Government
Professors worry about political interference in higher education, finds survey of Southern faculty
Professors in the South are increasingly worried about political interference in higher education, according to a new survey released by southern chapters of the American Association of University Professors.? The survey, which included responses from nearly 3,000 faculty members, found that about 70% of respondents signaled dissatisfaction with the political atmosphere around higher education and […]
Kentucky Republicans celebrate ‘house that Mitch built’ with a little help from some big donors
FRANKFORT — What speakers hailed as “the house that Mitch built” will be doubling in size? — thanks to more than $3 million from special interest donors and a change of state law in 2017 that legalized such donations. A slew of prominent Kentucky Republicans joined U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to break ground […]
East Kentucky Power Co-op selected for federal funding to build or buy renewable energy
A Kentucky electric utility serving more than 570,000 homes, farms and businesses across 89 counties is getting a federal funding boost to invest in renewable energy.? East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), based in Winchester, is one of 16 rural electric utilities across the country selected to receive a portion of $7.3 billion through the U.S. […]
No dice for ‘risk-free’ gaming machines in Kentucky, advises AG Coleman
The manufacturer of a so-called “risk-free” gaming machine is hitting the pause button in Kentucky after Attorney General Russell Coleman said the machines are illegal under a ban passed by lawmakers last year.? Bob Heleringer, an attorney for Prominent Technologies, told the Lantern the company strongly disagrees with Coleman’s advisory but is directing businesses with […]
New 4-year contract approved for KY Fish and Wildlife chief who has clashed with Beshear
The board overseeing Kentucky’s wildlife management agency has reappointed its chief executive Rich Storm, including board members appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear who in the past has clashed with Storm and the department. With no discussion, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously on Aug. 30 to give Storm a new four-year contract as […]
Franklin judge urges mediation in dispute between Kentucky auditor and Beshear administration
FRANKFORT — Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd urged Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration and Republican Auditor Allison Ball’s office to resolve a dispute over access to an abuse and neglect database before further litigation ensues.? In a Wednesday morning motion hour, Shepherd gave attorneys on both sides until close of business Thursday to let his […]
New challenge arises as Kulkarni is renominated as Democratic candidate in KY House election
LOUISVILLE — Another legal obstacle to Democratic Rep. Nima Kulkarni’s reelection was filed in Franklin Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon.? William Zeitz, a Democrat who challenged Kulkarni in May’s primary election, has joined with Dennis Horlander, a Democrat who previously represented the 40th House District, in suing election officials after Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams […]
‘Full steam ahead:’ U.S. official from Mingo County works to protect coal miners from black lung
This Labor Day, as a new federal rule is being rolled out to prevent deadly black lung disease in miners, Christopher Williamson is remembering the coal miners who fought for the creation of his agency and who weren’t afforded the protections that current and future workers hopefully will. Williamson, assistant secretary for the U.S. Mine […]
A second public university in Kentucky closes its diversity office under GOP lawmakers’ pressure
A second Kentucky public university has disbanded its diversity office under pressure from Republican lawmakers. Northern Kentucky University President Cady Short-Thompson wrote in an email to campus: “The circumstances under which universities across the Commonwealth and the country find themselves, coupled with the legislative priorities of state leaders for the upcoming session, require universities to […]
Democratic state lawmaker pleads not guilty to DUI-related charges
LOUISVILLE —?Kentucky state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence in Jefferson County District Court Friday morning.? The 62-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Shivley was arrested by local police early Tuesday. According to the arrest citation, she refused to take a field sobriety test and a preliminary […]
Feds: Justice coal companies have no defense against move to hold them in contempt
Federal attorneys asking a court to hold 23 of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s family-owned coal companies in contempt for nonpayment of health and safety fines entered a filing this week saying the companies shouldn’t have entered into a payment plan if they knew they couldn’t honor it. The filing, entered Tuesday in the U.S. […]
Governments often struggle with massive new IT projects
Idaho’s state government was facing a problem. In 2018, its 86 state agencies were operating with a mix of outdated, mismatched business systems that ran internal processes like payroll and human resources. Some of the programs dated back to the 1980s, and many were written in programming languages they don’t teach in engineering schools anymore. […]