Local/Regional News

By Tony McVeigh

By Tony McVeigh

Frankfort, KY – As Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh reports, get ready to pay more for that cigarette or bottle of booze.

By Tony McVeigh

Frankfort, KY – After hearing Governor Beshear plea for the bill's passage, and the alcoholic beverage industry urge its defeat, the budget committee decided to send the revenue measure to the Senate floor. But it was close. With the vote tied 8-8, which would have killed the bill, Republican Senator Elizabeth Tori asked for recognition. "In view of the fact that this bill needs to reach the floor of the Senate for a full debate, I desire to change my vote to an Aye for that purpose."

By Tony McVeigh

Frankfort, KY – The revenue bill, which cleared the House budget committee 19-9, increases the cigarette tax by 30-cents and puts a six-percent retail tax on alcoholic beverages. The measure needs 60 votes to clear the House. Does Speaker Greg Stumbo have that many? "Well, we'd like to have 60 Democrats and probably 12 to 15 Republicans. But you can't get that?' Well, we don't know yet. That's what we'd like."

By Tony McVeigh

Frankfort, KY – To raise revenue in a non-budget year, House leaders needed a super majority, or 60 votes, to pass the tax bill. They got 66. Thirty-four lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Stan Lee of Lexington voted no. "Raising taxes in a time of a bad economy is not good public policy. In all of recorded human history - some five thousand years of recorded human history - not one time has a government ever taxed an economy back into prosperity."

By Bryan Bartlett

Lexington, KY – Even in recession, a newly-released economic report predicts some growth in Kentucky's economy in 2009. Bryan Bartlett has more.

By Tony McVeigh

Frankfort, KY – In October 2006, Mark Neblett's 17-year old daughter Rachael took her own life. Neblett, of Mt. Washington, says it happened shortly after Rachael began receiving threatening emails on the Internet. "They threatened to kill her. Threatened to put her in the morgue. Just terrified her. We don't know why she kept going back, looking at em."

By Dan Modlin

Bowling Green, KY – Organizers of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration in Hodgenville are moving ahead with plans for his 200th birthday. But as Kentucky Public Radio's Dan Modlin reports, problems associated with ice storms have impacted the festivities for the second year in a row.

By Tony McVeigh

Frankfort, KY – The budget-balancing plan would increase the cigarette tax by 30-cents and tax alcoholic beverages six-percent at the retail level. It also includes a raid on the state's rainy day fund, but furloughs of state employees are out. It will need 60 votes to pass the House. Are they there? Speaker Greg Stumbo. "I think we'll get to 60. I look forward to a successful vote on Wednesday. 'Are you there yet?' I'm going to talk to Jeff Hoover before I can answer that."

By Tony McVeigh