Politics

Updated: Joining his fellow Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell now supports industrial hemp. 

In a statement released Thursday, McConnell said Paul and Comer—both Republicans, like McConnell—have convinced him that growing hemp for paper, oil and other purposes would be an economic boon for Kentucky farmers.

The sister organization of the Heritage Foundation released its congressional scorecard this week, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is among the top-ranked lawmakers.

The Heritage Action for America focuses on a variety of issues on conservative agenda, and is considered a source for constituents to rate if lawmaker's votes match their rhetoric.

Among the 29 members of Congress in the "Sentinel status" of 90 percent or higher, Paul received a 96 percent approval rating from the group.

The head of Kentucky's Blue Ribbon Tax Commission says he thinks the prospects for tax reform are good — but they're unlikely to be approved during the current legislative session.

Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson spoke in Bowling Green today about his commission's 54 proposed changes to the state's tax code.

He says he thinks the best time to take on the issue, if not in a special session later this year, would be the 2014 General Assembly session.

Liberal and Tea Party groups are denying claims by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's campaign that they are working together to defeat the GOP leader in 2014.

In a campaign fundraising e-mail Monday, McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton told supporters that liberal organizers were "attempting to infiltrate conservative" groups across the state.

A previous message accused MoveOn.org of backing a "phony Tea Party" in an attempt to hurt McConnell in a primary race.

But MoveOn spokesman Nick Berning says they are not working with any Tea Party groups in Kentucky, and that they will seek to defeat McConnell in a general election.

"It's understandable that Mitch McConnell is frightened to face voters in 2014, and his focus on MoveOn members' electoral might is well founded, but his fantasy that we have teamed up with the Tea Party to elect someone even more out of touch than him is ridiculous," he says. "MoveOn's nearly 70,000 members in Kentucky are tired of McConnell carrying water for Wall Street and leading the 'Party of No' at the expense of poor and middle class families, and he should expect we will hold him accountable for it—in the general election."

An Indiana legislative committee has delayed a hearing on a bill that would place new limits on specialty license plates.

Rep. Ed Soliday's proposal would create an eight-member bipartisan panel to review requests from nonprofit groups and universities for specialty plates. The Republican says state roads are crowded with so many different plates that it's difficult for police to identify vehicles.

Soliday delayed a hearing of the House Transportation Committee Wednesday to review amendments filed to the bill.