATION POSTED

Students' personal information posted online

HARTFORD, Ky. (AP) — Up to 200 recipients of a western Kentucky scholarship are finding out that their personal information was posted online without their knowledge.

The Messenger-Inquirer reports the Ohio County Board of Education, which is the trustee for the Glen Frieda and John Wells Education Scholarship, issued letters to former students who were affected.

The letter says the breach was made by the New York-based Foundation Center, which is used as a database for agencies seeking grants.

Brian Decker, the board of education's chief financial officer, says a parent found the information and brought it to his attention and he asked the Foundation Center to redact it.

Foundation Center spokeswoman Cheryl Loe said the posting was inadvertent and the agency immediately removed sensitive information after learning it was posted.

PRECINCT WORKERS

Precinct officers sought for Kentucky's primary

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The secretary of state's office is urging Kentuckians to sign up as precinct election officers for the May 20 primary election.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says about 15,000 Kentuckians are needed to help administer the election.

To serve as a precinct election officer, someone must be 18 on or before Nov. 4, 2014 and be a qualified voter. Those wanting to serve cannot have changed their party affiliation one year prior to their appointment.

And they cannot be a candidate or be the spouse, parent, sibling or child of a candidate.

Duties include arranging polling locations with necessary information and equipment, processing voters and completing paperwork for the county clerk's office.

Each precinct must have four election officers. Those officers are paid at least $60 per election.

POETRY CONTEST

Students compete Thursday for state poetry title

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Young poetry enthusiasts will gather Thursday in Frankfort for the state finals of the Poetry Out Loud competition, hoping for the chance to move on to the national level next month in Washington.

There are 15 high school champions competing for the state title.

Poetry Out Loud is a recitation contest that starts at the classroom level and moves on to schoolwide competition before reaching the state finals. The contest is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

The state winner receives $200 and a paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington to compete for the national title. The state winner's school receives a $500 stipend to buy poetry books. The runner-up will be given $100, with the runner-up's school library getting $200.

CIVIL WAR PARK DAY

Civil War site cleanup day scheduled next month

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Organizers are looking for volunteers to help clean up and restore 10 Civil War sites in Kentucky.

The event on April 5 is part of Park Day, an effort that the Civil War Trust says will involve about 100 sites in 26 states.

Activities may include such chores as raking leaves and hauling trash to painting signs and planting trees. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and have the chance to hear a local historian talk about the site's significance.

Sites in Kentucky are located in Covington, Frankfort, London, Louisville, Munfordville, Nancy, Perryville, Prestonsburg, Richmond and West Point.

KENTUCKY'S FREEFALL

Once No. 1, reeling Kentucky is now unranked

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's group of heralded freshmen are no longer among the nation's elite.

The young Wildcats, who began the year the top-ranked team in the nation amid a buzz of possibly even going unbeaten, have fallen out of the Top 25.

They have lost three of their last four games, including Saturday's 84-65 loss at No. 1 Florida. Kentucky (22-9, 12-6 Southeastern Conference) struggled offensively and the Gators shot 60 percent from the field, a reflection of the Wildcats' struggles down the stretch.

Kentucky's freefall has a familiar feel to it.

Last spring the Wildcats lost four of their final five games, including a first-round NIT upset at Robert Morris. That collapse followed Nerlens Noel's season-ending knee injury; coach John Calipari blames this downward spiral on his team's inability to execute.