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Columns

  • Bevin delivers state of the state address

    Week four of the Kentucky General Assembly marked a momentous occasion for our state. Gov. Matt Bevin gave his first State of the Commonwealth Budget Address, laying out a plan that will guide Kentucky out of the financial mire that has lingered for the past eight years.

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  • Lawmakers begin working on state’s two-year budget, eyeing many cuts

    The biggest responsibility the governor and the General Assembly have during legislative sessions in even-numbered years is enacting a budget to run state government.  It sets our priorities in a way no other law can.

    The budget process actually began months ago, when agencies compiled their projected needs while the state’s economists, known as the Consensus Forecasting Group, determined exactly how much the state could appropriate.

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  • Being in shape is not always about losing weight

    We all know controlling what we eat is easily the hardest part of getting in shape. It’s a lot more fun just focusing on the gym and the training that feels good. It is the adrenaline pump. So let’s check out these 20 dietary/nutritional tips that may help take the guesswork out of the hardest part of gaining lean mass!

    For most people, eating is a slippery slope. Getting just the right amount of calories to maintain scale weight can be a challenge, and the dangers of over eating are everywhere.

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  • House had a busy week despite holiday

    With the General Assembly off on Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and on Friday because of the snow, last week was an especially short one for legislators.

    A reduced schedule didn’t keep the House from moving several bills forward, however.

    On Wednesday, for example, the chamber’s Judiciary Committee put its support behind House Bill 229, which would give the Attorney General’s office jurisdiction to pursue and prosecute human trafficking cases. 

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  • Bill requiring abortion-seekers to have face-to-face counseling passes Senate

    Although week three of the General Assembly was short due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and the inclement weather Friday, the Kentucky Senate passed significant bills and welcomed visitors who braved the snow in Frankfort.

    On Tuesday we passed two of our priority bills: Senate Bill (SB) 4 and SB 10. SB 4 would require those seeking an abortion to have a face-to-face, in-person counseling session with a physician 24 hours prior to the procedure. This effort to promote the rights of the unborn passed with bipartisan support.

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  • Champions, Haven of Hope partner for Teen Night Feb. 26

    Substance abuse, teen pregnancy and health issues, what do all of these things have in common? They are topics that adolescents face daily. Temptation to make bad decisions occurs every day, whether it’s through peer pressure, marketing tactics or personal dealings.

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  • Senate bills include legislation that will decrease costs on large school projects

    Floor votes, committee hearings and spirited debate highlighted an action-packed second week of session in the Kentucky Senate. We welcomed guests from all across the Commonwealth to speak on behalf of bills.

    On Thursday we were visited by hundreds of young and energetic faces celebrating Children’s Advocacy Day, sponsored by Kentucky Youth Advocates. The group hosted a rally in the Capitol Rotunda where several Senate majority members were recognized for their efforts in standing up for Kentucky’s children.

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  • A healthy lifestyle improves health in more ways than one

    I came across a quote a couple of weeks ago that read, “Healthy living is a life sentence, you will never be paroled or pardoned.”

    That is so true! Healthy living is a way of living. It is not something that can be measured by a number on a scale; it is the actions we take daily. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires persistence and dedication.

    The choice to live a healthy lifestyle can improve your health in more ways than one.  Here are some of the effects/benefits of living a healthy lifestyle:

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  • Teachers’ retirement, expungement of class D felonies among bills to be considered in House

    If the final days of a legislative session are spent deciding what laws the General Assembly will pass, then the first few days are focused on what the House and Senate hope will be on that list.

    Setting those priorities was the main theme last week as other legislators and I returned to the Capitol and began filing legislation to kick off the 2016 Regular Session.

    In the House, we will again work toward strengthening the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System, which is facing a multi-billion dollar liability and needs a plan to adequately address it.

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  • The war on our Second Amendment

    Many battles await Congress as we begin 2016, but few are more important than the fight to protect our right to bear arms.  Our right to self-defense is not granted by any government. Rather, it is a God-given, natural right.  In the words of George Mason, the Founding Father known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights:” “To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” 

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