Archives

About $4.2 million was spent on lobbying during the first two months of the 2015 General Assembly. In addition, businesses and organizations spent $574,000 on advertising in support or opposition to legislation pending before the legislature.

Under a law passed by the 2014 General Assembly, this is the first session in which employers are required to report lobbying-related advertising. While spending on lobbying this year is at about the same level as the first two months of the previous 30-day session in 2013, the new advertising reporting requirement provides more information on activities conducted in support of legislative lobbying.

Including spending on advertising, the top spenders for first two months of the session were: Anheuser-Busch Companies ($290,908, including $261,000 on advertising); American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ($132,453, including $104,000 on advertising); and Kentuckians for Entrepreneurs & Growth (KEG) ($117,085, including $97,500 on advertising).

Other top spenders include: Altria Client Services ($92,199); Kentucky Beer Wholesalers ($75,837, including $50,000 on advertising); AT&T ($68,955, including $23,089 on advertising)...

"...Judicious use of antibiotics in healthcare and agricultural settings is essential to slow the emergence of resistance and extend the useful lifetime of effective antibiotics. The CDC estimates that up to half of all human antibiotic use is unnecessary or inappropriate. The Action Plan includes activities to foster improvements in the appropriate use of antibiotics (i.e., antibiotic stewardship) by improving prescribing practices across all healthcare settings. , preventing the spread of drug-resistant threats in healthcare facilities and communities, and continuing to eliminate the use of medically-important antibiotics for growth promotion in animals..."

Recently, HCHS readers who participated in the program were invited to a "Voting Party" in order to select their favorites from this year's list.

KBA readers pictured above: (back row) Jade Florence, Latrese Vinson, Hailey Dixon, Kristen Boaz, Sarah Harpole, Savannah Sublette, Haley-Marie Ellegood, Cassidy Luker; (front row) Jalisha Hunter and Courtney Cagle. Not pictured are Audrey Byassee and Zach Etherton.