News

Doctors would be required to make ultrasound images available to women seeking abortions under legislation passed by the Senate on Friday.

The Senate also passed a separate measure that would require women get face-to-face consultations with medical professionals before undergoing abortions.

Both measures passed the Republican-controlled Senate 31-4.

Similar proposals have repeatedly cleared the Senate in recent years only to die in the Democratic-controlled House. And the prognosis is no better this year.

Rep. Tom Burch, chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee, said he doesn't believe the proposals have enough support to clear his panel.

A newspaper in southern Kentucky has won its fight for records of a jail investigation.

The Glasgow Daily Times reports that an agreed order of dismissal was filed Thursday in Barren Circuit Court in a case that began when the newspaper filed an open records request with Barren Fiscal Court almost nine months ago.

The court order states the county must hand over an unredacted copy of the report immediately. The report was produced by a private investigator for the Fiscal Court at a cost of $3,500.

County officials said they originally denied the request because they didn't have physical possession of the report, but the newspaper argued officials intentionally voted not to take possession so the report wouldn't be public record.

A bill reforming how the state's special districts are categorized and making them more transparent easily passed the state House this morning, 96-1.

State Rep. Lynn Belcher, a Republican from Crittenden County, was the lone "no" vote.

Many local library boards, sewer districts and fire districts are considered special taxing districts separate from other types of government.

House Bill 1 is a partnership between Auditor Adam Edelen and House Speaker Greg Stumbo. It helps create a central registry of special districts as well as reforms how they file their financial information and sets penalties when they fail to do so.

Several regional arts groups are combining efforts to bring Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" to Bowling Green.

Monday's performance will feature Orchestra Kentucky, the University of Louisville Collegiate Choir, the Murray State Concert Choir, and students from Briarwood and Richardsville Elementary Schools in Bowling Green.

Lee Stott spoke to members of the groups about the origins of the text used by Orff in his famous cantata, and the difficulty of singing some of the demanding vocal parts.

The show takes place Monday, Feb. 11, at SKyPAC in Bowling Green.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo has filed a bill to move complaints about late payments in Kentucky's Medicaid system from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the Department of Insurance.

Health care providers—such as hospitals and doctor's offices— have complained about severely late payments since the managed care system started. Currently, the cabinet deals those issues that arise when one of the state's Medicaid operating companies delays payment to a health provider.

Stumbo said state Auditor Adam Edelen is monitoring the Medicaid issues and has told the speaker that the issues are a problem.

"There's about a $500 million difference between what the MCOs have been paid and what they have paid out," said Stumbo, a Democrat from Prestonsburg. "That's a lot of money to be laying around and not being paid."