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Lexington Herald-Leader
October 20, 2004
Health plan passes; strike is canceled: State employees get new insurance
deal
FRANKFORT - Kentucky's biggest teachers' union called off a threatened statewide
strike last night, just hours after lawmakers wrapped up a special session that
approved legislation cutting the amount public employees will pay for health
insurance next year.In a series of unanimous votes over nearly 10 hours, the
new insurance plan for 229,000 teachers, state workers, retirees and their dependents
sailed through a Senate committee, the full Senate and back through the House
where it began last week. By 6:45 p.m. it was on the way to Gov. Ernie Fletcher
for his signature.
Fletcher sent word that he would sign the bill promptly.
Less than two hours after the General Assembly adjourned its 15-day session,
the Kentucky Education Association canceled the statewide teacher walkout it
had scheduled for Oct. 27. The teachers vowed to strike in protest of a much
costlier insurance plan that Fletcher had announced in September.
"We have made history. We have discovered that together we have the power
to bring about changes to keep our public schools vibrant," said KEA president
Frances Steenbergen after the teachers' union at the Capital Holiday Inn voted
unanimously to stop the threatened strike.
Fletcher, who called the special legislative session that began Oct. 5 after
an outcry of protest against his plan, said in a statement that he was happy
with the session's outcome.
"I am pleased that the General Assembly has worked in a bipartisan manner
toward a resolution of this crisis situation. I will sign House Bill 1 into
law."
Fletcher's statement also said his administration will begin "immediate
implementation" of a plan to make sure that all teachers and state employees
are signed up for health insurance coverage and have their enrollment cards
in hand by Jan. 1. More information will be forthcoming, he said.
Several Democratic legislators said yesterday that they had to come to the
rescue of Kentucky's first Republican governor since 1971 by approving a health
insurance plan that lowers premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses
for those covered.
Senate Minority Leader Ed Worley, D-Richmond, said lawmakers had "repaired
the damage done by the governor and the executive branch."
House Majority Whip Joe Barrows, D-Versailles, said it was ironic that the
legislature had to perform "the governor's job," and Sen. Tim Shaughnessy,
D-Louisville, said he was "very uncomfortable" that the legislature
had to infringe on what is a traditional job of the executive branch and come
up with a public-employee health insurance plan.
Charles Wells, executive director of the Kentucky Association of State Employees,
was more succinct. "The legislators have cleaned up the governor's health
care mess," he said.
KEA President Steenbergen said the legislative action was "enough to call
off" a teachers' strike.
Even before the Senate had passed the measure yesterday morning, officials
of the union had begun summoning its board members to Frankfort for an evening
meeting to consider no strike.
Last month, the KEA voted to begin an indefinite strike -- less than a week
before the Nov. 2 elections -- if the state did not restore current benefits
to retired and active public employees.
Steenbergen and several other KEA members stood and applauded in the House
gallery last night after the House bill won final approval.
Besides stopping the strike, the KEA decided to work with the National Education
Association to hire a consultant to study health reform in Kentucky.
"House Democrats had Kentucky families foremost in mind as this improvement
plan came together," said House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green.
"This package directly addresses the serious concerns raised since the
governor released his package."
Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said legislators came to the
special session "under difficult circumstances, and I'm proud of what the
Senate did in pushing the bill forward in a bipartisan way."
Williams called comments made by House budget chairman Harry Moberly Jr., D-Richmond,
"unfortunate."
While explaining to his House colleagues the changes made by the Senate in
the House bill, Moberly said he appreciated the Senate's bipartisanship approach
but did not like "the misrepresentation" Senate leaders made in saying
they needed to make some changes in the House bill because the House had made
mistakes.
Williams said he also did not like the "catty comments" from state
Rep. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, who noted on the House floor that the Senate
changed the bill to add about $500,000 for a 1.5 percent cost-of-living increase
for judges, beginning Jan. 1.
Stein said "a brand new judge who hasn't even gotten her first check"
will benefit from the raise -- an apparent reference to Robyn Williams, the
Senate president's wife who recently was appointed by the governor to fill a
district judgeship in south-central Kentucky and started on the job yesterday.
House budget chairman Moberly said the increase for judges is tantamount to
the 2 percent pay raise most state workers and teachers got July 1 and the 1
percent hike they will get Jan. 1. Judges got only a 1.5 percent increase in
July and now will get 1.5 percent in January, he said.
Jim Deckard, chief of staff for Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph
Lambert, said he informed the Senate staff "on his own initiative"
about the issue of more pay for about 275 judges.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said the extra money
in the bill also would benefit all court employees, but Deckard said that was
not the case.
Lexington Herald-Leader
October 20, 2004
Allocates about $190 million more than Gov. Ernie Fletcher's plan to...
Highlights of new health insurance plan.
• Allocates about $190 million more than Gov. Ernie Fletcher's plan to
pay for health care policies covering some 229,000 state workers, teachers,
retirees and dependents.
• Like Fletcher's plan, it breaks the state into eight regions and assigns
all participants in each to one carrier. This year, some people had as many
as three choices of carriers.
• Reduces all premiums compared with Fletcher's plan. Most are also below
this year's premiums.
• Eliminates sliding scale for premiums based on salary levels.
• Replaces top two coverage options in Fletcher's plan with versions of
the most popular current plan, called "PPO-A." Fletcher's minimum
coverage option remains.
• Restores this year's flat $10 co-payment by the patient for each doctor
or mental-health visit. Fletcher's plan called for co-insurance fee equal to
10 percent or 20 percent of the cost of treatment.
• Restores co-payments of $10, $15 or $30 for drugs rather than 20 percent
co-insurance.
• Restores the $234 monthly allowance for flex medical spending accounts
for employees who don't take state insurance. The Fletcher plan cut that to
$100 a month.
• Preserves a $15 to $30 monthly premium discount for non-smokers.
Somerset Commonwealth-Journal
October 15, 2004
SCC women students enthusiastic about careers in Auto Tech and Carpentry
Cynthia Eaton is a single parent with six children between the ages of 3 and
14. She lives in Knox County is South Central Kentucky. She holds down a job
at a convenient food mart in North Corbin. She said that she was “just
like any other woman,” but Eaton does have one distinction that sets her
apart from most other women, she enjoys fixing cars.
Eaton is one of the overwhelming majority of Somerset Community College students
who come to college for the first time, not after high school, but after holding
down jobs and raising children. Others went to college for a while earlier in
their lives and dropped out, but then returned to finish their education. The
College refers to them as “non-traditional” students. They are older,
more experience and eager to learn.
Eaton is one of two women in the 12-member class in Automobile Technology Program
at the SCC Laurel Campus South. She is currently in her third semester.
“This is what I wanted to do forever,” Eaton explained. “But,
I was too scared to try it.”
According to Eaton, her brother, Brian Chamblis, convinced her to get into
the SCC Auto Tech Program. “He pushed me,” Eaton said. “He kept
bullying me to do what I wanted to do rather than trying to do what people told
me I should do.”
“I got tired of paying other people to fix my car,” commented a
smiling Eaton. “I have always been good at taking things apart and putting
them back together. I’m interested in how things work and what they do.”
According to Eaton, holding down a job, taking care of six youngsters and going
to college “ain’t easy,” but she is getting satisfaction from
doing what she enjoys. “I like it,” she said.
Eaton is not the only woman attending Somerset Community College who is studying
for a traditionally male career field. Lisa Twyman and Elaine Harris, who are
both London residents, are enrolled in the Carpentry Program at the College.
The two women are joined in class by 17 men.
Harris, who is 52-years-old, lost her job when a local factory closed its doors
and moved overseas. Twyman was employed at the same factory. Both are attending
school through a federal dislocated worker program, which pays for their tuition.
Both are married and have children, although Harris’ daughter is 29 and
on her own.
“When we signed up for the Carpentry Program, we were a little worried
that the guys would have a problem, but we were wrong,” Harris said. “They
treat us like one of the guys, but we can’t keep from mothering them.”
“The only difference between us and the guys is that we compensate for
a lack of brute strength by not trying to lift something heavy by ourselves.
We get together and lift it,” Harris said.
“My first go-around, I learned a career that was traditionally for women,”
she explained. “I found out I couldn’t stand sitting at a desk all
day. I have to be moving. I love to make things with my hands.”
The women just completed a project making Snowman benches for Christmas. “I
get a lot of pride in seeing what I’ve done,” Twyman said. “Our
instructors Travis McQueen and Joe Asher have been great. They are very friendly.”
“The best thing is they can’t ship my job building houses overseas,”
Harris joked.
Harris recently won a Workforce Investment Act Scholarship. She was the oldest
and one of 25 to win the award in Kentucky.
“I got to meet Virginia Fox, the Kentucky Secretary of Education. She
was so nice,” Harris said. “I was very proud of the award because
Gov. Fletcher presented it to me himself. The ceremony and reception were in
the Capital Rotunda in Frankfort.”
All three women believe their job prospects, once they graduate, are excellent.
Eaton hopes to get a job at a local car dealership with a reputation for hiring
women mechanics. Harris is currently building a garage for her brother and Twyman,
while she doesn’t plan to work full-time, said she will be taking on odd
jobs in carpentry.
“I think there are a lot more women out there who would like to be in
the carpentry or auto tech programs, but they’re afraid,” Harris said.
“My greatest fear was starting back to school after being out 33 years,
but I found out I can do it. I’d encourage anyone with every a little bit
of desire to try it. I love it.”
“I enjoy it too,” Twyman said.
Community College Week
October 11, 2004
Hispanic Graduates of Ky. College to Get Scholarships
Lexington, Ky. (AP) -- The Lexington Hispanic Association will receive help
from the University of Kentucky in coordinating a privately funded scholarship
program for undocumented and other Hispanic students.
The scholarship fund is open to graduates from a Kentucky high school or Lexington
Community College who want to attend UK.
Dr. William Turner, vice president for the Office of University Iniatives,
said he is helping the nonprofit Hispanic Association coordinate the program.
"UK encourages private support of the educational dreams of all Kentucky
high school students, including our undocumented young people," Turner
said in a statement.
UK officials have made sure they are in compliance with the immigration laws
and other federal laws by working with a local association to provide private
money rather than state money, Turner said.
The iniative follows efforts by Lexington Community College to recruit Hispanic
students, including those who don't have legal documentation to live in the
United States.
In August, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that the first undocumented
student who graduated from Lexington Community College had been thwarted in
continuing his education at UK because UK didn't offer the same support services
that LCC provided.
Three or four people responded by offering to donate private money for scholarships
at UK, Turner said.
Community College Week
October 11, 2004
Appointments
Dr. James E. Selbe has been named provost of academic and student affairs at
West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, Ky. Previously, he
was professor of education at Jackson State University. Selbe earned his associate's
degree and his bachelor's degree from Freed-Hardeman University, and his master's
degree and his doctorate from the University of Memphis.
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