Politics

Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday with two days remaining to pass legislation intended to shore up Kentucky's pension plans for state and local government retirees.

Restoring solvency to the pension system, which has a $33 billion unfunded liability, has been divisive for the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-led House, which have been working on the issue since the Legislature convened in January.

Rep. Tommy Turner, R-Somerset, said he expects lawmakers to meet until midnight both days.

"The last few days have historically been the busiest," Turner said. "I don't know why, but we always seem to wait until the last days, until time is running out, to get things done."

Actress and Kentucky native Ashley Judd made a rare public reference to her possible run for the seat held by Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

WXIX-TV said Judd gave the keynote speech Friday at the American Counseling Association's 2013 conference in Cincinnati.

In speaking about her personal experience with depression, she said when she started in counseling she didn't like to be criticized. She added that was ironic since she was, in her words, "about to get $40 million worth of it."

Judd also said her mother, Naomi Judd, can't wait to turn her garage into a campaign headquarters.

Judd is a former Kentucky resident now living outside of Nashville, Tenn.

She has been largely mum about her intentions. Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats' biggest prize of the 2014 election.