Speaking of Greg Stumbo, John Cheves blows another one out of the water by pointing out the ethical issues surrounding Stumbo, his pal Keith Hall, Rocky Adkins and Jim Gooch re: HB 119–  which we mentioned yesterday.

Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, is pushing a bill in Frankfort to cut safety standards for the kind of small coal mines that he owns in Eastern Kentucky.

Hall is the sponsor of House Bill 119, which would reduce from two to one the number of mine emergency technicians (or METs) required at coal mines if the mines employ fewer than 18 people. The bill was approved Feb. 12 by the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment, where Hall is vice chairman. It awaits a full House vote.

Mine safety advocates are criticizing Hall not only for proposing fewer METs at small coal mines, but because the change would benefit him personally.

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Several House Democrats are employed in the coal industry, either directly or indirectly, including: Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg; Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Prestonsburg; and Natural Resources and Environment Chairman Jim Gooch, D-Providence.

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“We had eight coal miners killed in Kentucky last year. Now is not the time to be rolling back safety standards in a law that we just passed two years ago, and only then after a lot of negotiating and compromises,” Earle said.

Yeah.

Cheves is quickly becoming Kentucky’s top dog in the journalism world. And these stories of corruption, hypocrisy and ethical lapses? They’re gonna keep coming our way thanks to him.