Opinion

In May 2015, I was like one of many college graduates that walked across the stage, shook hands with the dean, grasped the diploma cover and walked away. But I was one of the graduates that didn’t have life figured out. I had interviewed at several places both inside and outside of our particular company and didn’t have a full-time job lined up after graduation. The interviews and numerous job applications came to an end early in September when News-Herald Publisher Jeff Moore told me about this opening. It was a glimmer of light in what was otherwise a bleak summer.

We’ve reached a critical point in Kentucky – one where our prisons and jails are full, overdose deaths continue to rise and far too many children have parents who are imprisoned.

We can no longer afford to cling to the outdated idea that prison is the only way to effectively hold people accountable for their crimes. Instead, we need to take a smarter, more measured approach to criminal justice.

BY CASEY ELLIS
Owen County Judge-Executive

As we look forward to nicer weather, school being out for the summer and summer activities, I wanted to inform the citizens of Owen County about the road closure scheduled for June 1-30.

There seems to be some confusion around this subject. The reality is one city block will be closed. That block is from the traffic light at East Adair to the Seminary Street traffic light (and just to the edge of the People’s Bank drive through).

I started my week in Frankfort in the presence of family, friends and my new colleagues in the Kentucky House of Representatives by holding my hand high and swearing an oath to represent the people of Scott, Owen, and Fayette counties to the very best of my ability.

FRANKFORT – With the final weeks of the session looming, we are all too aware of the short timeline and the many important pieces of legislation, including the state’s budget, that we still need to move through the process before session ends.

This week marked the 10th week in an already historic session in terms of the number of bills before the General Assembly. During this 60-day session, there were 937 bills filed with 309 originating in the Senate. This total is the most since the 1,030 filed in the 2008 session.

FRANKFORT – Now that we are in the second half of the session, we will see some of the legislature’s biggest issues – like the state’s biennial budget – brought to the forefront. For us, this means late nights and hard decisions as we work to reach a consensus on the most fiscally-responsible way to keep our state moving forward.

A celebrity sighting in the state Capitol as an award-winning Hollywood actress shared her passion for early childhood education was a highlight of the sixth week of the 2016 General Assembly.

The major task of the General Assembly this session is to pass a $20 billion financial plan to carry Kentucky through the next two years. On Tuesday, the governor will present his budget recommendations through a joint session of the House of Representatives and Senate.

While state senators wait to receive the general and transportation budget bills, they have used the first three weeks of the 2016 General Assembly to pass a series of other bills. This allows for discussion on those bills before the budget debate overshadows the remaining weeks of the session.

The great radio talk host, Paul Harvey, once did a segment on firefighters. In his deep, monotone voice, he said that no one could really understand the mentality of a firefighter, not even a fireman.

When most people are running out of the burning building, firefighters run in. Wives hate the hours and children love the noise and lights. It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, yet it’s the job that has the most early clock ins prior to the beginning of a shift.