Camel Feed

And now for the Good, the Bad, the Undecided:

Harry Moberly has shown some leadership, something usually missing in the House of Representatives. He is trying an end run around Jim Gooch.

A maverick legislative move by one of the state's most powerful lawmakers will probably force a committee vote Wednesday on a three-year-old bill that would stop coal mine operators from filling valleys and creek beds with potentially toxic excess waste.

Despised by the coal industry and championed by environmentalists, the so-called "stream saver" bill was inserted Tuesday by Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, into a decoy measure that would have given tax breaks for camel feed.

Now if we could just get the House Democratic Leadership to remove the Coal Industry Representative Jim Gooch from being the Chairman of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee and replace him with someone not tied hand and foot to the coal industry.

The replacement doesn’t have to be a total tree hugger, just some one that doesn’t believe the world is flat and the coal industry never does any harm.

Kudos to Governor Steve Beshear for doing the right thing by easing the requirements for restoring voting rights to felons.

Felons who complete their sentences can get their voting rights restored more easily under changes to the pardon process announced Tuesday by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Beshear said he will drop requirements for an essay and three character references, both imposed by previous Gov. Ernie Fletcher. He also will revoke a $2 fee.

Under the "barriers" placed by Fletcher, the number of felons whose voting rights were restored shrank from more than 600 a year to about 250 a year.

"This disenfranchisement makes no sense," Beshear said……….

Beshear said he favors House Bill 70, a proposed constitutional amendment that would automatically restore the right to vote to most felons. But he stopped short of saying he would throw the weight of the governor's office behind it. HB 70 has waited on the House floor for weeks while House leaders debate casino gambling and the budget.

Now if Steve will just take one more step, show a little leadership and actually push House Bill 70, he could bring Kentucky in line with 47 other states on restoring felon rights.

And finally the Herald-Leader has took its’ own head count on the Casino Amendment and found it lacking the votes to pass. Among those undecided are Fayette County Representatives Bill Farmer, Ruth Ann Palumbo, Kathy Stein, and Susan Westrom.

Come on ladies, you know this is a bad bill. I mean really, any one of the three of you have more balls than Bill Farmer. Do you really need to weasel around this issue?

And speaking of weaseling around this issue how about Jesse Crenshaw being coquettish and just not saying where he stands. And, heavy sigh here, Jim Wayne taking the ultimate weasel stance of abstaining. I guess everyone has to go back to work after the silly season ends in Frankfort.