The Political Bridge

Stumbo plans trade trip to China, reports Bluegrass Politics

FRANKFORT — House Speaker Greg Stumbo will travel to China in November with 54 legislators from more than 30 other states to attend a forum on trade and invesment.

“I’m exictied about discussing a number of trade issues,” Stumbo said in a statement.

“According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Kentucky’s exports to China have grown more than 800 percent since 2000, and now total more than $600 million a year. While these numbers are impressive, there is significant room for growth.

“This trade mission will help us build on those gains and see what more the General Assembly can do. One area in particular I want to explore is expanding markets for Kentucky coal.”

Read more: Bluegrass Politics

Murder In The Bluegrass: Dating women need DVO protection, an editorial from The Lexington Herald-Leader

Almost half the women who are homicide victims in Kentucky die at the hands of their husbands or boyfriends.

When beatings, choking and threats escalate into lethality, the "if onlys" begin:

If only she had left. If only she hadn't gone back.

If only she had had a protective order. If only the protective order had been served.

If only he had been in jail for violating the protective order. If only his guns had been taken away.

And, now, if only she had known he was there, waiting for her to walk out the door.

The death of Amanda Ross, a politically connected woman who was gunned down in the gated parking lot of her Lexington townhouse, has caught the attention of a legislature that is generally more comfortable ignoring violence against women.

Read more: The Lexington Herald-Leader

A Murder In The Bluegrass: Stumbo offers domestic violence bill, reports The Courier-Journal

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The recent killing of a Lexington woman, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, could spur legislative action that would help other domestic violence victims, House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Thursday.

Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, called for a new law that would be named after 29-year-old Amanda Ross, who police say was shot by her ex-fiancee, former Republican state Rep. Steve Nunn.

The bill would allow Kentucky courts to tag some domestic violence offenders with high-tech electronic monitoring devices that would notify victims when their attacker enters restricted areas.

Read more: The Courier-Journal

A Murder In The Bluegrass: 'Amanda's bill' would use GPS devices, reports The Lexington Herald-Leader

Amanda's Mother Attends Press Conference 

FRANKFORT—In the wake of the Sept. 11 death of Amanda Ross, House Speaker Greg Stumbo pre-filed a bill Thursday that would allow judges to order electronic monitoring devices for the most dangerous domestic violence offenders.

If "Amanda's Bill" is passed, it would give victims a "fighting chance," Stumbo said at a press conference at the capitol. Ross, 29, a Department of Insurance employee, was gunned down outside of her Lexington home, allegedly by her former fiance, Steve Nunn.

Ross had taken out a protection order against Nunn, a former state legislator and son of former governor Louie Nunn, earlier this year and had told friends and co-workers that she feared for her life in the days before her death. Nunn has pleaded not guilty to her murder.

Read more: The Lexington Herald-Leader

A Murder In The Bluegrass: Mother of Amanda Ross to push for legislation on Thursday, reports Bluegrass Politics

FRANKFORT — The mother of a Lexington woman who was allegedly gunned down by her ex-fiance will attend a Thursday news conference to support a proposal that would allow real-time monitoring of people accused of domestic violence.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Tuesday he will likely pre-file by Thursday a bill that would allow judges to electronically track the whereabouts of people who have a domestic violence or emergency protective order filed against them. Those they are accused of endangering would wear a device that would alert them if the perpetrator was nearby.

Diana Ross, the mother of Amanda Ross, plans to attend a news conference to tout the bill, according to family friend Dale Emmons.

Read more: Bluegrass Politics