FRANKFORT -- The Republican vying for a recently vacated state Senate seat is trailing his Democratic opponent in fundraising for a hotly contested Central Kentucky race, according to finance reports filed Monday.
Rep. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, raised $99,843.99 and spent about $49,170.73 from [...] 
FRANKFORT --- Lexington will host a conference this summer that will focus on growing and strengthening the south's standing in the automotive industry, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Tuesday.
The conference will be part of Beshear's new role as chairman of the Southern Growth Polices [...] 
FRANKFORT -- Attorney General Jack Conway wants Gov. Steve Beshear to set execution dates for three men on Death Row.
In a statement, Conway said that Ralph Baze Jr., Robert C. Foley and Gregory L. Wilson had exhausted all of their respective appeals [...] 
FRANKFORT --- Gov. Steve Beshear pledged Thursday to continue to work to bring a Harley-Davidson plant to Kentucky, even though it appears one of its manufacturing facilities will likely remain in Pennsylvania
"Until now, we have been encouraged by the possibility of Harley-Davidson coming to" [...] 
LOUISVILLE -- The Public Service Commission’s report on last fall’s wind storm and the winter’s ice storm will make 60 recommendations to utilities, government agencies and electricity customers. The storms cost the state at least a combined $1.2 billion in damages
While [...] 
FRANKFORT -- A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals has dismissed an appeal by three major media groups asking for the release of a 1983 statement by indicted road contractor Leonard Lawson in a previous criminal case.
The statement -- [...]
By Ryan Alessi - ralessi@herald-leader.com
LOUISVILLE — Gov. Steve Beshear said Tuesday that a bill allowing video slot machines at Kentucky racetracks would pass the full state Senate if given the chance.
“I’m pretty confident that we will have enough votes to pass the bill if [...] 
FRANKFORT — A state senator has prefiled a bill that would require independent political committees known as 527s to disclose during campaigns how much money they have raised and spent.
A horse industry group that formed a 527 is active in a state [...] 
FRANKFORT –Opposition has emerged to a state lawmaker’s efforts to delete a ban on dueling in the state oath of office.
State Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, said Tuesday at the first legislative [...] 
FRANKFORT – Attorney General Jack Conway failed to report on a state Executive Branch Ethics Commission form a big investment in a Texas energy company, his chief Democratic opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, said Tuesday.
Conway reported [...] 
By Halimah Abdullah and Lesley Clark | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Supporters of the U.S. embargo against Cuba have contributed $12,000 to U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield since 2004 as part of a largely successful, multimillion-dollar effort to convince lawmakers to block efforts [...] 
By Beth Musgrave - bmusgrave@herald-leader.com
FRANKFORT — When legislators return to Frankfort in January for a new legislative session, they face a daunting task: how to pay for the state's essential services while revenue continues to decline.
Although official estimates won't be released until next month, initial projections' [...] 
FRANKFORT — The state’s budget director warned several agencies Friday to plan for a possible six percent spending cut in coming months.
In letters to agencies that have already been slashed over the past 18 months, State Budget Director Mary Lassiter said more cuts may [...] FRANKFORT -- Governor Steve Beshear is leaving open the possibility of a special legislative session in coming weeks to approve economic incentives for a possible Harley-Davidson plant in Shelbyville.
Harley-Davidson officials said last week that the Shelbyville location is the only one it's considering if [...] 
By Jack Brammer - jbrammer@herald-leader.com
FRANKFORT — An issues group connected to Kentucky’s horse industry began running advertisements Wednesday touting Jodie Haydon, the Democratic candidate in an upcoming special election to fill an open state Senate seat.
Keep Our Jobs in Kentucky Inc., which praises candidates who [...] The Associated Press
FRANKFORT — Democrat Jodie Haydon raised more than twice as much as his GOP opponent for his state Senate race.
Documents filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance show Haydon took in $64,855 while Republican Jimmy Higdon raised $31,655.
The two are running in [...] 
By Halimah Abdullah - habdullah@mcclatchydc.com
WASHINGTON — For U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, controversial votes against a health care overhaul and for energy policies that could hurt the coal industry are floodlights signaling critics that the once seemingly unbeatable congressman may have an exposed [...] 
FRANKFORT -- A former staffer of Gov. Ernie Fletcher announced Tuesday that he will seek the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District seat.
Garland "Andy" Barr, 36, promised a group of supporters at a Lexington hotel on Tuesday that he would bring fiscal conservative values [...] The Associated Press
FRANKFORT — Republican Jimmy Higdon has raised more than $31,000 for his state Senate race.
The Lebanon grocer is running in a special election against Democrat Jodie Haydon to replace former state Sen. Dan Kelly who resigned when Gov. Steve Beshear [...] 
By Halimah Abdullah, Bill Estep and Valarie Honeycutt Spears
WASHINGTON — Kentucky lawmakers are at the center of a political feud over the best way to derail interstate prescription pill trafficking, including the pipeline from Florida that plays a key role in [...]
FRANKFORT -- Gov. Steve Beshear and some of the state's leading Democrats say Kentucky needs to pass legislation this winter to expand gambling or risk losing millions of dollars and jobs to Ohio.
Ohio voters on Tuesday passed legislation that would allow casinos in four [...] Beth Musgrave, Jack Brammer, John Cheves, Government Editor, Ryan Alessi, valariehoneycutt
