By James R. Carroll
jcarroll@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

WASHINGTON -- Money for the Ohio River bridges in Louisville and the Brent Spence Bridge in Northern Kentucky.

Keeping on track a project to dispose of aging chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Creating or improving state-run prescription-drug-monitoring networks.

These and other appropriations and policy debates occupied Kentucky and Indiana lawmakers last year during the just-concluded first half of the 109th Congress.

Parks, weapons destruction

[Senator Mitch] McConnell counted among his achievements setting aside $38million to help upgrade and expand Louisville's park system and more than $60million for riverfront development projects in Owensboro, Ashland and Henderson.

McConnell, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also secured millions of dollars for projects and programs for the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University.

And he ultimately prevailed in a dispute with the Defense Department over its plans to hold up spending on the chemical weapons disposal project at Blue Grass Army Depot. McConnell sponsored a congressional directive aimed at keeping money flowing to the project.

"It's been a challenge over the 20 years I've been here to get (the Defense Department) to do the right thing," McConnell said.

Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th District, joined McConnell and Bunning in criticizing the Pentagon's handling of Blue Grass money and pressuring the agency to reverse course.

"It looks like it's going to require constant vigilance," Chandler said of the project.

As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Chandler set aside $16million in the national transportation bill for extension of Newtown Pike into downtown Lexington.

"I'll be hard-pressed to match that for years to come," Chandler said.

James R. Carroll can be reached at (202) 906-8141.