State

Senate candidate Mitch Seabaugh this week announced that

he will push for passage of legislation that would turn

$14 million a year over to Fayette governments, if

elected.

The county

funding act would take a penny of the state's four cents

per dollar sales tax and put it in the hands of local

governments without restriction.

"It's

their money... why should the state have the opportunity

to sit there and hoard this money and give it out as they

see fit," said Seabaugh.

Local

governments should control more of the revenue, he said,

and the power of the governor and legislature should be

reduced.

Though

funding bills of this type cannot be initiated in the

state Senate but must have their origins in the House,

Seabaugh said he has talked up his idea among numerous

candidates across the state, and many of them like the

idea.

He doesn't

think he would have trouble finding a sponsor for the

bill, he said.

Seabaugh

said he also plans to develop specific legislation in the

areas of health care and education reform.

He said he

is meeting with doctors' groups and educators to develop

the details. "I want to get all the input I

can," he said.

"I

want to work positively as far as introducing these

things so we can have the debate," he said.

"Campaigns should be about ideas," he said,

adding a criticism of his own political party.

"The

Republican Party right now needs leadership as far as the

ideas that we stand for. I decided this was an idea that

we could try to push, and that other candidates would be

talking about."