State Capitol

The 2010 Kentucky State Police Trooper of the Year is a veteran of Post 1 in Mayfield, in far western Kentucky.   Senior Trooper Thomas Williams was honored along with a host of other state troopers in an awards ceremony in Frankfort.

Kentucky Republicans held a post-primary rally at state GOP headquarters in Frankfort Saturday to show a united front for the fall.  But despite claims of party unity, it appears the Republicans may have a few chinks in their armor.

In the wake of Tuesday’s primary election, Kentucky Republicans, including Senate President David Williams, will hold a unity rally Saturday at state GOP headquarters in Frankfort.  But the man Williams faces in the fall is already trying to spoil the party.

In Frankfort, two economic experts battled it out in a day long hearing in Kentucky's gas price gouging case against Marathon Petroleum.  The state is accusing Marathon of illegally jacking up gasoline prices during a state of emergency declared on April 26th and still in effect.  The company denies any wrongdoing.

The top two leaders of the Kentucky House of Representatives are assessing the outcome of Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary.  Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Minority Floor Leader Jeffrey Hoover have been studying the counties captured by Senate President David Williams, who grabbed the Republican nomination. 

It'll be Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear against Senate President David Williams in the fall.   The line up for the November general election was settled last night in the Democratic and Republican primaries.  Beshear had no primary opposition, but he roused a crowd of several hundred in Frankfort, with a litany of his accomplishments in his first three and a half years in office.

Nothing was resolved at a Frankfort hearing in Kentucky's price gouging case against Marathon Oil.  Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate is in the middle of a murder trial, and rescheduled the Marathon case for Thursday morning.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway is accusing Marathon Petroleum Company of price gouging during a state of emergency.  The legal brief has been added to an ongoing lawsuit against Marathon for alleged price gouging during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

There’s another encouraging sign on Kentucky’s economic front.  Tourism is up.  Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow says tourism had an $11 billion impact on Kentucky’s economy last year.  That’s an almost five percent increase over the previous year. 

Kentucky voters Tuesday will decide contested primary races for six, statewide constitutional  offices.  Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh assesses the crowded field of candidates.

Secretary of State Elaine Walker is predicting low voter turnout for Tuesday’s primary election in Kentucky, even though voter registration numbers are up.  A record 2.9 million Kentuckians are now registered to vote. That’s 11,000 more than in the 2008 General Election, the previous record. But getting voters excited about Tuesday’s primary appears to be a tough sale, says Secretary of State Elaine Walker. She’s predicting voter turnout of around nine to ten percent.

Kentucky continues to show positive gains in state revenue receipts.  Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh has the latest tax collection numbers.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has decided to close a minimum security prison and make it a training academy for Kentucky State Police. Beshear says the state no longer needs the Frankfort Career Development Center, which houses 205 low-risk inmates.

The question of whether or not a registered lobbyist should serve on Kentucky’s State Board of Elections remains unresolved.  Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh says the ethics board that considered the question deferred action.

Rising costs have put the kibosh on the annual, state-funded Governor's Derby Breakfast at the State Capitol. Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh says it's now more of a festival, and the location has changed.