Kentucky News Now – November 12,2013

KENTUCKY BUDGET

State government revenue declines in October

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky is reporting a drop in government revenue for October, but officials remained optimistic that the dip won't be long-lived.

State Budget Director Jane Driskell released a monthly financial report Tuesday showing General Fund tax collections fell by 0.4 percent and that Road Fund receipts were off 6.4 percent.

A 46.7 percent decline in property tax collections overshadowed gains in some other key areas. Sales tax revenue jumped 5.3 percent for the month. And individual income tax collections rose 1.1 percent.

Revenue from the state's cigarette tax and the coal severance tax fell 4.8 percent and 5.4 percent respectively.

The hit to the Road Fund was the result of a 1.3 percent decline in fuel tax collections and a 15.6 percent decline in the motor vehicle usage tax.

CATHOLIC BISHOPS-KURTZ

Bishops elect Louisville archbishop new president

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The newly elected leader of the nation's Roman Catholic bishops says he will draw on his years as a pastor while seeking to reconcile Pope Francis' message of a welcoming church with the conservative ideology of American bishops.

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Kentucky was elected Tuesday as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The role makes him the U.S church's spokesman on national issues and a representative of American bishops to the Vatican and the pope.

The 67-year-old Pennsylvania native and former bishop of Knoxville, Tenn., pledged after his election Tuesday to focus the bishops' work on reaching out to the poor and underserved.

FORT KNOX-DEPLOYMENT

Engineer battalion to deploy to Kuwait

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) — About 450 soldiers from the 19th Engineer Battalion at Fort Knox are set to deploy to Kuwait for nine months.

A deployment ceremony is set for Thursday morning at Brooks Parade Field.

The ceremony will feature the casing of the unit's colors — a military tradition symbolizing the end of the unit's missions at Fort Knox. Once in Kuwait, the colors will be unfurled — symbolizing the beginning of its mission there.

During the deployment, the unit's mission will be to execute forward operating base construction and infrastructural improvement projects.

This will be the unit's fourth deployment since it was reactivated at Fort Knox in 2005.

COLLEGE DATA

3 out of 5 Ky. high school grads go to college

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Encouraging numbers from the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics show nearly three out of five high school graduates in 2011 enrolled in college.

Education Secretary Thomas Zawacki released the numbers on Tuesday.

More than 27,000 of the state's public high school grads in 2011 continued their educations.

Officials point to the report as evidence of the importance of coursework that prepares all high school graduates for college.

The University of Kentucky was the top destination for the state's 2011 graduates. The report showed that 2,376 of them enrolled there. Western Kentucky University was second with 2,340 of the 2011 graduates signing up.

Brown School in Jefferson County had the highest college-going rate at 94.9 percent. Paintsville High School was second at 93.6 percent.

RAND PAUL-SC

Rand Paul criticizes Hillary Clinton on Benghazi

(Information in the following story is from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.com )

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul says former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be disqualified from a presidential run because of the Benghazi incident.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports the Kentucky Republican drew applause with his remarks Tuesday at The Citadel. Paul said Clinton's failure to provide the ambassador to Libya and his mission with adequate security should preclude her from holding high office again.

Four Americans, including the ambassador, were killed in an attack on a U.S. diplomatic post on Sept. 11, 2012. That attack has been blamed on militants believed to be linked to al-Qaida.

Clinton hasn't announced whether she will run for the presidency. On Monday, Paul said it will be at least a year before he decides whether to enter the 2016 presidential race.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

State to spend $115,000 in sexual harassment case

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Legislative Research Commission has a $115,000 contract with a Lexington law firm to offer legal guidance in a sexual harassment investigation and to help defend the state in a pending lawsuit.

Lawmakers unveiled and approved the contract with Landrum & Shouse on Tuesday. The contract runs through June 30, 2014.

The firm will advise legislative leaders in a continuing investigation into allegations that former Democratic state Rep. John Arnold of Sturgis sexually harassed three legislative staffers. That committee could ultimately recommend Arnold be reprimanded or fined.

Arnold resigned from the Legislature after the allegations were made public.

The legislative staffers involved later filed a lawsuit claiming their supervisors didn't protect them from sexual harassment even after they reported it.

FIGHTING HEROIN

Report: Fighting heroin epidemic costly

(Information in the following story is from: The Kentucky Enquirer, http://www.nky.com )

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — A study of the heroin epidemic in northern Kentucky has found that it will cost at least $16 million over four years to stabilize and reduce usage of the drug.

The study was conducted over the last year by the Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact and Response Workgroup. It outlines the depth of the problem and recommends fighting it with changes in education, prevention, support and protection.

Findings are to be announced publicly on Thursday, but the panel gave The Kentucky Enquirer an exclusive look at the report before it is officially released. The document advocates a regional response to the problem.

The report outlines dozens of strategies to meet the goal of reducing the supply of and demand for heroin in the area.