The 508th meeting of the Legislative Research Commission was held on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, <MeetTime> upon adjournment of both chambers, in Room 131 of the Capitol Annex. Representative Jody Richards, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator David L. Williams, Co-Chair; Representative Jody Richards, Co-Chair; Senators Charlie Borders, Bob Jackson, Dan Kelly, Richard Roeding, Elizabeth Tori, Johnny Ray Turner, and Ed Worley; Representatives Rocky Adkins, Joe Barrows, Jim Callahan, Bob DeWeese, Jeffrey Hoover, and Ken Upchurch.
Guests: Senators Richie Sanders, Katie Stine, Bob Leeper, and Virgil Moore; Representatives Hubert Collins, Don Pasley, Marie Rader, Robin Webb, and Rob Wilkey.
LRC Staff: Bobby Sherman and Diana Hill.
Representative Richards called the meeting to order and asked the secretary to call the roll. There being a quorum present, Representative Richards welcomed any Chairs and Vice Chairs of the standing committees on Appropriations and Revenue and Transportation, and chairs of the Budget Review Subcommittees on Transportation who were there. Representative Richards then asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the December 3, 2003, meeting and to accept and refer items B. through Z. under Communications. Motion was made by Representative Hoover and seconded by Senator Worley. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
Items B. through Z. under Communications were referred as follows:
A. From the Office of Financial Management: Monthly Investment Income Reports for October and November, 2003, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue.
B. From the Cabinet for Economic Development: Loan Data Sheets for each loan approved as of the quarter ended December 31, 2003, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue, Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor, and House Labor and Industry.
C. From the Auditor of Public Accounts: Report of the Audit of the Kentucky Department of Insurance Kentucky Access Program, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue and Senate and House Banking and Insurance.
D. From the Auditor of Public Accounts: Report of the Audit of the Kentucky Lottery Corporation, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue, Senate State and Local Government, and House State Government.
E. From the Kentucky Judicial Form Retirement System: Audit of the Kentucky Judicial Form Retirement System as of June 30, 2003, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue, Senate State and Local Government, and House State Government.
F. From the Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance: Administrative budget for 2004, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue, Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor, and House Labor and Industry.
G. From the Department of Insurance: Data Report on Kentucky’s Health Benefit Plan Market, to Senate and House Banking and Insurance.
H. From Kentucky Access: Report of Kentucky Access, to Senate and House Banking and Insurance.
I. From the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet: Inventory of facilities of the Office of Petroleum Storage Tanks Environmental Assurance Fund, to Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources and House Natural Resources and Environment.
J. From the Kentucky Department of Education: 2002-2003 Biennial Report, to Senate and House Education.
K. From the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education: Letter stating number of students participating in the tuition and mandatory fee waiver program for foster or adopted children, to Senate and House Education.
L. From the Office of the Attorney General: Constitutional Challenge Report – November 2003, to Senate and House Judiciary.
M. From the Department of Personnel: Employee Turnover Report Quarter Ending December 31, 2003, to Senate State and Local Government and House State Government.
N. From the Department of Personnel: Dual Employment Report for the quarter ending December 2003, to Senate State and Local Government and House State Government.
O. From the Secretary for Health Services: Agency’s Progress Report on the Auditor’s Report on SSI Application Fraud Detection Efforts, to Senate and House Health and Welfare.
P. From the Secretary for Health Services: Criminal Justice/Behavioral Health Work Group Report and Two Year Plan of the Kentucky Commission on Services and Supports for Individuals with Mental Illness, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Disorders, and Dual Diagnosis, to Senate and House Health and Welfare.
Q. From the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission: Annual Report FY 2002-2003, to Senate State and Local Government and House State Government.
R. From the Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center: Annual Report July 1, 2002 – June 30, 2003, to Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources and House Agriculture and Small Business.
S. From the Office of the Attorney General Division of Administrative Hearings: Report on the Status of the Administrative Hearing Process in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, to Senate and House Judiciary, Senate State and Local Government, and House State Government.
T. From the Secretary for Health and Family Services: Addendum to Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Annual Report, to Senate and House Health and Welfare.
U. From the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet: Report for Kentucky Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Fund, Quarter Ending December 31, 2003, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue, Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor, and House Labor and Industry.
V. From the Transportation Cabinet: Kentucky Official Coal Haul Highway System 2003 Report website, to Senate and House Transportation.
W. From the Kentucky State Police: Letter stating no firearm instructors or certified firearm instructors were arrested or indicted for violation of KRS 237.130 or 237.132, to Senate and House Judiciary.
X. From the East Kentucky Corporation: Report of Audit of Financial Statements for the Year Ended June 30, 2003, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue.
Y. From the Judicial Branch: Budget Recommendation 2004-2006 Biennium, to Senate and House Appropriations and Revenue.
Representative Richards said today’s meeting was being held to receive a report entitled Transportation Cabinet Management Review, prepared by Dye Management Group, Inc. The LRC commissioned Dye Management by resolution adopted at its meeting on July 2, 2003. Representative Richards introduced Dr. David Rose, Senior Vice President of Dye Management Group to present the report and answer any questions.
Dr. Rose said that the General Assembly has had a long standing concern about efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability with which the Transportation Cabinet exercises its responsibilities. Dr. Rose explained current practices of the Cabinet and identified changes for introducing more business-like management practices to ensure that highway dollars are used more effectively.
After a brief question and answer period, Representative Richards called for a motion to accept the report and refer it to the standing committees on Appropriations and Revenue and Transportation. A motion was made by Senator Jackson and seconded by Representative DeWeese. A roll call vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.