Tagged: Kentucky General Assembly

FRANKFORT — A bill that would allow exemptions for Christian health sharing organizations to operate in Kentucky sailed over it first hurdle in a Senate committee.

Senate Bill 3 is known as the Medishare bill, named for the health sharing organization Christian Care Medishare, which was recently kicked out of Kentucky by the Department of Insurance. Medishare operates by pooling money to help pay for members medical bills.

The bill would allow Medishare to re-start operations in Kentucky by giving it an exemption under current state insurance law.

The number of Kentuckians receiving unemployment benefits has fallen to just over 68,000.   

"That is down 57 percent from the high of 157,162 who received benefits in January of ’10.  The monthly initial claims of 35,000  is the lowest number in four years," said Joe Meyer,  secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. 

Meyer testified this week before a Kentucky House committee.

A bill reforming how the state's special districts are categorized and making them more transparent easily passed the state House this morning, 96-1.

State Rep. Lynn Belcher, a Republican from Crittenden County, was the lone "no" vote. 

Many local library boards, sewer districts and fire districts are considered special taxing districts separate from other types of government.

The Kentucky state Senate passed a bill Thursday that would reform the majority of the state's pension system, 33-5. 

Senate Bill 2 reflects the recommendations of the legislative task force assigned to study possible solutions to the problem over the summer.

Cost of living adjustments would be suspended under the bill. The bill would also create a hybrid plan similar to a 401K whose rate of return would be guaranteed by the state.

FRANKFORT — A proposal to allow six of Kentucky's  public universities to start more than $360 million in infrastructure projects overwhelming passed the House today, 97-1.