News

Kentucky’s House of Representatives cleared several big items off their agenda today. The full House passed a bill that changes how law enforcement implements synthetic drug laws. Another measure would create a child fatality review panel. The House also passed a compromise to House Bill 260, which originally would have made the University of Pikeville the ninth state university. 

A proposal to restrict the purchase of pseudoephedrine-containing medicine is now up for discussion in the Kentucky House. The medicine is a key ingredient in meth production.

A compromise to help employers avoid high federal unemployment insurance taxes has easily cleared a House committee. The proposal would allow Kentucky to borrow money from a bank or other organization to repay federal loans. Kentucky borrowed nearly one billion dollars from the federal government to pay for unemployment insurance during the recession.

A proposal for a Kentucky statewide smoking ban has cleared its first hurdle. The House Health and Welfare committee passed the bill today. The measure was expected to pass easily, but a few Republicans did vote against the measure because of concern for individual property rights.

The Western Kentucky University mens' basketball team will be playing in front of a high profile fan tonight. President Barack Obama will be in the stands for the NCAA Tournament play-in games in Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton Daily News reports the President will watch the games with British Prime Minister David Cameron who's visiting the U.S. WKU plays Mississippi Valley State in the first of two games tonight.