Whitney Jones

Actress Ashley Judd isn't the only one who has been in the political crosshairs of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

His campaign has collected thousands of documents pertaining to Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Kentucky Democrat considering running against McConnell now that Judd is not. The documents obtained by The Associated Press include travel invoices for Grimes and her staff, even reams of letters from people wanting to be Kentucky Colonels, an honorary designation handled by her office.

From NPR: Discussion in a legal case to determine whether or not you can resell your MP3s turns to Star Trek and Willy Wonka.

Kentucky education commissioner Terry Holliday says the first 57 school districts that raise their dropout age from 16 to 18 will be given a $10,000 state grant.

Holliday made the announcement Wednesday during a state Board of Education meeting in Frankfort. Just before the announcement, board members voted unanimously to adopt a resolution urging Kentucky's 174 school districts to raise the dropout age as soon as possible.

Kentucky's General Fund is on pace to meet its tax revenue goals for this fiscal year despite Kentuckians' cautious spending habits says a state official.

State Budget Director Jane Driskell says overall tax receipts are 2.6 percent higher than they were this time last year. The uptick is partially attributed to an increase in revenue from corporate and individual income taxes, which jumped 12.7 percent and 5.7 percent respectively. The fiscal year ends June 30.

Before last year's elections, the executive director of the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus obtained a copy of the entire database of handgun carry permit holders in the state.

On Wednesday, the GOP-controlled chamber voted to block public access to those records.

A proposal to freeze Tennessee's beer tax is headed to Gov. Bill Haslam for his consideration.

The measure was approved in the House Wednesday. The Senate passed it earlier this week.

Tennessee's beer taxes outstrip any other state's because the bulk of the levy is based on price rather than volume. The more a beer costs, the higher the taxes that must be paid to buy it.

A proposal that would create a special panel to authorize charter schools in several Tennessee counties is advancing in the House.

The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Mark White was approved on a voice vote in the House Finance Committee Wednesday and will now be scheduled for a vote by the full House. 

A key Senate committee is meeting to discuss concerns that expanding gambling would open the door to political corruption and organized crime.

Senate President John Cullerton invited representatives of the Illinois Gaming Board and the Chicago Crime Commission to appear before the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday . Cullerton’s spokesperson Rikeesha Phelon says the Chicago Democrat wants to try to find a way to address the issue. But she says Cullerton has doubts about whether the concerns are legitimate or "hyperbole" intended to derail the measure.

The Obama administration's 2014 budget is calling for a strategic review of the Tennessee Valley Authority, opening the possibility the federally owned utility could be sold.

TVA officials seem to have been caught off guard by the budget proposal released Wednesday. Board chairman Bill Sansom says the utility doesn't know what options the review will consider. He promises the board will "continue operating TVA in a sound financial manner" in the meantime. 

From NPR: Much of the money given through Pell Grants is going to students who never graduate. The group these grants serve is also drastically changing. Students aren’t just fresh-faced high school grads anymore. They’re adults who have lost their jobs and are trying to improve their chances of getting a job by furthering their education.