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."

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