Government

The Kentucky Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee approved a $4.5 billion transportation budget but not before inserting language that would restore nearly $50 million for road construction projects previously vetoed by Governor Steve Beshear. The spending measure now advances to the Senate floor for a planned vote today. Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Bob Leeper cited a "fit of conscience" for his push to put the $50 million in road projects back into the transportation budget.

Illinois' U.S. Senators are backing federal legislation they say would bring consistency and fairness to how communities hit by natural disasters are chosen for federal relief. The Fairness Federal Disaster Declarations Act comes after Harrisburg and other southern Illinois communities were denied federal aid after being devastated by tornadoes on February 29th.

A bill aimed at cracking down on prescription pill abuse could be stalled once again in the Kentucky Senate.

Senate leaders say they are still reviewing the bill, which would enhance the KASPER tracking system and make it part of the Attorney General's office.

The chamber is taking an extra day to look over the bill and has scheduled a committee meeting for tomorrow, what was supposed to be the last day of the special session.

The fourth day of the Eggners Ferry Bridge Hearings began with testimony from the former third mate on the Delta Mariner.

A proposal to make lowering the Tennessee state sales tax on groceries contingent on whether there's a surplus in revenue has failed.  The measure failed to get a majority vote in the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday.