Kentucky Right Now – News August 1

CHRISTIE-PAUL

NJ's Christie says he didn't start fight with Paul

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he didn't try to start a feud with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

Christie said on his monthly call-in show Wednesday that he was simply answering a question last week about his views on a National Security Agency program before Paul criticized him.

On his TownSquare Media show Christie said "it was never about Sen. Paul until Sen. Paul tried to make it about me."

Christie was asked if he would have a beer and talk things through with the senator, who like Christie is seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2016.

Christie says he's too busy for that to be a priority. But that if he's in Washington, he'll "look him up."

Paul criticized Christie as having a "gimme, gimme, gimme" attitude about disaster relief after Christie chided libertarians like Paul over opposition to NSA surveillance.

EKU PRESIDENT

EKU's president starts his new job

RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — Eastern Kentucky University's new president is starting his job on the Richmond campus.

Michael T. Benson's tenure as the school's 12th president begins Thursday. Benson had been president of Southern Utah University.

He succeeds Doug Whitlock, who retired. Benson brings nearly 20 years of administrative experience in higher education to his job at Eastern.

EKU's enrollment was above 15,000 students last academic year.

In June, 180 EKU staff members agreed to a voluntary buyout offer and 16 faculty members decided to take early retirement. It was part of a plan to reallocate funds to allow Benson to make strategic decisions.

Benson is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post as a blogger on higher education, and he is the author of a book titled "Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel."

GOP POST

Ky. Republican Party chief gets national GOP post

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — State GOP Chairman Steve Robertson has been appointed to head an advisory committee to the Republican National Committee.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus named Robertson chairman of the State Chairmen's Advisory Committee.

Priebus said in a statement Wednesday that he's grateful Robertson has taken on the role to help build the GOP. Robertson is charged with helping to strengthen the Republican Party in every state by sharing best practices and by developing innovative ways to reach voters.

Robertson, who has served as Republican chairman in Kentucky since 2007, said he's grateful for the opportunity to help expand the GOP nationally as chairman of state chairmen.

KENTUCKY AMERICORPS

Kentucky AmeriCorps programs to receive grants

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A dozen Kentucky AmeriCorps programs will receive more than $3.8 million in new grant money.

The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services says the grant recipients include programs to prevent student dropouts and help victims of domestic violence.

The grants were announced Wednesday by cabinet Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes.

The Kentucky programs receiving grants include 472 full- and part-time members. The projects will last anywhere from three months to one year, and most will begin this fall.

AmeriCorps is a national service program and serves faith-based and nonprofit organizations.

MINER'S HEALTH CONFERENCE

Miner conference to focus on health and safety

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A one-day conference in Lexington will focus on the health and safety of Appalachian coal miners.

Researchers, government officials, industry representatives and safety professionals are attending the Central Appalachian Regional Work Safety and Health Symposium.

Topics at the Aug. 22 conference will include the black lung disease and proposed changes to federal mining safety regulations.

The University of Kentucky's Department of Mining Engineering and the Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center are hosting the conference. It's at the Hilton in downtown Lexington.

MEDICAID AUDIT

Number of Medicaid providers declines in Ky.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A review has found an 8 percent drop in Medicaid providers in Kentucky since the state moved to a managed care system two years ago.

State Auditor Adam Edelen said the decrease raises concerns about Kentucky's ability to provide health care to an additional 300,000 people in a Medicaid expansion next year.

Edelen said the review by his staff also found that rural hospitals are struggling with financial stress put on them by Kentucky's managed care system.

Edelen created a Medicaid Accountability and Transparency Unit in his office last year after receiving widespread complaints about the implementation of managed care for the nearly 790,000 current Medicaid recipients.

Saving tax dollars with a managed care system, Edelen said, shouldn't come at the expense of the health of low-income Kentuckians.

COAL EXPORTS

US bank sued over pollution from coal exports

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Environmental activists are suing the federal government over the exports of Appalachian coal, saying it approved a $90 million loan guarantee to one company without considering the implications for air and water pollution.

The first-of-its-kind lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco says communities near mines, ports and railways that connect them are all affected.

It says the U.S. Export-Import Bank failed to review the environmental impacts as required under the National Environmental Policy Act when it provided a $90 million loan guarantee last year to Xcoal Energy & Resources.

Xcoal is shipping from ports in Baltimore and Norfolk, Va., to Japan, South Korea, China and Italy.

The National Mining Association said Wednesday it was reviewing the complaint.

While coal consumption has declined gradually, overseas exports have risen.