Tagged: State Sen. Damon Thayer

After years of defeat, Kentucky lawmakers believe an expanded gambling bill could become law next year. 

At the Kentucky Chamber’s annual policy day, House Speaker Greg Stumbo and new Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer discussed the prospects of such a bill in the upcoming session. Both leaders suggested the opposing chamber take up the bill first when they get to Frankfort next month. 

The State Senate Republican Caucus has officially nominated Sen. Robert Stivers for Senate president.

Stivers’ new role won’t be official until it’s voted on by the full chamber in early January. But the GOP holds a 24-14 advantage, meaning Stivers is all but certain to succeed former Senate President David Williams. Williams left the Senate to take a position as a circuit judge.

Kentucky's state pension plans have problems, and a bipartisan legislative task force has approved sweeping recommendations to overhaul them -- including putting new employees in a hybrid plans akin to 401Ks.

The task force -- with an 11-1 vote -- is recommending that the General Assembly start fully funding their pension contributions starting with the next budget in 2014. Lawmakers’ inability to do that is part of the pension plans problems. 

A Louisville doctor running for president as a write-in candidate is aligning with the so-called "birther" movement in a lawsuit questioning President Obama's citizenship.

Anesthesiologist Todd House is running on a ticket with his wife, and according to The Courier-Journal's Joe Gerth, he filed a suit on August 10 alleging Mr. Obama is not a "natural born" citizen and is therefore unqualified to run for president.

From The C-J:

About 20 similar cases have been filed across the country. All of the cases that have come to a conclusion have been rejected by judges — both in federal and state courts — and most have failed on technical reasons. Courts have rejected several of the cases, ruling that those who filed the suits didn’t have “standing” to bring them.