Many Issues Still on the Table As Kentucky Lawmakers Wind Down 2012 Session

Kentucky’s General Assembly is heading down the stretch in the 2012 legislative session.Lawmakers have ten legislative days left to pass budget and road plan bills, in addition to any other matter.Many important topics that were priorities for some lawmakers—like raising the dropout age, fixing the state’s problems with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations and drug abuse legislation—has yet to pass both chambers in the same form. This means for the bills to become law, legislators will have to form conference committees and reach an agreement.House Speaker Greg Stumbo says that with the budget process more than halfway finished, there will be time for lawmakers to reach compromises on other bills in the final days of the session.“One of the good things about getting the budget this far along this early is that it does clear the way for some of those last minute results to occur,” Stumbo saysLawmakers will continue meeting for the rest of the month, before adjourning for a 10-day veto break.After those 10 days, lawmakers are scheduled to return on April 12 to override any of Governor Steve Beshear’s vetoes to bills before heading home.