By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – This year's session of the Kentucky General Assembly is entering its fifth week.
This is a so-called short session,' lasting only 30 days. Last Friday was day 18. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says legislative leaders still hope to shorten the session by three business days, but there's still much work to be done. "The budget issue, particularly the Medicaid part of the budget issue, I think will dictate whether or not we're able to do that."
Still awaiting final action are bills addressing immigration, raising the drop out age, the Medicaid budget, ignition interlocks, pseudoephedrine and voting rights for felons. So far, only one bill - a measure allowing optometrists to perform some surgical procedures previously only done by ophthalmologists - has cleared both legislative chambers.