(KY) Judge Weighs Whether Lawmakers Can Revive Dead Legislation

A Kentucky judge is questioning how the state legislature passed a pension overhaul bill that prompted thousands of teachers to protest.

June 7, 2018, at 4:13 p.m.

By ADAM BEAM, Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky has lots of abandoned private sewer systems causing problems for homeowners. To fix this, a state lawmaker sponsored a bill to let local governments buy these systems, even if they are outside the government’s boundaries.

But when lawmakers gutted the 11-page sewer bill and replaced it with a 291-page overhaul of the state pension system, howls of protest echoed through the Capitol. Because the bill had technically already passed the Senate, lawmakers were able to send it to the governor’s desk in about six hours instead of the minimum five days the state Constitution requires to pass new legislation. The bill was not available for the public to read until the day after lawmakers passed it.

Lawmakers in Kentucky and state Capitols across the country routinely use this process to pass bills in the waning days of a legislative session, arguing it is sometimes the only way to pass complex and contentious legislation within the tight deadlines imposed by their state constitutions. But Thursday, a state judge questioned whether it was legal during a hearing on a lawsuit seeking to block the pension bill.

“We have a Lazarus problem here. How can you raise a bill from the dead without starting over?” Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said.

Thursday’s hearing in the case to nullify the pension law was the first step in a legal process that will likely end at the state Supreme Court. The question of how lawmakers pass legislation could be the main issue. Shepherd indicated as much Thursday as he spent most of his time asking questions about the process and saying he had concerns about its effects on “open and transparent legislation.”

Lawmakers have been using this process for decades. In 2015, they turned a bill about prison health care into an anti-drug bill that increased penalties for heroin dealers and directed more money toward substance abuse treatment. In 2017, lawmakers turned a bill about dog bites into one that overhauled the University of Louisville’s broad of trustees as it was in a crisis over its accreditation.

David Fleenor, an attorney for Kentucky’s legislative leaders, noted lawmakers did not pull the pension bill out of thin air. The bill had previously been Senate bill 1, which had gone through the legislative process with public hearings but had gotten bogged down in the Senate. When lawmakers finally reached agreement to pass it, they did not have enough time left to do it the usual way.

“This is a citizen legislature that is there for a very finite period of time,” said David Fleenor, an attorney for Senate President Robert Stivers. “You need a mechanism to be able to do that.”

Stephen Pitt, an attorney for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, warned if the court ruled this process was illegal it would open the door for countless other bills to be challenged. But Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear dismissed that as a “scare tactic.” He noted the same argument was used a few years ago in a lawsuit challenging the legislative practice of stopping the clock on the last day of the session to give lawmakers more time to pass bills. The court ruled that was illegal, and it did not result in a cascade of nullified laws.

Beshear argued the practice of gutting and replacing bills shuts out the public because the legislature moves so fast it does not give them a chance to participate.

“You call it a Lazarus situation, this is like a Walking Dead bill,” Beshear said. “You have to kill it twice.”

Teachers and other state workers packed the courtroom for Thursday’s hearing, some wearing red t-shirts that read “a pension is a promise.” Erin Grace, a 37-year-old teacher at Rockcastle County High School, said one way or another, the bill will be overturned.

“If it’s not overturned in court, we’re going to elect people that are going to reverse it as quickly as it was enacted,” she said.

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Charter school bill passes, goes to governor

For Immediate Release

March 15, 2017

Charter school bill passes, goes to governor

FRANKFORT—The Kentucky Senate and House each voted today in favor of legislation to allow publicly funded charter schools to operate in Kentucky. The bill now goes to Gov. Matt Bevin, a supporter of charter schools, to be signed into law.

House Bill 520, sponsored by House Education Committee Chairman and public school teacher John Carney, R-Campbellsville, HB 520 would allow local school boards to authorize public charter schools in their school districts beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. The schools would established by contract and governed by independent boards to provide Kentucky residents with nonsectarian educational programs that “meet or exceed student performance standards adopted by the Kentucky Board of Education,” according to the bill.

The Senate voted 23-15 this afternoon in favor of the bill. The House, which already approved a version of the legislation earlier this month, cast a 53-43 vote this evening officially accepting changes made to the bill by the Senate.

Changes to the bill approved by the Senate and the House would allow the state school board to override a local school board’s decision regarding authorization of charter schools and allow for judicial review of the state board’s decision. It would also allow mayors of the state’s two largest cities (Louisville and Lexington) to be authorizers of charter schools upon their request, and emphasize that only certified teachers and administrators approved by the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board could be hired to teach at the schools.

Other approved changes would allow, not require, charter schools to give enrollment preference to lower-income students, and would allow charter school students who cannot participate in state-sanctioned school athletics at their school to participate in sports at the traditional public school in their district, along with a few other changes.

Kentucky is one of seven states that do not already allow public charter schools, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Sen. Christian McDaniel, R-Latonia, read from a Presidential Proclamation issued by former President Barack Obama in 2012 to make the case in support of charter schools in the Senate this afternoon. McDaniel quoted Obama’s proclamation as saying: “Whether created by parents and teachers or community and civic leaders, charter schools serve as incubators of innovation in neighborhoods across our country.  These institutions give educators the freedom to cultivate new teaching models and develop creative methods to meet students’ needs.”

In a House debate this evening, Carney said that that public charter schools will give Kentuckians a choice in public education.

“The reality is we have a system that does not work for every child in Kentucky. We teach to the middle,” he said. “Too many folks are being left behind.”

Among those voting against HB 520 was former House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green. Richards said that charter schools would be money-making ventures governed by what he described as “for-profit” companies. 

“If you believe it’s unfair for a for-profit management company to take money away from your school system, you can’t vote for this bill. And it will. These management companies have to make money, folks,” said Richards.

Following passage of HB 520, the House voted 61-34 for final passage of House Bill 471, sponsored by House Appropriations and Revenue Chair Steven Rudy, R-Paducah. That bill would amend the 2016-2018 executive branch budget to create a funding mechanism for charter schools created under HB 520.

Bills to allow charter schools in Kentucky have been filed for consideration in the Kentucky General Assembly since 2008. No charter school bills have passed the House until this year.

–END–

(3/10/17) Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens Week in Review

Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens
Week in Review

A flurry of activity stemming from committee meetings and the passage of bills marked a short but intense Week 6 of the Kentucky General Assembly. Although the Senate was only in session from Monday to Wednesday of this week, committee meetings still met during the later part of the week to give final hearings to a few select bills.

Quite a few pieces of legislation have already made it to Governor Bevin’s desk to await his signature. Senate Bill 17, relating to student rights to political and religious speech, was given final passage by the House this week. Senate Bill 101 would allow pharmacists to administer more immunizations to children, and Senate Bill 117, allowing veterans who meet certain criteria to obtain special teaching certificates, were also finally passed by the House.

The Senate also enrolled House bills to be sent to the Governor’s desk for his signature, including: House Bill 14, which makes committing an offense against a first responder a hate crime; House Bill 93, strengthening penalties for assaulting a law enforcement animal, also known as “Ernie’s Law”; and House Bill 189, increasing transparency within area development districts.

Senate Bill 50 would allow school districts that choose to start the school year no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26 to follow a “variable student instructional year.” Schools which start the school year a little later in August than other schools, would not have to meet a 170-day requirement for the school year, as long as students still receive 1,062 hours of instruction each year, which is considered the equivalent of 170 school days. Senate Bill 50 was passed by the Senate 33-1 on February 9 and approved 77-18 by the House on March 8. It now awaits the Governor’s signature.

Senate legislation that would allow medical review panels to review medical malpractice lawsuits before they go to court was also sent to the Governor last week.  Senate Bill 4 would establish a process for medical review panels to review cases and issue opinions that could be used as evidence in court if a case proceeds. It does not prevent any citizen’s access to the courts. The bill was approved by the Senate 23-13 on January 5 and approved 51-45 by the House on March 1. It was delivered to the Governor on March 6.

The General Assembly is now quickly approaching the end of the 2017 Session. We adjourned on March 8, marking day 26 of 30 of the session, and we will reconvene again on March 14 and 15 before going into the veto period. During that period the Governor has the power to veto bills, but the General Assembly can override vetoes on the last two days of session, March 29 and 30.  If you have questions about the status of bills, please feel free to contact my office or review the Legislative Record online which can be found at www.lrc.ky.gov/record/17RS/record.htm.

If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy issue, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181. You can also review the Legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov.

David Givens

Senate President Pro Tem

Kentucky Senate approves repeal of Common Core standards in schools

By Valarie Honeycutt Spears and Jack Brammer

vhoneycutt@herald-leader.com

The Kentucky Senate on Friday unanimously approved a wide-ranging public education bill that would establish a new process for intervening in low-performing schools and establish a new process for reviewing classroom academic standards.

Under Senate Bill 1, revisions would be made to the Kentucky academic standards in 2017-18 and every six years after that. Teams of educators from public schools and higher education would recommend changes with suggestions from citizens.

Senate Bill 1 would repeal the controversial Common Core academic standards, but not until the new standards are rolled out in a staggered fashion, the bill’s sponsor State Sen. Mike Wilson, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has said.

Kentucky was the first state to adopt the Common Core standards and subsequently incorporated them into the Kentucky academic standards. Those standards, which have undergone other revisions, define what Kentucky students should learn at each grade level. How the standards are taught is decided by local schools.

There was no debate on the bill in the Senate on Friday but two Democratic senators praised Wilson, R-Bowling Green, for his handling of the measure that was approved on a 35-0 vote.

Sen. Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, said there is no need to question the bill because Wilson has done a good job explaining it to all involved. Wilson contacted educators, policymakers and citizens, including families of students, as he developed the bill.

Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, said Wilson’s approach to listen to all parties involved “is exactly how this body ought to function.”

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said this is the third year Wilson has worked on this “major piece of policy.”

He said it combines the realities, demands and desires of returning control of school systems back to locals.

Also under Senate Bill 1, a new assessment system would still rate schools but would not use a single numerical score that ranks schools against each other. Local districts would establish their own evaluation systems for teachers, principals and other staff aligned with a statewide framework. Evaluation results would not be reported to the state education department.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.

Valarie Honeycutt Spears: 859-231-3409, @vhspears

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Letter from Sen. McConnell: (RE:) WRDA of 2016 (S. 2848) This legislation supports several projects in Kentucky

 

 

Dear Ms. Krider;

Thank you for contacting me regarding America’s waterway infrastructure. I appreciate your taking the time to make me aware of your concerns, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. 

I have long been a tireless advocate for more than 15,000 inland waterways jobs in Kentucky and have used my position as a senior member of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee to advance Kentucky’s inland waterways projects, including the Olmsted Locks and Dam project and the Kentucky Lock and Dam project, among others. You may be interested to know that I was honored by the American Maritime Partnership by being awarded the Champion of Maritime Award in 2014.

As you may know, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) undertakes projects to maintain and restore the nation’s waterways, which are authorized by Congress in Water Resources Development Acts (WRDA). Additionally, WRDA provides for the conservation and development of water resources and authorizes various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors in the United States.

In your correspondence, you expressed your support for the WRDA of 2016 (S. 2848). This legislation supports several projects in Kentucky, including one that will transfer aging infrastructure along the Green and Barren Rivers in Kentucky over to state and local entities so they can determine the best use of this infrastructure, and one that will help the citizens of Paducah better protect themselves from flooding from the Ohio River by helping complete repairs to the city’s flood protection infrastructure.

This legislation also includes assistance for the families affected by lead poisoning, like those in Flint, Michigan, including $100 million for drinking water emergencies, $70 million to subsidize loans for water infrastructure projects, $50 million to help communities comply with drinking water standards, $30 million to reduce lead exposure among children, and $20 million to develop a national lead exposure registry.

Like you, I am very appreciative of the importance of our nation’s inland waterways and flood mitigation infrastructure to our nation, and to the Commonwealth. I am also aware of the importance of WRDA to workers and businesses that rely on our nation’s waterways. For this reason, I was proud to support the WRDA of 2016, which passed the Senate by a vote of 95-3 on September 15, 2016. You may be interested to know that the House of Representatives passed their version of WRDA (H.R. 5303) on September 28, 2016 by a vote of 399-25. Please know that as the House and Senate work towards resolving differences between the two versions, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind. 

Again, thank you for contacting me about this important issue. If you would like to receive periodic updates from my office, please sign up for my eNewsletter at http://mcconnell.senate.gov/, become a fan of my page on Facebook by visiting http://www.facebook.com/mitchmcconnell or follow my office on Twitter @McConnellPress. In the meantime, I hope you will continue to keep me informed about issues important to you.

Sincerely,

MITCH McCONNELL
UNITED STATES SENATOR

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/water-systems-council-hails-us-senate-passage-of-water-resources-development-act-of-2016-300329105.html

Kentucky Senate approves its version of state budget plan

For Immediate Release

March 23, 2016

Senate approves its version of state budget plan

FRANKFORT—The Senate passed a state budget proposal on Wednesday that restores many of the governor’s priorities for the next two years, including a “permanent fund” for future pension spending, cuts to secondary education funding and performance-based appropriations for college and universities.

All in all, the Senate budget bill includes many of the cuts featured in the Gov. Matt Bevin’s January budget proposal, many of which didn’t survive the House budget plan passed last week.

Still, Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Latonia, the Senate budget committee’s chairman, said it was a balanced effort. Not all the governor’s cuts were preserved.

“The thing I’d say I’m most proud of is that this budget is structurally balanced,” he said. “We do adopt many of the governor’s recommendations for the budget stabilization plan throughout the course of this bill, but we take monstrous steps – historic steps – on maintaining stability and introducing responsibility in addressing the most pressing problem facing us.”

That, he said, is the state pension program challenge, which has unfunded liabilities of more than $31 billion. To start reducing that figure, the Senate budget reinstituted many the governor’s cuts, including a 9 percent reduction in funding for Kentucky colleges and universities.

The budget also resuscitated the governor’s proposal to switch that funding to a performance-based model, with a quarter of the state funding to be based on student retention, graduation rates and other metrics.

The Senate removed from the spending plan a proposal from the House to establish a Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship program, which would make tuition free for high school graduates who enroll in the state’s community colleges. The House budget funded scholarships to the tune of $13 million for the 2017 fiscal year and almost $20 million the following year.

That was cut from the Senate budget, along with funding earmarked for specific projects like school renovations, the Lexington Convention Center and help for areas hit hard by a drop in the coal industry.

The Senate budget passed with only two dissenting votes, while nine Senators passed on the bill.

Sen. Denise Harper-Angel, D-Louisville, said she had reservations about cuts made by the budget, including $1.5 million to Court Appointed Children’s Advocates (CASA) programs, $15 million that was to renovate the Kentucky School for the Blind and $1 million a year to promote breast and cervical cancer screening for women.

“I believe these cuts will adversely affect women, children, families and the disabled. For these reasons and more, I pass,” said Harper-Angel, before offering that she hopes the final budget will offer “better choices.”

Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, one of two dissenting votes, admitted he was torn. He likes the effort to control the pension problem, but was disappointed in the removal of aide for stricken coal-producing areas.

“I cannot go home this weekend without casting a vote to help bring some reasoning back into this discussion,” he said.

The proposed budget did, however, include some spending not in the House budget, including $32 million in Justice Cabinet funding to fight heroin abuse – the House had reduced it to $20 million – and setting aside $250 million in the “permanent fund” for future pension fund payments. Gov. Bevin’s budget wanted the fund to include $500 million, while the House budget proposed using that money immediately on other expenditures.

The budget is soon expected to land in a conference committee so that Senate and House members can iron out their differences in each of their preferred spending plans.

–END–

KY: Resolution urges Virginia to recognize concealed carry law

News Release

January 27, 2016

Resolution urges Virginia to recognize concealed carry law

FRANKFORT – Leaders from both parties came together on the Senate floor today to condemn Virginia’s recent decision to stop recognizing Kentucky concealed carry permits by passing a joint resolution condemning the move.

Senate Joint Resolution 36 urges Virginia, which borders Eastern Kentucky, to restore a so-called reciprocal agreement that allowed Kentucky concealed carry permit holders to legally carry a concealed firearm in Virginia. The resolution passed by a by a 37-1 vote.

“The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the attorney general have arbitrarily and unilaterally made a determination that the Commonwealth of Virginia would no longer recognize Kentucky’s concealed carry permits,” said Democratic Floor Leader Ray S. Jones II of Pikeville. “Now, this is a significant problem for Kentuckians, particularly those of us from Eastern Kentucky who, when we travel south, have to travel through the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Republican Floor Leader Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown joined Jones as a primary sponsor of the resolution. Eighteen other senators were cosponsors.

“Tens of thousands of Kentuckians, law-abiding citizens, have been trained and permitted to carry firearms for personal protection and defense of their family,” Jones said. “As we see so many mass shooting and terrorist attacks on American soil, I believe it is vitally important that Americans have the right to protect themselves, their families and their friends.”

Jones, a licensed NRA firearms instructor, said Kentucky’s concealed carry law has been a model since its inception and that Kentucky concealed carry holders are not the ones committing mass shootings.

“Gun violence is a problem in this country,” he said. “It is a horrific problem in this country … but the question is how do you address the violence. Do you address it by infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens? I don’t believe that is the answer.”

SJR 36 now goes to the House for consideration.

— END —

Floor votes, committee hearings, and spirited debate highlighted an action-packed second week of session in the Kentucky Senate

Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens
Week in Review

Floor votes, committee hearings, and spirited debate highlighted an action-packed second week of session in the Kentucky Senate. Guests from all corners of the Commonwealth were welcomed to Frankfort to speak on behalf of various bills.

The Senate began passing bills on Thursday, headlined by Senate Bill (SB) 9, a measure to repeal the prevailing wage requirement on public school projects with a cost of over $250,000. Passage of this priority legislation will reduce construction costs on large-scale school projects, thus providing additional funding for education.

On Thursday we were visited by hundreds of young and energetic faces celebrating Children’s Advocacy Day, sponsored by Kentucky Youth Advocates. The group hosted a rally in the Capitol Rotunda where several Senate majority members were recognized for their efforts in standing up for Kentucky’s children.

From Senate committee meetings this week, two of our priority bills—SB 4 and SB 10—were reported favorably. SB 4 would require women seeking an abortion to have a face-to-face meeting with a doctor at least 24 hours in advance of the procedure as a measure to help further promote the value of life. SB 10 would move statewide elections to even-numbered years, thus promoting greater voter turnout and saving the Commonwealth money.

Senate Bill 72, which clarifies when the Executive Branch must come before the Legislature to make appropriations and protects the separation of powers in state government, also passed out of the Licensing and Occupation Committee this week.

The Health and Welfare Committee passed SB 20, which would create an appeals process for Medicaid claims denied by a managed care organization, and SB 33, which would require students to receive CPR training one time while enrolled in grades 7-12.

Senate Bill 56, which would extend the look-back window for DUI’s from five years to ten, and SB 60, which would add further protections for vulnerable victims of sex crimes, were both reported out of the Judiciary Committee this week.

In the Education Committee, SB 52 passed, which would allow veterans to receive a provisional teaching certificate after meeting certain criteria. The same committee also passed SB 81, which would require the Department of Education to create a system identifying students with military parents or families in order to ensure these families receive any veteran’s benefits available to them.

As we look forward to another busy week of session, I am proud of the bipartisan demeanor displayed thus far in the Senate. I will continue to commit myself to legislation that will move our Commonwealth forward.

If you have any questions or comments about the issues or any other public policy issue, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181. You can also review the Legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov.

David Givens
State Senator

McConnell on State of the Union

By WBKO Newsroom | Posted: Tue 1:12 PM, Jan 12, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the President’s State of the Union tonight:

“Tonight, we will welcome President Obama to the Capitol for his State of the Union address.

“It’s his final address. It gives us cause for reflection.

“Many of us recall the moment in Boston when a State Senator became a national star.

“His rhetorical gift was undeniable. It was soaring elocution bathed in confetti that promised a new and more inclusive beginning. It inspired many. It propelled Barack Obama to the highest office in the land.

“Americans assumed the campaigning would eventually come to a close and the serious work of governing would eventually commence. But it’s now many years later and the Obama for President campaign never really ended.

“Speeches still substitute for substance.

“Strawmen still stand in for serious debate.

“Slogans still surrogate for governing.

“We’ve been promised even more campaigning tonight, this time for the candidate President Obama would like to succeed him.

“It leads Americans to wonder: When is the serious work of governing ever going to begin?

“Governing isn’t easy. Governing often requires serious engagement with the Congress the American people elected, not the one a President wishes they’d elected.

“But here’s a simple fact.

“‘You don’t make change through slogans.’

“That’s something President Obama once said. I wish he’d taken his own advice, because here’s what we know as we enter the twilight of his presidency.

“He’s presided over a sluggish and uneven economic recovery that’s failing too many of our citizens.

“Health premiums and deductibles have continued to shoot higher.

“Wages have flat-lined for too many.

“Inequality has grown.

“Manufacturing has shrunk.

“Poverty seems to entrench.

“The Middle Class has continued to collapse, to the point where it no longer even constitutes a majority in our country.

“The Obama Administration says it wants to help the Middle Class, but its policies often tell a different story. We’ve seen the negative impact Obamacare has had on so many Middle Class families. We’ve also seen this Administration declare a war on coal families who just want to get ahead.

““I’ve invited a Kentucky miner from Pikeville, Howard Abshire, as my State of the Union guest tonight. He’s watched as the Obama Administration’s heartless approach has helped contribute to devastation in his community and to the loss of thousands of jobs in Kentucky, one of which was his own. And here’s what his message has been to President Obama.

“‘We’re hurting [and] we need help,’ but ‘we don’t want to be bailed out, we want to work.’

“Many Kentuckians feel the same way.

“Many Americans feel similarly too.

“Today, only 20 percent of our citizens think things are headed in the right direction in their country. Nearly three-quarters want the next president to take a different approach from the current one.

“These are simply the facts, and they present the President with a choice.

“President Obama can try to blame others for it, he can try to convince Americans they’re wrong to feel the way they do — or he can take responsibility and chart a new course.

“Americans are losing faith in the future. They’re losing hope that their children can lead a better life. They watch as challenges continue to mount around the world — like those from ISIL, Iran, Russia, Al Qaeda, an ever aggressive China, North Korea, and the Taliban — while this Administration seems to have no plan to deal with it.

“This hurt in our country and the failing approach from the White House should be disheartening to all of us. Perhaps the worst part is, it didn’t have to be like this.

“I believe that when the American people elect divided government, they aren’t telling us to do nothing. They’re telling us to work together in the areas where we can agree so we can make progress for the country.

“This Congress has racked up a growing list of bipartisan accomplishments for the American people over the past year. Some thought the major reforms we passed in areas like education, and transportation, and Medicare, and tax relief were all but impossible in the current political climate.

“We proved those pundits wrong. We showed how significant bipartisan accomplishments can be achieved when good policy is the goal.

“Perhaps we’ve inspired the President to finally try his hand at bipartisan achievement too. We’ll see tonight when he delivers his last State of the Union address.

“If he proposes real plans to do things like defeat ISIL, grow economic opportunity, and strengthen the Middle Class — plans actually designed to pass Congress, not just provide talking points for the next campaign — we’ll know he’s ready to join us in meeting the challenges of tomorrow.

“Because Republicans  aren’t afraid of the future and we don’t think President Obama should be either.

“We want him to join us in recognizing the challenges of today while working for the solutions of tomorrow.

“It’s true that we as a nation have a lot of challenges to confront. The pain and the worry in our country is real. It’s palpable.

“But none of it is insurmountable.

“That’s the hopeful message I expect Governor Haley to deliver tonight. I expect her to contrast a failing presidency that’s stuck in the past with a Republican approach that’s oriented to the future.

“Nikki Haley knows the American Dream. She’s lived the American Dream. She believes in the continuing promise of our country and she understands the importance of opportunity and upward mobility for our Middle Class.

“When Governor Haley talks about hope and change, she means it — because she’s actually worked to deliver it.

“There’s nothing wrong with inspirational speeches. We all need to be inspired, especially in trying times like these.

“Soaring rhetoric matched with the right policies and the hard work to actually achieve them is usually good for our country—just ask Ronald Reagan or Jack Kemp.

“But empty eloquence wrapped in left-wing ideas of yesterday that hurt the Middle Class? It’s time to leave that behind. It’s time to look the future. We’ll see tonight if President Obama is ready to do so and move beyond the failed policies of the past.”

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Industrial hemp producers may be able to transport their crops across state lines thanks to an amendment to the Senate’s $148.3 billion agriculture spending bill offered by McConnell.

 

 

Hemp finds place in appropriations bill

Industrial hemp producers may be able to transport their crops across state lines thanks to an amendment to the Senate’s $148.3 billion agriculture spending bill offered by McConnell.

The bill cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 28-2 vote on Thursday.

“Kentucky’s industrial hemp pilot programs continue to prosper and I want to make sure our legal hemp producers can safely transport their crops between states, including to States that maintain processing facilities, so they can fully capitalize on the commercial potential for this commodity,” McConnell said in a statement.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer praised McConnell’s efforts to boost hemp production in the U.S., saying the state’s agricultural sector “continues to be indebted to Senator McConnell for his continued leadership on industrial hemp.”

The GOP majority leader also worked with a pair of Democratic senators — Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Jon Tester of Montana — last month to maintain state-level industrial hemp pilot programs despite the illegality of marijuana’s botanical cousin at the federal level, according to a news release.

“This latest language reemphasizes that industrial hemp from a farm bill research program is an agricultural commodity,” Comer said in a statement. “The ability of Kentucky to research the full potential of industrial hemp through processing, marketing, and sales is vital to understanding the future possibilities for industrial hemp.”

Kentucky is one of 13 states that allow the commercial production of industrial hemp, with seven others operating research-only plots, according to an analysis by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

 

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