Apr 6 Politics Senate Adjourns Special Session Kentucky’s special session on Medicaid officially ended Wednesday evening. Adjournment came after Senate Republicans approved resolutions symbolically overriding Governor Beshear’s line-item vetoes of the Medicaid bill. Eleven Democrats in the chamber, including Representative Robin Webb of Grayson, refused to support the resolutions. “My outrage is we had to come back for a special session. It […] By Tony McVeigh Apr 6 Politics Senate Adjourns Special Session Tony McVeigh
Mar 30 Politics Williams Launches First Ad Kentucky gubernatorial candidate David Williams unveiled the first ad in this year's GOP primary that touts the conservative credentials and he and his running mate, Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer. By WFPL News Mar 30 Politics Williams Launches First Ad WFPL News
Mar 29 Politics Beshear: Special Session Over The Republican-controlled Kentucky Senate plans to go back to work in Frankfort next week, but Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear maintains that the special session is over. By WFPL News Mar 29 Politics Beshear: Special Session Over WFPL News
Mar 24 Politics Senate Passes Medicaid Budget Bill The Senate vote was 22-15, along party lines, with Republicans voting Aye and Democrats voting Nay. On Monday, the House voted 94-4 for a different version of the bill, but there are some similarities. So now, House and Senate negotiators will try to reach a compromise. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says cuts to education in the Senate plan are a deal breaker. By Tony McVeigh Mar 24 Politics Senate Passes Medicaid Budget Bill Tony McVeigh
Mar 24 Politics Senate Medicaid Plan Clears Committee Senate Republicans still want across-the-board cuts to state agencies, including education, to balance Medicaid. But most of the education cuts wouldn’t come until January 31, 2012. And if Governor Beshear attains 82 percent of his projected savings from Medicaid managed care before then, the legislature could rescind the cuts. By Tony McVeigh Mar 24 Politics Senate Medicaid Plan Clears Committee Tony McVeigh
Mar 23 Politics Senate Expected to Revise, Pass Medicaid Budget Bill Thursday After the Senate passes the bill, House and Senate leaders likely will need to sit down to negotiate a final agreement. Since lawmakers are paid for weekends during special sessions, this is day 11 of the session. By Tony McVeigh Mar 23 Politics Senate Expected to Revise, Pass Medicaid Budget Bill Thursday Tony McVeigh
Mar 21 Politics House Passes Medicaid Budget Bill The bill still allows Governor Steve Beshear to shift Medicaid funds forward, but if projected savings from managed care fail to materialize, targeted cuts to state agencies would have to be made by October 1st. Education, vocational rehabilitation and veterans affairs would be exempt from any cuts. By Tony McVeigh Mar 21 Politics House Passes Medicaid Budget Bill Tony McVeigh
Mar 21 Politics House Medicaid Budget Vote Expected Soon Speaker Greg Stumbo says the bipartisan compromise possibly could get a House floor vote Monday evening, but at this point, he can’t say for sure. By Rick Howlett Mar 21 Politics House Medicaid Budget Vote Expected Soon Rick Howlett
Mar 21 Politics House Democrats Meet With Beshear on Medicaid Budget House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the leaders showed the governor their bipartisan plan for balancing the Medicaid budget. By Tony McVeigh Mar 21 Politics House Democrats Meet With Beshear on Medicaid Budget Tony McVeigh
Mar 21 Politics Lawmakers Return for Second Week of Special Session House Minority Leader Jeffrey Hoover says he and Speaker Greg Stumbo are close to agreement on a compromise bill they hope will pass both the House and Senate. By Tony McVeigh Mar 21 Politics Lawmakers Return for Second Week of Special Session Tony McVeigh
Mar 17 Politics In Depth: The Special Session’s First Days Governor Steve Beshear says if lawmakers can’t reach agreement on how to close a huge deficit in this year’s Medicaid budget, he will have to cut reimbursement rates to Medicaid providers by 35% on April 1st. Steve Shannon of the Kentucky Association of Regional Mental Health Centers says if that happens, layoffs and furloughs will ensue. And right now, the centers are serving 172,000 Kentuckians with mental disabilities. By Tony McVeigh Mar 17 Politics In Depth: The Special Session’s First Days Tony McVeigh
Mar 17 Politics House Committee Vote on Medicaid Budget Could Come Early Next Week n the meantime, House Democratic and Republican leaders are meeting behind closed doors trying to craft a bill they hope will be satisfactory to Senate Republicans. None of the proposals being tossed around include cuts to education. By Gabe Bullard Mar 17 Politics House Committee Vote on Medicaid Budget Could Come Early Next Week Gabe Bullard
Mar 16 Politics Talks on Medicaid Budget Continue in Special Session House Speaker Greg Stumbo says behind the scenes talks with House Minority Leader Jeffrey Hoover are going well, but he's not yet ready to reveal what's being discussed. By Tony McVeigh Mar 16 Politics Talks on Medicaid Budget Continue in Special Session Tony McVeigh
Mar 15 Politics Beshear Ends Two-Day Medicaid Tour "They get in there in the Senate and dilly-dally around---the House did their work---and three days before the end of the session, they come out with this preposterous proposal to balance Medicaid on the backs of schoolchildren. That’s not going to fly," Beshear said during his final stop in Louisville. By Rick Howlett Mar 15 Politics Beshear Ends Two-Day Medicaid Tour Rick Howlett
Mar 15 Politics Stumbo Says Session Will Last Beyond This Week Stumbo says the House Appropriations and Revenue committee wants to hear how budget cuts recommended by Senate Republicans will affect state agencies. “And that’s why we likely will not get through this week," he says. "There’s been no testimony at all about what impact that will have on other agencies that have already been severely reduced over a billion dollars in spending to our state government’s functions.” By Tony McVeigh Mar 15 Politics Stumbo Says Session Will Last Beyond This Week Tony McVeigh