Tagged: constables

A new report by Kentucky's Justice Cabinet is advocating for the elimination of the office of constable.

The office is set in the Kentucky Constitution, but the report says the office no longer helps in law enforcement and is often a liability.

Governor Steve Beshear's constitutional amendment to legalize casinos in Kentucky has cleared its first legislative hurdle.

The bill passed the Senate's State and Local Government committee 7-4 today.

The measure would allow up to seven casinos in Kentucky. But the committee changed the bill, dropping language that requires five of the casinos to be at horse racing tracks. The measure still requires a 60-mile buffer zone between tracks and independent casinos.

Constables in Kentucky have been around for over 160 years. But however necessary the county-level job may have been in 1850, some lawmakers today believe it's no longer relevant. Others maintain constables free up law enforcement for more pressing work and provide an additional set of eyes and ears for police and sheriff's departments. Now, Senate Bill 30 is under consideration in Frankfort. The measure would allow counties more latitude to decide what constables do. SB 30 began life, however, as a constitutional amendment that would've abolished the office.

An inspection of the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge piers has revealed no major damage despite being hit by an 86 hundred ton cargo ship in January.

Kentucky Politics:

A Senate bill that would give county governments more control over constables could have enough support to become law.

A Senate bill that would give county governments more control over constables could have enough support to become law.

Originally, both chambers pursued constitutional amendments to eliminate the office of constable altogether, spurred by several recent instances of constables abusing their power.

But an agreement not to crowd the fall ballot with constitutional amendments led to the Senate proposal.

House Speaker Pro Tempore Larry Clark says now that the bill’s scope has changed, it has a good chance of making it through the House.

Kentucky lawmakers are backing away from a measure that would eliminate the office of constable in every county.

Every county has an elected constable. But in the last year, many constables have been accused of being either unnecessary or corrupt.  Originally, Senate Bill 30 was a constitutional amendment to eliminate constables. But the bill was unlikely to pass due to a gentlemen’s agreement in the legislature that each chamber would only push one amendment each session.