Tagged: 2013 KY General Assembly

The Senate has passed its own version of legislation that would require students to stay in school until they're 18, up from the current dropout age of 16. The vote was 36 - 2 yesterday. The House unanimously passed a similar proposal last week. Each chamber will consider the other's legislation.

Six Kentucky's public universities can immediately start construction on more than $300 million in construction or renovation projects, including a $110-million renovation of Lexington's Commonwealth Stadium.

Governor Steve Beshear signed House Bill 7 into law on Thursday.

The bill authorizes bonds and other funds to help build academic buildings, dorms and other necessities at the universities. It assures no public money will be used for the projects.

A Kentucky State Senate panel has approved two measures requiring legislative approval before the Commonwealth could expand Medicaid or operate a marketplace that sells insurance.  The bills passed along party lines in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, which has a Republican majority.

The proposals now go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a full vote. The bills are expected to die in the mostly Democratic House.

Seeking the passage of three pieces of legislation protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation, more than 200 people rallied on Wednesday in the Capitol Rotunda with Kentucky's Fairness Campaign. 

Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, a Democrat of Louisville, is  sponsoring a bill that would prevent employers from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation. The bill, along with Senate Bill 28, would also make it illegal for landlords and real estate agents to discriminate on those grounds.

A bill allowing most of Kentucky's public universities to start more than $360 million in bonding projects has officially cleared both legislative chambers. The Senate passed the bill 36-1 today, with Sen. John Schickel, a Union Republican, as the lone dissenting vote.