Government

Supporters of legislation to restore voting rights to felons say the offenders have paid their debt to society and should have full suffrage granted automatically.

House Bill 70 is a constitutional amendment that would allow for that restoration, which is currently banned.

The House has already advanced the measure, but like in years past, the bill seems dead on arrival in the state Senate.

That didn't stop members of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and other groups to rally loudly for an hour in the Capitol Rotunda in support of their bill Thursday.

One of the leaders of the Senate is hoping to change how Kentucky's Attorney General is elected. Republican State Senator Katie Stine's bill would make the office of Attorney General nonpartisan.

Stine says because the Attorney General is the top law enforcement officer, the change should be a no-brainer.

A move to amend the provisions of Kentucky's constitution that deal with redistricting has been introduced in the state Senate.

State Senator Robert Stivers's bill would change the laws around redistricting, and give more direction for how medium-sized counties could be split.

Right now, the constitution says that any county that can be made one whole district cannot be split. But Stivers's language would allow some counties that can't be split under that rule to now be open to divisions.

A bill that would allow random drug testing of welfare recipients was the subject of legislative boycotts and hearings today.

House Bill 26 is sponsored by Republican representative Lonnie Napier, who says the bill does not unfairly target anyone and would help rid drug abuse from those who benefit from government programs.

The bill was never expected to come for a vote in committee, leading Napier’s fellow Republicans on the panel to boycott the meeting.

Calloway County Clerk Ray Coursey certified a petition yesterday that will force a vote on the option of selling packaged alcohol sales in the city limits of Murray. The Grow Murray campaign filed the petition several weeks ago requesting the vote. They needed at least 627 signatures for it to be certified. Coursey says the May Primary election will cause some problems for the local option election. The alcohol sales vote cannot occur within 30 days of a regularly scheduled election.