The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has dominated the news cycle for the last week. Governor Beshear announced a new program in the Transportation Cabinet to build roads more efficiently. The program will review all projects to make sure they are needed and there will be an effort to make sure that roads are built closer to the Cabinet’s estimates.

 

There have rumors for months about an FBI investigation into the Transportation Cabinet. The FBI has been investigating Transportation Cabinet practices under the Fletcher Administration regarding engineer’s estimates.

 

No indictments have been handed down thus far, but the media got a hold of an affidavit filed by the FBI that details its investigation into Transportation Cabinet practices and former personnel. The articles below detail both the Governor’s plan and the FBI investigation.

 

In a news conference, Transportation Cabinet officials unveiled an initiative to cut the fat out of road projects and save the state money without sacrificing safety

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An FBI affidavit filed in federal court, alleges that road contractor Leonard Lawson paid $20,000 in cash to a state highway engineer who was helping leak confidential bid information on state contracts. Lawson’s attorney calls the affidavit a collection of innuendo.

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128^th Annual Fancy Farm Picnic, which is one of Kentucky’s premier political events, took place over the first weekend in August. The picnic provided speeches from the candidates for many of Kentucky’s hotly contested congressional races and a couple of state legislative races down in Western KY. Here are the highlights:

 

If you want to watch all of the speeches from Fancy Farm Click HERE

 

By Joseph Gerth – Courier-Journal

Kentucky's U.S. Senate race was the focus of political speaking at the Fancy Farm picnic in Graves County.

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By Ryan Alessi – Herald-Leader

While the 2008 U.S. Senate race was the onstage focus at the Fancy Farm Picnic, political intrigue offstage spread to 2010 and beyond.

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By Jack Brammer - Pol Watchers

This article highlights several races and issues from Fancy Farm including the 1^st District State Senate race between incumbent Ken Winters and Carroll Hubbard.

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With a State Senator leaving to become a judge and a Sate Representative retiring, two open seats have been created. Stein’s move also leaves the Chair of the Judiciary Committee vacant.

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Somerset attorney and former Circuit Judge Daniel J. Venters was appointed Friday by Gov. Steve Beshear to the Kentucky Supreme Court, to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of former Chief Justice Joseph Lambert.

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Mark Hebert

State Rep. Frank Rasche is resigning from the Kentucky House of Representatives to take a job with the Kentucky Education Department, according to a story in the Paducah Sun. Rasche’s move leaves the Chairmanship of the Education Committee open.

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The Republican Party in McCracken County picked Brent Housman, a financial consultant, as its candidate to replace Democratic Rep. Frank Rasche of Paducah, who recently took a position in the Kentucky Education Department. Three McCracken Co. Democrats have expressed interest in the Democrat nomination.

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State Sen. Ernesto Scorsone has been appointed to serve as a circuit judge in Fayette County.

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Sharon P. Clark, an administrator in the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet has been selected as commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance.

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Charles A. Vice of Winchester has been named commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions.

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