Kenny Colston

Governor Steve Beshear has signed bills allowing alcohol sales on election day, reforming the state's pension system and finding revenue to pay for the reforms

The governor signed the bills Thursday, two days before his deadline to do so.

The pension bills would raise almost $100 million in revenue to pay for the underfunded pension systems. The reforms also put new hires into a 401k-style pension plan.

Opponents of the pension bills say they will hurt state workers by giving them weaker retirement plans and they question whether the bills raise enough money to fund the systems.

Beshear has still not acted on a bill that prepares Kentucky to grow industrial hemp, if it's legalized on the federal level. If he doesn't sign or veto it by Saturday, it will become law automatically.

Kentucky Democrats are bringing in a well-connected out-of-state politician to headline their annual state dinner. 

State Democrats aim for high-profile names to headline their annual Wendell Ford Dinner—this year they've booked Beau Biden, the Delaware Attorney General and the son of Vice President Joe Biden.

The Kentucky Democratic Party  was looking for a young, up-and-coming speaker for this year's event, Chair Dan Logsdon said.

Logsdon said the party reached out with the help of Kentucky's own attorney general, Jack Conway.

"He's a known entity to Democrats here in Kentucky and you know I think it's going to be a terrific night," Logsdon said of Biden.

The dinner will take place June 6 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Louisville.

Kentucky will shut down an expensive fuel testing lab run by the Department of Agriculture.

The lab was meant to test the quality of fuel from pumps across the commonwealth. It was the brainchild of former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, who promised other states would eventually sign contracts with the lab and generate significant revenue. However, those contracts never materialized and the lab has been a money guzzler.

Because of that, current Commissioner James Comer is shuttering the facility and outsourcing fuel testing to a private company. Comer expects to save money with the change.

Comer says the change won't affect his office's responsibility of testing fuel and maintaining fuel pumps throughout the Commonwealth.

Two national polls released this week show Kentucky Senator Rand Paul neck and neck with many other potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates.

Both Quinnipiac and Public Policy Polling released surveys Wednesday showing Paul in second or third place in the early GOP primary field. 

Paul clocks in at 15 percent in the Quinnipiac poll, behind former vice presidential nominee and Congressman Paul Ryan at 17 percent, and fellow Republican Senator Marco Rubio at 19 percent.  

The PPP survey has Paul making a bigger leap since their previous presidential poll. Paul has 17 percent of primary voters in the PPP poll, with Rubio at 21 percent.

In the previous PPP poll, Paul was at 10 percent, sixth in the field. 

Only fellow Senator Marco Rubio polls above Paul in both polls, while other well-known names, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, poll below Kentucky's senator.

Governor Steve Beshear has appointed Court of Appeals Judge Michelle Keller to a vacancy on the Kentucky Supreme Court, putting three women on the bench for the first time in state history.

Keller replaces retiring Justice Will Schroder, who is stepping down for health reasons.

Keller will represent her home region of Northern Kentucky on the state Supreme Court and will have to run for re-election next year.

Jason Nemes, a lawyer who has tried cases before the court, says Keller is a perfect pick.

"You cannot categorize her as being friendly to plaintiffs, friendly to defendants, friendly to criminals or the state or business. She is a fair judge right down the middle and exactly what a justice ought to be," said Nemes.

Keller joins justices Mary Noble and Lisbeth Hughes Abramson as the historic three women justices on the state Supreme Court. The court has seven total justices.