State News
Murray Housing Authority bans smoking inside units
MURRAY — The Housing Authority of Murray is having its own version of a smoke-out.
The agency has instituted a new smoke-free policy at all of its housing units, starting Sept. 1. The policy means residents will not be allowed to smoke inside their homes — instead they’ll have to light up in the yard.
WPSD-TV in Paducah reported that Housing Authority Executive Director Faye Dodd says the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has pushed smoke-free public housing across the country.
Walter Wyatt, a smoker for 62 years, says the government agency shouldn’t tell him where he can smoke, particularly not in his own home.
“To tell me what to do in my own place, I don’t think that’s right, and I don’t believe the people that’s putting them orders out would like for someone to tell them what to do in their house,” Wyatt said.
Allowing smoking in homes causes multiple problems, Dodd said. Among the issues are smoke drifting through central air units from smokers to the homes of nonsmokers.
Dodd also cited safety after a recent fire in Murray destroyed two units when a smoker fell asleep and dropped a lit cigarette.
Finally, Dodd says they just can’t afford the costs of cleaning a unit when a smoker moves.
“No one wants to feel limited in their own home. I understand where they’re coming from, but our main objective is the care and feeding of the agency, and we want to stay alive, and being fiscally sound is the best way to do that,” Dodd said.
The idea isn’t to force people to quit smoking, just quit smoking indoors, Dodd said.
Smokers can get an exemption to allow them indoor smoking privileges until their lease is up, Dodd said. With a new lease, though, comes the smoke-free policy. Breaking the policy could result in a lease violation, three of which prompts an eviction.
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Plan under way to address state’s diabetes epidemic
The Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program and a steering committee of 12 diabetes organizations are taking steps to develop and implement a Kentucky Diabetes State Plan, the Kentucky Department for Public Health announced today. The group hopes to involve as many interested people and organizations as possible in various parts of the process.
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Conway calls Paul’s comments ‘ignorant’
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and Attorney General Jack Conway knows an opportunity when he sees one.
At least he did Monday, when he told about 100 gathered in the capitol rotunda celebrating the 20th anniversary of passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act that his opponent Rand Paul’s statements on the law were “a shame” and “ignorant.” -
Lawmakers scrutinize furlough plans for state employees
State lawmakers continued to question implementation of plans to furlough state employees and cut costs at state parks even though most of the austerity measures are the result of shrinking state budgets passed by lawmakers.
At least one member of the Interim Joint Committee on State Government pointed the finger of blame in the direction of lawmakers. Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, told Marcheta Sparrow, secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, which includes the state parks system, they should talk to lawmakers about passing tax reform to fund state government. -
Pension reform still an issue for legislators
Two years ago the General Assembly and Gov. Steve Beshear gave themselves a big collective pat on the back for a “pension reform” bill that would put the employee retirement systems on track to solvency by 2024.
On Wednesday, lawmakers learned it’s not quite that simple and they’re not yet out of the woods. In fact, the likelihood of the success of the plan is precarious at best, according to a consultant who studied the system.
“You have a large current pension plan problem,” said Jim Voytko of R.V. Kuhns and Associates, which reviewed the Kentucky Retirement Systems. “You have a large pension plan problem which is likely to grow larger over the next five to 15 years in a normal investment environment.” -
New batch of laws take effect July 15
People who violate domestic violence orders in Kentucky could end up wearing ankle monitors and drivers who send text message from behind the wheel would face the ire of traffic cops beginning in about two weeks.
The laws are among more than 200 passed in the 2010 legislative session. Most take effect July 15.
One of the most hotly debated will allow judges to require people named in domestic violence cases to wear GPS monitors so that authorities can keep electronic tabs on them. -
Biden touts stimulus in speech during visit to Ky.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden took on critics of federal spending to stimulate the economy during a speech Monday at GE Appliance Park, saying the stimulus helped create nearly 500,000 new jobs in the first five months of the year.
Some of them — presently about 135 — are at the GE facility in Louisville after a $600 million investment by the company in three product lines of energy efficient appliances. The company made the investment with the help of $24 million in federal tax credits — part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — and $20 million in tax incentives from Kentucky. The new product lines eventually are expected to create 830 jobs, some of them moved from China and Mexico. -
Senate race very different from primary campaigns
The U.S. Senate race between Republican Dr. Rand Paul and Democrat Jack Conway is an entirely new ballgame than the primary campaigns each waged against their main challengers.
During the primary, Paul was provocative and accessible, often answering the last question of reporters or supporters. He showed up on national cable programs and he had an opinion on nearly every conceivable issue. Conway used an enormous fundraising advantage to pummel his opponent with television ads and built his winning margin in the primary largely in Jefferson County where he lives. -
Alliance Coal-owned company cited 3 times
A western Kentucky mining company owned by Alliance Coal has been cited three times this spring for violating conditions of a mining permit it obtained through a controversial state policy.
The citations against Warrior Coal for mining in Hopkins County came in April, May and this month, The Courier-Journal reported. Warrior is a subsidiary of Tulsa, Okla.-based Alliance. -
Ky. budget bill passes House
Showing little enthusiasm, the Kentucky House passed a $17.1 billion, two-year state budget on Wednesday that would impose cuts across a broad spectrum of state agencies but would avert a partial government shutdown this summer.
Despite the 94-4 vote, Rep. Harry Moberly seemed to sum up the mood of many lawmakers: “Like the rest of you, I regret I have to vote for this.” -
House committee passes $17.1B budget proposal
Most held their noses but all but two members of the House budget committee voted Tuesday for a $17.1 billion state budget that cuts most agencies and funds no new school construction but maintains the basic school funding formula.
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Plan under way to address state’s diabetes epidemic
