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Beshear says he’ll immediately rescind Bevin’s Medicaid plan; Republicans wary of legislating it
Governor-elect Andy Beshear says he will rescind Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s Medicaid plan, which includes, among other things, highly controversial requirements for work and other “community engagement,” and key Republicans in the General Assembly seem wary of trying to legislate such requirements over the Democrat’s likely veto. (Forward Kentucky)
Appalachian communities say prison jobs are ‘phantom promise’
In the scramble to “save” Appalachia as the coal industry collapsed, prisons — many housing incarcerated individuals transferred from distant states — have been presented as an antidote to the joblessness and poverty plaguing parts of the region, especially the more isolated rural areas. Prisons are big projects with hefty price tags, and they bring pledges of “jobs, jobs, jobs.” But more often, prisons do not deliver promised local employment, at least not initially, and carry with them a host of other issues. (Editor’s Note: This is an important story and worth sharing, including with elected officials, especially if you live in eastern Kentucky.) (Forward Kentucky)
Beshear’s transition team going full steam and by book, despite Bevin’s election recanvass request
While the voting results in the November General Election for Governor await the outcome of a recanvass request made by incumbent Republican Matt Bevin and certification by the State Board of Elections, work of the transition team for presumptive Democratic Governor-Elect Andy Beshear continues at the State Capitol.
On Wednesday, Beshear, currently Kentucky’s attorney general, announced that Deputy Attorney General, J. Michael Brown will chair the team. On Friday, Brown told Kentucky Today that when he arrived at the office after Wednesday’s announcement, “I found the Legislative Research Commission had delivered copies of a very helpful handbook for gubernatorial transition in Kentucky.” (KY Forward)
House Republicans invite Beshear to annual retreat
House Republicans may be willing to put politics aside and work with Andy Beshear.
House Floor Leader Rep. Bam Carney, R-Campbellsville, says they have extended an invitation to Beshear to come to Lake Barkley next month for their annual retreat assuming he is the governor-elect.
“The speaker wanted that basically again to try and get off on the right foot that we need to come together and work on issues to better Kentucky,” Carney said. “We still have agenda that we are going to continue to push, the same one we have working on the last two or three years and hopefully we can find some common ground on some areas but he has been invited and I hoping that he can accept that opportunity.” (Spectrum News)
Bill would put Kentucky on daylight saving time year-round
Kentuckians woke up Sunday morning to the twice-yearly ritual of changing their clocks and readjusting to the changing of time — “falling back,” as the saying goes — with the resumption of standard time.
But if a group of lawmakers have their way, Kentucky will become one of a growing number of states that wish to remain on Daylight Saving time year-round, legislating to stay on “summer time” instead of switching back and forth.
A bill to that effect, House Bill 181, was pre-filed in Frankfort ahead of the 2020 General Assembly’s Regular Session. (Richmond Register)