Government

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is seeking federal highway funds through a disaster declaration to aid in restoring traffic across Kentucky Lake in Marshall County. The declaration allows the Kentucky Transportation cabinet to seek federal funds.  KYTC public affairs officer Chuck Wolfe says the state won’t wait on emergency funds to continue work to restore traffic.

It’s been a busy week in the Kentucky General Assembly.  An effort to legalize casino gambling died on the Senate floor, the sponsor of a measure to regulate the sale of products containing meth precursor pseudoephedrine withdrew it from consideration, and debate continues over the Commonwealth’s dropout age.  Kentucky Public Radio Capitol Bureau Chief Kenny Colston speaks wi

The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the latest maps of state legislative districts are unconstitutional.

Lawmakers approved new lines for state House and Senate districts earlier this year. But a circuit court judge declared them unconstitutional, citing a precedent that districts can't be more than five percent larger or smaller than their ideal size. Lawyers for the Legislative Research Commission promptly appealed the ruling on behalf of House and Senate leadership.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation wants Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to cancel an upcoming prayer breakfast in Frankfort, claiming it constitutes an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. Group co-founder Annie Laurie Gaylor sent Beshear a letter yesterday telling him she considers the annual event set for March 6 to be, in her words, unnecessary, divisive and not within the power of civil government. The breakfast is a longstanding tradition in Kentucky. Beshear has hosted a prayer breakfast every year since taking office in 2007.

The Kentucky Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a legislative redistricting case this morning.  A circuit court judge ruled last week the new districts are out of balance and need to be redrawn to comply with the "one person, one vote" mandate in federal law. Challenges were quickly taken to the Kentucky Court of Appeals and then to the state Supreme Court. Redistricting occurs every 10 years to account for population changes reported in the U.S. Census.