damon thayer

House and Senate conferees will go back to the table Monday to continue working toward a state budget agreement. One of the remaining points of contention is funding for higher education. 

Kentucky House and Senate leaders are continuing negotiations on a compromise $21 billion two-year state budget. Conferees worked through a number of issues Friday, but no firm decisions are expected just yet.

The local option sales tax proposal is dying of neglect in the Kentucky Senate.

As the legislative session heads into its final days, the Senate has a full plate of bills to consider. And it appears the local option sales tax isn’t one of them.

Kentucky House members will consider a constitutional amendment measure this session that would restore voting rights to nonviolent former felons.

It won the approval of the Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee Monday. 

Michael Hiser started taking drugs when he was 8 and was only able to sober up while serving time for a felony.

While in prison, he decided he wanted to vote — an act prohibited for felons in Kentucky.

  Kentucky students would start the school year later under legislation that will be considered in the 2016 General Assembly.

State Senator Damon Thayer will sponsor a bill that would send students back to school in late August. Some education leaders believe the start date should remain a local decision, but Thayer argues the legislature should have a say.

  Six state lawmakers are being tasked with finding solutions to Kentucky’s under-funded retirement system for public school teachers. 

Legislators debated a plan in this year’s General Assembly session that would have borrowed more than $3 billion in bonds to shore up KTRS. 

The Kentucky Senate has approved legislation paving the way for development of a new state lottery game that has an equine connection.  Proponents say the game would benefit the horse industry and school children.

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Board has approved $18 million in tax breaks for a controversial Christian theme park in Northern Kentucky.

The board unanimously voted on Tuesday to approve sales tax incentives for the Ark Encounter, a religious theme park to be built in Williamstown. The theme park is controlled by Answers in Genesis, a conservative Christian non-profit that also operates the Creation Museum.

The president of the Kentucky Senate is giving good marks overall for the 2014 general assembly session.  Robert Stivers offered the assessment Monday during a caucus meeting of senate republicans.