Tagged: Kentucky General Assembly

Former Republican presidential candidate and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be in Louisville this week to headline a fundraiser for state House GOP candidates.

In Kentucky’s history, the GOP has held the majority in the state House for only four years and just briefly in the 1920s. This November, Republicans need to win 10 seats to gain control of the House from the Democrats, who hold a 59-to-41 majority.

Last month, House GOP leaders unveiled their platform, which includes reforming the state tax code, cutting Medicaid spending and requiring each bill be read before a vote.

Republican Caucus spokesman Joe Burgan says Huckabee’s appearance demonstrates how serious the GOP is about winning this fall.

"It really speaks to the opportunity that Republicans have this fall," he says. "The governor is coming to town because he realizes for the first time in 91 years we have the chance to take the state House and set a new course for Kentucky."

Kentucky’s House Republicans have unveiled the agenda they will pursue if the party wins a majority of the chamber this fall.

The GOP has focused its attention this year on unseating Democrats in the state House. To help that effort, House Republicans have promised to address fiscal issues, taxes and government reform if elected.

Republican leader Jeff Hoover says, among other issues, the GOP will require that every bill be read before a vote.

A second legislative hearing on Kentucky’s federally-mandated health insurance exchange led to a dramatic walkout by Democrats today.

For the second consecutive time, the interim joint Health and Welfare committee saw their meeting devolve into arguments over the exchange.

And this time, a motion by Republicans to register a vote of disapproval against the exchange led every Democrat to get up and leave in the middle of the meeting.

After winning a 20-point re-election last November, Governor Steve Beshear enjoys support from nearly two-thirds of Kentucky voters according to a Bluegrass Poll released Wednesday.

The survey found that 64 percent of likely voters approve of the governor's job performance, which is eight points more than his landslide victory over Republican David Williams in the 2011 gubernatorial race. Beshear remains popular despite the overall acrimony and gridlock in Frankfort that spawned an especially personal General Assembly this year.

The governor's agenda did not advance much during the legislative session either, but voters cite his political moderation among his best attributes.

From The Courier-Journal:

But they said Beshear, who is a year into his second term, has improved his popularity by taking a more centrist approach, distancing himself from President Barack Obama’s most controversial policies — such as coal regulation — and avoiding contentious social issues, such as abortion and religion.

A Republican group tasked with winning state-level races across the U.S. has its sights set on Kentucky.

The Republican State Leadership Committee is an independent Republican political action committee that has established itself as a major factor in state legislative races.

The group has been involved in Kentucky legislative races off and on for several years. But with House Republicans making a strong push to win Kentucky’s lower chamber, the committee is once again taking a long look at the Commonwealth.