The Associated Press

The Kentucky House passed a perennial proposal yesterday to create a system of public financing for Supreme Court races. Democratic state Representative Jim Wayne says the legislation would ensure that the Commonwealth's top court isn't influenced by private campaign donors. The measure now goes to the Senate where it faces dim prospects.

Harrisburg, Illinois has another memorial in place dedicated to the eight people killed by a tornado that ripped though the community a year ago.

Before a Tennessee House vote to give final approval to a contentious firearms bill last week, Speaker Beth Harwell implored her Republican colleagues to ignore demands from what she termed fringe groups to make major changes to the measure.

Kentucky House lawmakers are set to review their redistricting bill in committee. House State Government Committee Chairmen Brent Yonts says a redistricting bill will be unveiled after the House's 2 p.m. session today.

Army medical officials are set to open a renovated women’s health clinic today at Fort Campbell’s Blanchfield Army Community Hospital. 

Legislation requiring incoming students at Tennessee public higher education institutions to show proof of immunization against meningitis is expected to be on the Senate floor today.

Health care professionals and government officials from across Kentucky are trying to address the large number of babies in the state that die in their first year of life.

An expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is one step closer in Illinois. The state Senate passed the expansion 40 - 19 yesterday. The bill now goes to the House.

Nearly 2.8 million Illinois residents are currently covered by Medicaid, the government health program for the poor and disabled. And starting in 2014, an estimated 600,000 uninsured Illinois residents would be newly eligible for coverage. The expansion would mainly benefit low-income adults who don't have children at home.

Without a deal to stop sequestration, Fort Campbell’s garrison commander says the installation’s more than 8,000 civilian employees could face up to 22 unpaid days off this year. Col. David Dellinger says if all civilian employees go on that furlough, the cut would total $70 million. But he says that would take until the end of the fiscal year.

“No one will get furloughed without that individual getting a 30-day notice," he said. "As we look at this in timeliness, we’re looking at, you know, some 30-plus days before the first person will not show up to work or will be released an hour, two hours early, or however that is worked out with that individual.”

Industrial hemp supporters are ratcheting up the pressure to force a vote on a stalled bill that would allow farmers in Kentucky to grow the crop if federal ban is lifted. A group led by state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer urged House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McKee Thursday to allow a vote on the bill. The group included a prominent northern Kentucky tobacco farmer who lives in McKee's district.