It’s silly to protest this North Carolina nutjob. He’s so crazy that a protest isn’t necessary. His words do all the work for you. [HuffPo]

The paper in Lexington felt it was necessary to run a NYT piece about the 4th District race. Instead of writing about it on its own, that is. [H-L]

Here comes Mittens Romney pretending that he knows a lot about and cares about public education. [Reuters]

The feds are cracking down on food stamp fraud. We’re left wondering when they’ll start cracking down on disability fraud, which is rampant in Kentucky. [NPR]

The ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee has called on President Barack Obama to order an investigation into the case of Clarence Aaron, a federal prison inmate whose quest for a presidential commutation was the subject of a ProPublica investigation. [ProPublica]

Can you imagine what life would be like if rail travel was part of Kentucky’s reality? [Politico]

You can’t even beat somebody until their school fractures in Barbourville without being arrested these days. [WKYT]

Unemployment rates fell in 110 of Kentucky’s 120 counties in April, according to data released Thursday by the state’s Office of Employment and Training. Maybe because more people fell off the jobless rolls? [H-L]

The Kentucky Supreme Court today reversed the three murder convictions of Lloyd Hammond, who was sentenced to life without parole in 2010 for killing William Sawyers, Terrell Cherry and Kerry Williams. [C-J/AKN]

Yep, the wingnuts are all in a tizzy over the Creation Myth Museum not being the top most important vacation destination on the planet, amen. [Wonkette]

Yep, we know, the Times-Picayune is on its deathbed and is just cold producing fewer papers each week – just three days. Yep, A Kentucky Newspaper will soon be in that same boat. [HuffPo]

Senate appropriators voted 18-12 on Thursday to reinstate funding for family-planning programs abroad, setting up a clash with the House. You know Rand Paul will be losing his elfin mind over this. [The Hill]

Robert Wilcher, one of two Kentucky Retirement Systems board members representing county employees, resigned today. The board gets to appoint someone to fill his term. [Deep KRS Shenanigans]

From the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: As mandated by the Kentucky Legislature, uninsured motorists across the Commonwealth will begin receiving notices in June that registrations for their personal vehicles will be canceled if they do not obtain required insurance or show proof of existing insurance. [Press Release & More Info]

This ad against Gary Moore and Alecia Webb-Edgington from the teabagger kid in Texas is hilarious. Alecia missed some votes and Gary went on a work trip. Ha. [Joe Gerth]

State Rep. Tim Moore is currently in flight training as part of his duty with the Air Force Reserve. Maybe he should fly over West Liberty to reflect on his insensitive and gross remarks about political choices and deadly storms? He sure needs a reality check on that front. [Deep Frankfort Thoughts]

Where the heck was this Herald-Leader editorial writer as all this was going down? Oh, right, completely ignoring the political realities of Frankfort. [H-L]

Secretary of State Alison Grimes says no one is going to vote in next Tuesday’s primary election. [Press Release]

Mitch McConnell is really mad at the Democrats again this week. He’s so mad he could spit if he had lips. [The Hill]

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services has launched a new website it says will enhance customer service re: child support. Customers can make payments, update information and check appointments. [Press Release]

Even Fox News says President Barack Obama is ahead of Mittens Romney. And that’s from their poll. [Politico]

For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing. [NPR]

The Texas teachers’ pension fund invested in casinos and lost $99 million. Those casino owners who got the investment? They were Gov. Rick Perry’s donors. Sounds just like Kentucky! [Dallas Morning News Here & Here]

New claims for jobless benefits last week held at levels suggesting sluggish growth in hiring and factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region contracted in May, worrisome signs for a still-fragile economic recovery. [Reuters]

Now Steve Beshear has a good excuse to get rid of one of Daniel Mongiardo’s last guys, Jerry Lunsford. [H-L]

Here’s a damning story about the Ohio River Bridges Debacle in Louisville that you will never see in A Kentucky Newspaper. [News & Tribune]

Handing open-government advocates a partial victory in a better than decade-long battle, the Federal Communications Commission voted Friday to require major network affiliates in the top 50 TV markets to post information about their political ads online. [Sunlight Foundation]

Don’t miss Comment on Kentucky tonight at 8:00 P.M. Eastern on KET. Scheduled gusts: Ryan Alessi, Joe Gerth, Greg Stotelmyer. [KET]

A Senate investigation reveals that there is little evidence that torture produced anti-terror breakthroughs. [HuffPo]

Here’s your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Derby. It’s all about the Run for the Roses becoming America’s premier sporting event. [Page One]

A southern Kentucky town is up in arms over a request by a local tavern to allow pole dancers to be paid for entertaining patrons at a bar straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee line. [WLEX18]

Can you imagine suing your dentist because he dropped a small screwdriver down your throat? Lawwwwd. Talk about an awesome surgery. [H-L]

Remember the Clay County magistrate who stabbed his wife earlier this week and then killed himself? The 911 tape has been released. This is one of the most shocking and tragic stories we’ve seen in months. [WKYT]

The Kentucky Supreme Court says universities can’t ban guns in staff and student vehicles on campus. [C-J/AKN]

The esteemed KARL ROVE & CO. firm is out with its first electoral map of the season, and whoo boy does it show some kinda landslide for Barack Obama, giving him approximately 700 electoral votes. All in a push to skeer meemaw and your racist poppop into throwing cash at him. [Wonkette]

Just like that, the White House caved an scrapped child labor farm rules. So you can get back to enslaving your children. [HuffPo]

According to them, cities are not “employers” under the Whistleblower Act and employees are not protected.

Here’s a taste:

The Court of Appeals affirmed, concluding that cities are not “employers” under the Whistleblower Act, and therefore are not subject to it. We granted discretionary review and, because we agree that cities are not “employers” under the Whistleblower Act, we affirm.

-SNIP-

In sum, we wold that cities are not political subdivisions under Kentucky’s Whistleblower Act, and city employees are therefore not protected by the Act. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.

All sitting. All concur.

And just like that, your eyes rolled back in your head.

Click here (Warning: PDF Link) to read the entire opinion.

Kentucky’s legislature needs to take action to stop this mess. It’s a disaster for public employees everywhere.

It’s tough not to roll your eyes when “leaders” get together to exchange ideas for transforming the economy of Eastern Kentucky. [H-L]

Do you feel safer now? The House of Representatives passed cybersecurity legislation Thursday aimed at protecting American companies from hackers who steal intellectual property. [HuffPo]

Greg Stumbo’s little redistricting plan? The Kentucky Supreme Court reiterated that it was unconstitutional. [C-J/AKN]

While we’ve always thought of Denise Harper Angel as a yes man and lackluster legislator, it’s tough to hit her on returning a campaign contribution that’s above the maximum. Four months isn’t that big of a deal when it comes to backwater Kentucky politics. At least she returned it. [Curt Morrison]

You can’t even make dinner in Lexington these days without almost getting shot in the head. [WLEX18]

New research suggests that global warming is causing the cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the oceans to intensify more than scientists had expected, an ominous finding that may indicate a higher potential for extreme weather in coming decades. [NYT]

It’s hilarious watching the mouth-breathers freak out because the Obama Campaign is mentioning the death of Osama bin Laden. Can you imagine what would happen if a teabagger had gotten the guy? Or if Dubya had done so? [Wonkette]

Urgent circumstances did not exist for Lexington police to enter an apartment without a warrant in 2005, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday. [H-L]

Awww, let’s all pretend that the entire world doesn’t know Faux News is a homophobic cesspool of urine and feces. [HuffPo]

Here’s your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Derby. It’s all about the Run for the Roses becoming America’s premier sporting event. [Page One]

It’s kind of a sad day for teabaggers. Stephen Colbert’s SuperPAC out-raised and has more cash in the bank than Ron Paul’s. [ABC News]

The guy who didn’t give Sarah Lynn Cunningham her cash in the whistleblower case against the Metro Sewer District in Louisville was finally disbarred. You’ll absolutely want to read this story for Tom Riner’s creepy quote. [C-J/AKN]

You’ll probably want to read this story about the poorest county in America celebrating prom. Yes, it’s in Kentucky. [HuffPo]

And you’ll definitely want to read this story about how “Proud Appalachians” live without running water or power. [Daily Mail]

Do you have a serious need to laugh uncontrollably this afternoon? Here’s the headline: John Dingell Learns About Teabagging. You are welcome. [Political Wire]

According to the White House, health care reform legislation provides up to $8,682,584 in health insurance premium rebates for people in Kentucky. [Press Release]

Environmental groups and private citizens can intervene in a lawsuit brought by Kentucky against a mining company to object to a settlement in the case, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday. [H-L]

Ohio just had its first camel birth in 30 years. When will Kentucky have a fancy camel birth? Kentucky needs a camel birth. [WKYT]

We hear Monday is going to be a highly entertaining and interesting day in Frankfort. [Deep Frankfort Thoughts]

You still believe everything is puppies and rainbows in America? Then you absolutely are delusional and living in a dream state. [HuffPo]

OH NOES!!1! Only Mittens Romney can stop the grave Soviet threat! The Cold War is still going on or whatever! [Wonkette]

A government shutdown could be on the horizon because Warshington is absolutely busted. [Politico]

George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting. Go read this story and remember – both sides remember – that no one knows the full story just yet. [Reuters]

The Kentucky Supreme Court heard the appeal of a judge kicked out of office by the Judicial Conduct Commission. Fitting that Marcus Carey is the guy’s attorney. [H-L]

What would you do if your home, place of employment and entire community were wiped off the face of the earth by a tornado? Recovery in Eastern Kentucky will take a long time and only the Red Cross remains on the ground supporting the people who most need it. [Click Here To Give]

Dear Readers: Who from Kentucky do you know that’s affiliated with Gineen Bresso’s campaign in Florida? Any consultants from Kentucky campaigns working for her? Because her campaign has illegally harvested thousands of email addresses. [Deep Floriduh Failures]

Way to go, Eastern Kentucky. Thanks for embarrassing the entire Commonwealth again . [HuffPo]

You know what’s unfortunate? The Kentucky Democratic Republican Party is working overtime to trash Sarah Lynn Cunningham. She’s running as a Democratic in the 19th State Senate District amongst the KDRP’s chosen boy, Morgan. Beshear’s crew have gone so far to call various unions to prohibit them from granting her an interview. And you wonder why the Democrats in Frankfort continue to fall apart. [Democratic Failure]

Virginia Foxx simply does not care for you damn kids and your debt. This heinous witch is half the reason the United States is in the pooper. [Wonkette]

Just like that, hospitals are starting to sue the state’s new Medicaid managed care plans. Appalachian Regional Healthcare sued Centene on the state level and Coventry in federal court. Cat fights are just beginning. [Deep Medicaid Thoughts]

Way to go, Lexington! A fire on Sheridan Drive on Thursday burned unchecked for several minutes, destroying a family’s kitchen, because the nearest fire engine had temporarily been taken out of service. [H-L]

You know you love you some cat fight between Papaw Beshear and David Williams. You just wish slapping were involved. [FOX41]

Low social status is bad for your health and biologists are beginning to understand why. [The Economist]

Ben Chandler can’t be bothered to deal with his constituents on any personal level. And he most certainly can’t be bothered with answering tough questions. But he’s sure got time to file bills congratulating a sports team. [Ben Chandler]

Michele Beard Bachmann, one of the dumbest women to ever live, is now using “tar baby” (yes, really) when discussing President Barack Obama. [Wonkette]

Careful what you wish for, teabaggers. Now the Republican Establishment is using Super PACs to restrain you. [HuffPo]

Debby Yetter’s new position as an editorial writer at A Kentucky Newspaper is a strong move for the paper. She not only deserves the position but is one of the most solid and honest journalists in the state. [C-J/AKN]

Whattya mean the white supremacist nutballs are going absolutely insane these days? Now they’re paying lobbyists in Warshington. [Wonkette]

There is poison in the water in the 4th District and people are just going completely crazy. Now there’s apparently no race? Let’s just bang our heads against a wall. [Click This Mess]

Michele Bachmann says it’s shocking that a non-Republican woman thinks a mega-wealthy Republican woman who has nannies and all kinds of cash to raise kids doesn’t know what it means to bust her ass trying to feed her babies. What’s really shocking, though, is that Michele Bachmann still doesn’t know that glitter and a purse fall out of her husband’s mouth every time he speaks. [HuffPo]

Republican Ben Chandler barely out-raised his embarrassingly bad opponent, Candy Barr. [The Hill]

Seems Hal Rogers took more of his friends – the one he’s represented as an attorney or paid – to Florida with him to talk about drugs. [Hal Rogers]

Wondering where Tim Moore’s backwater and often bigoted shenanigans come from? Here’s a solid look at the 16th Century Mayflower mess that controls Moore. [H-L]

Joe Gerth says David Williams has been outmaneuvered. Unfortunately, it’s not David you should give two flips about. It’s yourself. You’ve been hoodwinked into voting for these shysters who continue to run the Commonwealth into the ground. [C-J/AKN]

The presidential campaign looks likely to sharpen American divisions. At least, that’s according to the foreigns who can’t believe people like Mittens Romney exist. [The Economist]

Kentucky’s special legislative session begins today and will cost you more than $60,000 per day. To accomplish next to nothing. All because Steve Beshear couldn’t be bothered to talk to legislators other than teabagger wannabe Damon Thayer. [FOX41]

The Kentucky Supreme Court will hear arguments this Wednesday in Frankfort on a case that could force Jefferson County Public Schools to change its student assignment plan. [WFPL]

Remember Sexytime Herman Cain? Turns out he’s still got those fancy campaign finance problems on his hands. Just cold paying people these days. [Politico]

What would you do if your home, place of employment and entire community were wiped off the face of the earth by a tornado? Recovery in Eastern Kentucky will take a long time and only the Red Cross remains on the ground supporting the people who most need it. [Click Here To Give]

The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld the state’s prevailing wage law and says the statute does not violate either the state or federal constitutions. [FOX41]

A lie wrapped in an absurdity swaddled in paranoia. Yep, the fear of gas prices and fearmongering pushed by mouth-breathers. [Paul Krugman]

911 calls in West Liberty tell the terrible story of the March 2nd tornado outbreak. [WKYT]

This is why you should visit the Louisville Zoo. Drive your happy butt to the big city to check out these lemurs. [CLICK THE CLICKY]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin an “incredible tragedy,” but declined to weigh in on the controversial Florida gun law that’s now in the national spotlight following Martin’s death. Naturally, he’s afraid to comment, because the gun nuts (not legitimate gun owners) would freak out. [Politico]

Very important headline pee alert: Rangers blame fires on moonshine-carrying man riding a lawn mower. [H-L]

Racist twits are obviously never going to be able to comprehend their own… racist twitdom. Especially when it comes to blaming Trayvon Martin’s hoodie for his senseless, racism-driven murder. [Wonkette]

The foreigns say America’s strategic stockpile of oil should be held back for a genuine emergency. The mouth-breathers will have none of that common sense stuff, though. [The Economist]

Will the Ark Parkers include this 2,500 pound, 43-foot snake on their fancy theme park boat ride or whatever it is Steve Beshear is making you pay for? [Science Daily]

Even Mittens Romney is speaking out about the Trayvon Martin murder. Maybe the brain dead will start waking up a bit? [HuffPo]

Greg Fischer was confronted by the Metro Parks whistleblower. He still refuses to deal with the scandal caused by the drunk driving director. [The 'Ville Voice]

Comment on Kentucky may be worth watching tonight if you don’t have anything else to do. Scheduled guests: Debby Yetter, Jack Brammer, Kenny Coleslaw. Yetter’s always good. [KET]

FRANKFORT – ‘Crisis’ may not exactly equal ‘opportunity’ in Chinese – scholars disagree on that –but one linguistic coupling in English can be asserted for sure: A Legislature faced with a problem will always see it as an opportunity to fix it.

Such is the case with this session’s legislative redistricting. The House and Senate passed their plans early on. But Franklin Circuit Court, and then the state Supreme Court, swatted those plans down as unconstitutional. Maybe not a crisis, but certainly a problem.

And this week, the Legislature did what Legislatures do: Saw therein an opportunity to fix a problem that too often gums up the works in the every-ten-years political and personal ordeal of redistricting, and seized it.

The Senate State and Local Government Committee – and quickly, the next day, the full Senate – passed a proposed constitutional amendment to address among other things county-splitting, the central legal objection the courts had to this year’s plan. It would also nudge timely resolution of the whole redistricting issue along, by requiring lawmakers to agree on an acceptable plan in the first full legislative session after the latest U.S Census data is released.

And there’s a kicker: If the session’s 60 days run out without an acceptable plan in place, the General Assembly would have to stay in session, without pay, until new lines are drawn.

Read the rest after the jump…

But that possibility would fade, presumably, with the amendment’s clear stipulation of how counties can be constitutionally split into separate districts — a gray area the courts specifically cited in disqualifying the new map that passed fairly early this session, before January’s end-of-month filing deadline for the May primary.

The courts said more counties than necessary were divided, and ordered that current district lines stay in place till that situation is remedied.

Redrawing the state’s legislative, judicial and congressional boundaries is required every decade to ensure that districts have close-to-equal populations, and therefore meet the well-established constitutional requirement for one-person/one-vote representation.

Kentucky hasn’t changed its redistricting guidelines for decades. This amendment – which House leaders have signaled they’re receptive to considering – is designed to get those guidelines squared with court rulings about acceptable reapportionment practices in the intervening years.

In doing so, the Legislature might avoid uncomfortable situations like this year’s, where incumbents (and opponents) are now running in old districts after most originally filed in their presumed new ones, and sometimes in their old ones too just to cover that base, and things were pretty confused for a couple of weeks while judges pondered.

The fog surrounding who would run where and against whom slowed the early legislative process even more than is normal in an election year. Incumbents who plan to seek re-election quite understandably want to know who if anyone is running against them before taking up controversial issues. Sessions in January of regular filing years – even-numbered years — are typically slow to unfold, partly for that reason. This year, with redistricting, the effect was compounded. Then, with court intervention and delays, it was compounded further. Uncertainty and caution stretched into February as lawmakers waited on the courts.

The bill now goes to the House. Constitutional amendments require a 60-percent supermajority, 60 votes in the 100-member House, 23 in the 38-member Senate. Then the voters say yay or nay in a referendum on the November ballot. The governor can’t veto amendment bills. They go straight from the Legislature to the people.

While we’re on the subject of constitutional amendments in the Senate, that chamber passed two other proposed ones this week, including one giving the Legislature reinforced authority over administrative regulations. Regs have been a perennial headache for the Legislature over many years, with executive branch agencies issuing them and enforcing them as law, sometimes counter to legislative intent. For decades, the General Assembly has been grappling with their proliferation, and even has an entire statutory committee and staff devoted to their oversight.

Despite that, the bill’s advocates say some regulations getting thumbs down from the Legislature are reissued and enforced between sessions anyway. The measure, they hope, would ensure that legislative findings that a reg doesn’t reflect legislative intent cannot so easily be ignored. The measure passed handily, 26-12, though the dozen nay votes reflected some expressed concern that the balance of power envisioned in our three-branch system might tip too far to the Legislature if the amendment is approved.

A third amendment, called by proponents the Religious Freedom Act, would in the bill’s own language “prohibit any human authority from burdening actions that are based on religious beliefs, except in support of a compelling governmental interest using the least restrictive means to further that interest.”

The intent would be to codify legal accommodation of religious groups who have strong beliefs, to the extent public safety and the overall civic good are protected. An example would be the recent objections some Amish raised about garish orange warning signs on their buggies. The compromise proposed – white reflective tape instead of a big orange triangle – is in the spirit of the proposed amendment.

The Legislature may propose up to four constitutional amendments in even-numbered years.