Kenny Colston

Kentucky Senate President David Williams says he had no idea what trouble his former gubernatorial running mate Richie Farmer was causing as agriculture commissioner.
During an interview on Kentucky Sports Radio Wednesday, host Matt Jones asked Williams about the abuses of power and resources that were uncovered in a recent audit of Farmer's time in office.

State officials have not yet given private Medicaid operators permission to do business in the Louisville area, but that hasn't stopped one company from trying to make inroads.

A national group that hopes to give voters more choices in this year's presidential election is bringing its campaign to Kentucky. Americans Elect wants to field a presidential ticket in all 50 states. The group will nominate a candidate through a primary online at AmericansElect.org, and will then petition to get a candidate on the ballot in Kentucky.

Kentucky Senator Julie Denton says the state's largest private Medicaid company is underpaying and threatening health care providers, and she says lawmakers may kick the company out of the state Medicaid system if the behavior persists.

A new poll by a nonpartisan health organization suggests a majority of Kentuckians would support a statewide smoking ban. The Kentucky Health Issues Poll is conducted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. And its 2011 poll, taken last fall and released this week, shows that 54 percent of Kentuckians would approve an indoor statewide smoking ban.

A group of three economists hopes to provide key input to Kentucky's tax commission this summer. The Blue Ribbon Tax Commission picked three professors to act as consultants as the group considers changes to the state's tax code. Two are from the University of Kentucky and one is from the University of Tennessee.

A key part of the Affordable Care Act will be implemented by executive order in Kentucky if the healthcare law is upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Exchanges in which residents can purchase insurance are a major part of the law. Each state must have an exchange, and if states don't set them up, the federal government will.

A national battle between two legislative groups has reached Kentucky. The advocacy group Common Cause is asking federal agencies to remove the non-profit tax-exempt status of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.  ALEC provides lawmakers with sample legislation and talking points, often to promote conservative issues, and Common Cause says the organization is a lobbying group.

For the first time in a generation, Kentucky courts will temporarily close due to budget cuts. Workers in the judicial branch were notified this morning that furloughs will be necessary for three days. All state court employees will be furloughed on August 6, September 4, and October 15 of this year.

A new poll shows Kentuckians are becoming increasingly aware of the commonwealth’s health issues and willing to act on them. The Kentucky Health Issues Poll is conducted annually by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. The latest poll for last year was just released this week and found many Kentuckians worry about childhood obesity and depression.

An audit of former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer's administration has revealed multiple abuses of state resources. The report says the former University of Kentucky basketball star illegally hired friends and family, used department resources for Christmas gifts and made state employees mow his yard and build a basketball court at his home on state time.

An audit of Richie Farmer's two terms as Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner has revealed a toxic culture of entitlement and an extravagant misuse of taxpayers dollars, state employees and time.Current Agriculture Commissioner James Comer requested the audit earlier this year. State Auditor Adam Edelen released his final report today, showing more than a dozen infractions by Farmer and a consistent abuse of state law.

Two 24-year-old Democrats from opposite ends of the Commonwealth hope to be the newest and youngest members of the General Assembly next year.  Kendrick Bryan is from Elizabethtown and hopes to unseat longtime lawmaker Jimmie Lee. Tyler Murphy is from Greenup County and is challenging state representative Tonya Pullin. 

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is adding his voice to one of President Barack Obama’s top campaign issues.  The president spoke at two college campuses this week urging Congress to prevent an automatic rate hike in interest on student loans from taking effect.

A controversial national legislative group may not have the same pull in Kentucky as it does in other states. For weeks, the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, has been under fire for its work pushing model state laws. The group has been linked to “stand your ground” gun laws, which have been in the news since the shooting death of a Florida teenager in February.

A decision is expected within six weeks over whether Instant Racing is legal in Kentucky. The state’s Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case Wednesday. Instant Racing is a slots-like game that Kentucky racetracks hope to use to boost race purses. But the Family Foundation of Kentucky says the game isn’t pari-mutuel betting like horse racing, but instead is closer to a slot machine.

Newly-released documents show that a Northern Kentucky businessman is the  primary donor and a significant fundraiser for a super PAC that’s involved in Kentucky’s Fourth Congressional District race. But super PAC officials say the man has no official role with the group.

Kentucky lawmakers and Governor Steve Beshear are applauding the passage of a bill aimed at reducing prescription pill abuse. Beshear signed the pill bill Tuesday, inviting key legislators and law enforcement officers to take part in the ceremony.

Kentucky lawmakers and Governor Steve Beshear are applauding the passage of a bill aimed at reducing prescription pill abuse.Beshear signed the pill bill today, inviting key legislators and law enforcement officers to take part in the ceremony.

After spending 65 days in Frankfort, Kentucky lawmakers can once again point to strong new drug laws as their signature achievements. The General Assembly passed bills cracking down on synthetic drugs, prescription abuse and meth production.

A bill aimed at cracking down on prescription pill abuse could be stalled once again in the Kentucky Senate. Senate leaders say they are still reviewing the bill, which would enhance the KASPER tracking system and make it part of the attorney general’s office.

Kentucky Senate President David Williams says Governor Steve Beshear’s latest action on the state road plan will not lead to an extended special session. Governor Steve Beshear has changed the two-year road plan to give projects in Williams’s district a lower priority. Those were the only modifications the Governor made.

Williams had promised not to consider a bill to fund the road plan until Beshear acted on the unfunded measure. Despite his displeasure with Beshear’s move, Williams says the Senate will approve a funding bill and should adjourn the special session within five days.

Governor Steve Beshear signed Kentucky’s six-year road plan Wednesday  and vetoed several projects in the state's two-year road plan. According to a release from Beshear’s office, the line item vetoes in the two-year plan are only in Senate President David Williams's district. This comes on the heels of a public feud between the two politicians, with both accusing the other of political posturing.

The Kentucky House of Representatives has passed both bills on its agenda for this year’s special session. House lawmakers Wednesday approved both the road plan funding bill and a measure to crack down on prescription pill abuse today by wide margins.

A change to the so-called pill bill in Frankfort has restarted the fight over the measure in the General Assembly. Prescription abuse is rampant in Kentucky, and the bill strengthens restrictions on the drugs and who can sell them.The measure didn't clear the General Assembly during this year's regular session, and lawmakers have been called in for a special session to reconsider the legislation.

Kentucky lawmakers have returned to the capitol for a special session, and it's not clear how long they'll remain in Frankfort to finish their work. The House gaveled in at noon Monday and quickly filed two bills. One measure cracks down on prescription pill abuse and another funds the state road plan.

Kentucky lawmakers have returned to the capitol for a special session, and it's not clear how long they'll remain in Frankfort to finish their work.

The House gaveled in at noon today and quickly filed two bills. One measure cracks down on prescription pill abuse and another funds the state road plan.

Neither measure cleared the General Assembly during the regular session this year. And House Speaker Greg Stumbo says his chamber will work quickly to pass the bills.

“We’ll be through by Wednesday, I don’t, obviously we don’t know what the Senate is going to do, we’ll just have to wait and see what they do,” Stumbo says

Updated at 12:32pm CT on Monday, April 16, 2012:

Kentucky lawmakers have returned to the capitol for a special session, and it's not clear how long they'll remain in Frankfort to finish their work.

The House gaveled in at noon today and quickly filed two bills. One measure cracks down on prescription pill abuse and another funds the state road plan.

Neither measure cleared the General Assembly during the regular session this year. And House Speaker Greg Stumbo says his chamber will work quickly to pass the bills.

“We’ll be through by Wednesday, I don’t, obviously we don’t know what the Senate is going to do, we’ll just have to wait and see what they do,” Stumbo says

Republican Senate President David Williams says Democratic Governor Steve Beshear needs to tone down his rhetoric over the upcoming special session. The two men butted heads when the Senate didn’t pass two of the session’s critical bills. The Senate adjourned, effectively killing a bill that funded the state’s road plan and one that would place further limitations on prescription drugs.

A blame game over important legislation is turning into a full-blown repeat of last year’s gubernatorial election. Democratic Governor Steve Beshear and Republican Senate President David Williams are arguing over who is to blame for lawmakers adjourning their regular session without passing key bills.