The Associated Press

The Tennessee House and Senate speakers say they will seek a review of a no-bid contract with a real estate firm because it once counted Governor Bill Haslam among its investors.

The Haslam administration hired Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle for a $1 million contract to consult on office space issues. That deal has since evolved into a five-year, $38 million contract to manage all state-owned and leased properties outside of higher education. 

Prospects of a mine workers' strike involving Patriot Coal are intensifying after a bankruptcy judge signed off on the company's push to abandon its labor agreement with the United Mine Workers of America.

Patriot operates two mines in Union and Henderson counties in Kentucky.

Seven athletes are being inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame today. They range from the never-nervous freshman center who helped Louisville win the 1986 national championship to the Centre quarterback who scored the only points in an upset of Harvard in 1921.

The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy says it has adopted new regulations for compounding pharmacies licensed by the state following recent outbreaks of illnesses associated with tainted medicines created at these specialty pharmacies. The Pharmacy Board said in a news release that the new rules will improve safeguards for public health while also ensuring that drugs in short supply will be available.

Kentucky wheat farmers are expected to harvest a larger crop this year. Winter wheat production in the state is forecast at 39.2 million bushels, up 35% from last year's harvest. The forecast comes from the National Agricultural Statistics Service's field office in Kentucky.

Android phone and tablet users can access a new app that compiles content from the Kentucky Department of Education. The free KDE News app is meant to enhance communications on education-related matters across the state. The app is available through the Google Play Store. The app is designed to provide users with immediate access to information on the Education Department's website. It includes Kentucky Teacher Magazine, messages to superintendents and teachers, headlines, videos and Education Commissioner Terry Holliday's blog.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has named Burns Phillips the new commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The 64-year-old Phillips had been serving as acting commissioner of the department. He came over from the Finance Department where he was managing director of customer-focused government initiatives administration-wide.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is planning a fresh vote on his own plan to reform public-employee pensions despite a request from the governor for compromise with the Senate. The Chicago Democrat filed legislation yesterday identical to a bill the House OK'd last month but failed in the Senate. It doesn't mention a rival proposal by Senate President John Cullerton.

Illinois transit advocates are proposing a plan to fix the state's deteriorating roads through a new tax that would raise the price at the gas pump.

The Transportation for Illinois Coalition says the $800-million-a-year plan is necessary to fund needed repairs to roads, bridges and rails. The influential group is pushing legislation to replace the current 19-cents-a-gallon motor fuel tax with a 9.5 percent wholesale tax.

Tennessee State Finance Commissioner Larry Martin says overall May revenues were $31.5 million more than the state budgeted. Martin says the sales tax growth rate rebounded in May mainly because of the sale of building materials and purchases of new automobiles.