Kenny Colston

State Rep. Sannie Overly will be the first woman in history elected to a leadership position in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Overly, of Paris, on Tuesday was elected House Democratic Caucus Chair in private leadership elections today. Overly beat state Rep. Bob Damron, of Nicholasville, for the position; all other House Democratic leaders retained their posts.

“It was a humbling experience to be the person that this caucus would choose for the first time in the commonwealth’s history to serve in House leadership," Overly said. " I’m honored, I’m humbled, I look forward to serving."

Overly has served for more than six years, after originally winning a special election for her seat. She was also transportation budget sub-committee chair in recent budget cycles.

As for why she chose to run now, Overly says she felt the timing was right.

As the 2013 Kentucky legislative session begins, Tea Party activists are encouraging lawmakers to abandon the implementation of the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — in the state because of fiscal and health care concerns.

About 50 activists rallied in the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday; they wanted their state legislators to hear their concerns as the 2013 legislative session began.

Kentucky can’t afford running its own health exchanges  or to expand Medicaid, argued David Adams, a rally organizer.

“It doesn’t take a forensic accountant to look at our fiscal situation and realize that we have no business getting into this sandbox whatsoever,” Adams says.

Kentucky lawmakers Tuesday began the new legislative session with a lot on their plates. Legislators are expected to take up the state's struggling pension system for government retirees, changes to the state tax code, legislative redistricting, and more.

The House and Senate convened at noon eastern time.

Giving Kentucky service members and their spouses the ability to cast absentee ballots electronically is the priority of the Kentucky State Senate heading into the 2013 legislative session, Senate President-elect Robert Stivers said on Monday.

Stivers says he’s taking recommendations from Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to allow electronic voting for overseas military personnel.

The measure will be Senate Bill 1 — the title that usually goes to the chamber’s chief legislative priority every year. And Stivers says that if the legislation can be written in time, the Senate plans to pass it completely by the end of the session’s first week.

“If we can get the final drafts done and proceed, we hope to introduce it this week and if we can introduce it have at least preliminary hearings, if not a total hearing and have it either prepared to pass this week or upon our return,” he says.

For the second year in a row, a poll shows a majority of Kentucky favor a statewide smoking ban.

Last year the poll, conducted by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, showed a majority favored a ban for the first time.

And now that number has increased to 62 percent of registered voters favoring a statewide ban. Less than 40 percent opposed such a ban, while the rest had no opinion.

“We have polled on this issue since 2010 and support for a smoke-free law has increased steadily since then,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, President/CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. “This issue continues to gain support with Kentuckians of all ages and from all walks of life.”