Apr 19 Local News Senate Committee Restores Vetoed Projects In Road Funding Bill A Kentucky Senate committee’s amendment to the state transportation budget could take the special session off course. Lawmakers are in special session in part to pass a funding mechanism for the state road plan. But Senate President David Williams declined to take up the issue until Governor Steve Beshear acted on the unfunded road plan […] By Kenny Colston Apr 19 Local News Senate Committee Restores Vetoed Projects In Road Funding Bill Kenny Colston
Apr 18 Local News Road Plan Vetoes Won’t Delay Special Session, Williams Says Kentucky Senate President David Williams says Governor Steve Beshear’s latest action on the state road plan will not lead to an extended special session. Governor Steve Beshear has changed the two-year road plan to give projects in Williams’s district a lower priority. Those were the only modifications the governor made. Williams had promised not to […] By Kenny Colston Apr 18 Local News Road Plan Vetoes Won’t Delay Special Session, Williams Says Kenny Colston
Apr 18 Local News Beshear Signs Road Plan, Vetoes Projects in Williams’s District Governor Steve Beshear signed Kentucky’s six-year road plan this afternoon and vetoed several projects in the state’s two-year road plan. According to a release from Beshear’s office, the line item vetoes in the two-year plan are only in Senate President David Williams’s district. This comes on the heels of a public feud between the two […] By Kenny Colston Apr 18 Local News Beshear Signs Road Plan, Vetoes Projects in Williams’s District Kenny Colston
Apr 18 Local News House Passes Special Session Pill Bill, Road Plan Funding The Kentucky House of Representatives has passed both bills on its agenda for this year’s special session. House lawmakers approved both the road plan funding bill and a measure to crack down on prescription pill abuse today by wide margins. The more contentious of the two bills was the prescription pill legislation. The House and […] By Kenny Colston Apr 18 Local News House Passes Special Session Pill Bill, Road Plan Funding Kenny Colston
Apr 17 Local News Kentucky House Reignites Bridge Tolling Debate The prospect of bridge tolls is once again dominating the discussion of an infrastructure bill in the Kentucky General Assembly. The House Budget Committee passed a road plan funding bill today. But before voting, lawmakers questioned the need for tolls on bridges in Louisville and Northern Kentucky. Committee members asked whether the Sherman Minton Bridge […] By Kenny Colston Apr 17 Local News Kentucky House Reignites Bridge Tolling Debate Kenny Colston
Apr 13 Local News Beshear Continues to Blame Williams Over Deadlock A blame game over important legislation leftover in the 2012 General Assembly is turning into a repeat of last year’s gubernatorial election. Democratic Governor Steve Beshear and Republican Senate President David Williams are arguing over who is to blame for state lawmakers adjourning their regular session without passing key bills. A bill to crack down […] By Kenny Colston Apr 13 Local News Beshear Continues to Blame Williams Over Deadlock Kenny Colston
Apr 12 Local News Lawmakers Reach Deal on Road Plan, But Don’t Pass Funding Mechanism Kentucky lawmakers have reached a late night agreement on a road plan. The House and the Senate finally compromised on two-year and six-year road plans early this morning. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the impasse was finally broken at about the same time the budget conference committee passed their compromise two weeks ago. “3 o’ […] By Kenny Colston Apr 12 Local News Lawmakers Reach Deal on Road Plan, But Don’t Pass Funding Mechanism Kenny Colston
Mar 30 Local News Road Plan Vote Delayed to Last Day of Session Kentucky lawmakers are unlikely to approve new two-year and six-year road plans in time to override any gubernatorial vetoes. The conference committee working on the plans did not come to a compromise late last night, significantly decreasing the potential for a deal today. The plans fund many projects, including the widening of Interstate 65, the […] By Kenny Colston Mar 30 Local News Road Plan Vote Delayed to Last Day of Session Kenny Colston
Mar 28 Local News Senate Approves Revised Road Plan The Kentucky Senate has approved more changes to the state’s two and six-year road plans. In the two-year plan, the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville will be funded with bonds. The six-year plan calls for the project to be paid for with federal highway funds afterward. The House previously approved road plans that use […] By Kenny Colston Mar 28 Local News Senate Approves Revised Road Plan Kenny Colston
Mar 28 Local News Senate Makes More Changes to Road Plan The Kentucky state Senate has approved two and four year road plans that have major differences with the House versions. The biggest difference is with the Louisville bridges project. Combined, the plans will fund the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville with bonds for two years, then federal highway funds for the following four years. […] By Kenny Colston Mar 28 Local News Senate Makes More Changes to Road Plan Kenny Colston
Mar 26 Local News Senate Committee Passes Road Plan Changes that Affects ORBP Funding The Kentucky Senate is proposing a change in funding for the Ohio River Bridges Project. Governor Steve Beshear’s road budget calls for $50 million in spending on new bridges and reconfigured highway interchanges in Louisville. Both the House and Beshear favor using a mix of bonds and federal highway maintenance funds to do so. Senate […] By Kenny Colston Mar 26 Local News Senate Committee Passes Road Plan Changes that Affects ORBP Funding Kenny Colston
Mar 16 Local News House Passes Infrastructure, Road Plan Bills The state House of Representatives has passed two-year and four-year financial plans for building Kentucky roads and bridges. The House passed three infrastructure bills this morning, 88-4. The bills are full of projects… from sidewalks to building interstate bridges across the Ohio River and widening other highways across the commonwealth. The plans have less opposition […] By Kenny Colston Mar 16 Local News House Passes Infrastructure, Road Plan Bills Kenny Colston
Mar 15 Local News House Budget Committee Approves Road Plan The Kentucky House budget committee has approved the next two-year road plan for the commonwealth. The committee easily passed the plan and the Transportation Cabinet’s operating budget today. The road plan funds many of Governor Steve Beshear’s big initiatives, such as widening both Interstate 65 around Bowling Green and the Mountain Parkway. Bill sponsor Sannie […] By Kenny Colston Mar 15 Local News House Budget Committee Approves Road Plan Kenny Colston
Mar 13 Local News KY Road Plan, Gas Tax Freeze Win Final Approval Acting simultaneously, the Kentucky House and Senate have given final approval to a revised road plan and a state gasoline tax freeze. Just minutes after the Senate voted 30-7 to freeze the gas tax at current levels, the House voted 87-3 for final passage of the road plan. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the simultaneous […] By Rick Howlett Mar 13 Local News KY Road Plan, Gas Tax Freeze Win Final Approval Rick Howlett
Mar 5 Local News KY Road Plan Ready For House Vote The Kentucky House is preparing to end the week by voting on a revised state road plan developed by legislative leaders during several weeks of closed-door negotiations. The $1.2 billion road plan includes federal highway funds, stimulus package dollars and some state-issued bonds. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the plan also requires freezing the state […] By Rick Howlett Mar 5 Local News KY Road Plan Ready For House Vote Rick Howlett