Appearing on WFPL News, U.S. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., discussed his views on the growing conflict with Iran, the U.S. presidential race and reforming the way congressional seats are drawn in the Kentucky General Assembly.

The U.S. has imposed severe economic sanctions on Iran. The nation has launched war games to practice defending its borders and nuclear sites as inspectors from the United Nations begin a new round of searches in and around Iran’s uranium-enrichment plants.

Yarmuth doesn’t believe Iran poses a threat to the United States, but he insists the Obama administration should take steps to stop the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear program with direct diplomacy before an escalation of violence.

“I don’t think we should overreact, but we need to … I think the sanction approach and trying to generate some diplomacy with the Iranian government over this. We’re not talking to them yet. We need to be talking with them as well…what we have to remember is the Iranian people are very pro West. It is probably our best chance to nurture a democracy in that party of the world,” he says.

U.S. officials have estimated that Israeli air strikes against Iran could begin as early as spring while Iranian leaders have declared their nuclear policies will not change.

On domestic politics, Yarmuth remains confident that President Barack Obama will win re-election later year, and he says the Republican candidates are outside the mainstream.

Polls show the president’s approval numbers trending upward and they place Mr. Obama ahead of all four potential GOP challengers in a general election face-off.

Meanwhile, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is either ahead or tied with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in Romney’s home state of Michigan. Surveys show that GOP voters are evenly split between the two with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Congressman Ron Paul in the basement.

Yarmuth says Santorum’s surge has pushed the entire field to the right as other candidates try to match Santorum’s views on social issue.

“Rick Santorum by himself is so far out of the mainstream of American thinking that he not only would get annihilated—he should be annihilated in the general election,” he says. “Mitt Romney has in order to stay atop of the Republican primary has gone way to the right and made himself much less appealing to independent voters.”

Yarmuth says he would prefer Gingrich be the GOP nominee because he appeals to a “narrow segment” of general election voters.

The three-term congressman also commented on the debate in Frankfort over redrawing Kentucky’s six congressional districts to reflect new census data. Both sides claimed the other’s maps favored incumbents, but eventually legislators approved new district lines.

Yarmuth’s Third District still covers most of Jefferson County, but many Republican-leaning precincts in the East End have been cut off. He says having a neutral panel draw the districts would help take the politics out of the process.

“Probably from a public perception it would give the voters more confidence that it was an honest redistricting. Anything that helps restore or add credibility to the process of the system would be good. And I think taking it out of the political arena would work,” he says.

In a release to supporters, Republican congressional candidate Brooks Wicker says the new district map favors Democrats and threatens the viability of GOP challengers. But Yarmuth says the map was proposed and supported by Republicans in the state Senate.

The congressman also talked about the payroll tax cut deal, the rise of Super PACs and his efforts to “get money out of politics” through a constitutional amendment.

For the full interview, click below.

The Fairness Coalition in Kentucky is continuing its push for a statewide anti-discrimination law.

The coalition held a rally in Frankfort on Wednesday to urge state lawmakers to favor legislation that would bar discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently, online the cities of Louisville, Lexington and Covington have laws giving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals civil rights protections.

Louisville Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman says LGBT residents can still be fired from their jobs or kicked out of restaurants, but public opinion is beginning to change.

“Our survey shows 83 percent of Kentuckians across the board are supportive in vast majorities of this type of discrimination protections. That really speaks to what the public opinion is,” he says. “These are very simple laws that serve to protect everyone. And really just make the commonwealth better.”

State Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington and Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, have introduced twin Fairness bills in their chambers. Both bills have been assigned to their respective Judiciary Committees, but neither the Senate nor House have ever been debated such legislation.

Despite never having a hearing, gay rights advocates are confident state leaders will address social issues during this legislative session because it has economic ramifications.

“When people are thinking about where they are going to come for their employment, particularly young people who are just graduating from college who are going to bring their higher education with them, they will look at anti-discrimination laws when they’re making their choices,” says Hartman. “Having these Fairness laws speaks to the tenor the entire state takes when it comes to diversity and prohibiting discrimination.”

The campaign’s television commercials highlighting the survey showing that 83 percent of registered voters support civil rights protections for LGBT residents.

Mayor Greg Fischer has named Steve Conrad the new chief of police and the Louisville native’s top goal is to make the city the safest in the country.

For two years Conrad served as an assistant chief in Metro Government before leaving in 2005 to takeover the police department in Glendale, Arizona. The Louisville native replaces former Chief Robert White, who resigned to take the chief post in Denver, Colorado.

Sixteen candidates applied for the position in a search conducted by the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville. Initially, members of the Metro Council held public forums to receive community input before the field was narrowed to 11 candidates, who were interviewed by a panel and cut down to five finalists.

Conrad says he is excited about becoming only the second person to head the department since city and county government combined, and wants to build on partnerships that White created to make Louisville safer.

“I want every neighborhood in our community to be the kind of place where you can let your kids go out and play and not have to worry about their safety. I want every neighborhood to be the kind of place where you can go to work and not worry about your home getting broken into while you’re away. I want every neighborhood to be the kind of place where seniors can walk and not worry about harassment or being victimized,” he says.

The mayor wanted to appoint a new chief by April 1, but was impressed with Conrad after visiting him in Arizona over the weekend.

Fischer says a number of qualified candidates applied for the job, but Conrad stood out as a steady and compassionate leader with knowledge of the city.

“Steve has a deep knowledge of Louisville and it’s neighborhoods and it’s people and it’s history. He knows Derby and he knows how to pronounce Dumesnil,” he says. “In short, he’s one of us! But he also has that outsider’s perspective having spent the last seven years as chief in Glendale, Arizona. Steve has a passion for law enforcement, for Louisville and for LMPD.”

Conrad began his career in law enforcement in 1980 as a patrol officer in the Portland, Russell, Shawnee and California neighborhoods. He rose through the ranks and eventually became assistant under Chief White, who Conrad called a friend and mentor.

During that period, he helped develop the first budget for the newly merged department, and he oversaw the day-to-day administration.

In Glendale, the police department has about 600 employees and a $70 million annual budget, which makes it comparatively smaller than Louisville. Several local leaders, including city lawmakers, police union bosses and community activists want to get the new chief’s ear.

Louisville Metro Councilman David James, D-6, is chair of the Public Safety Committee and supports the mayor’s selection. But the former FOP president contends Conrad will have to address the lack of manpower in the department, adding he will recommend Conrad re-institute the gang unit that White decentralized.

“Due to the budget deficit we’ve pushed back some of our recruit classes where we were going to be hiring new officers. That’s going to be a big issue. And the other issue is violence in west Louisville,” says James. “We had about 194 shootings last year and that’s way too many. Dealing with the gangs is a top priority. When citizens come to me and say they have a problem with gangs and drugs being sold in their neighborhood that’s a gang problem. If someone were to say we don’t have that problem in Louisville, I just don’t agree.”

During the press conference, Conrad announced he has asked the current command staff to stay on board, but wouldn’t commit to any specific policy decisions or changes. However, Conrad said he won’t be wedded to the status quo either.

“I’ll state the obvious—I am not Chief White—I have my own style and I have my own approach,” he says. “But I am not a caretaker. We are about making things better and we can do that together. We want our city to be safer. We’re proud of the job that we do, but we cannot do that without members of this community helping us every step of the way.”

Conrad will spend the next few days visiting each patrol division and meeting with officers and various community groups. He begins March 19.

Gay rights leaders from across Kentucky are supporting a bill that would strengthen the state’s current anti-bullying laws.

The legislation was introduced by state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, and would create or improve protections against discrimination based upon students’ race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or learning disabilities.

State lawmakers passed a broad anti-bullying law in 2008, but supporters contend it overlooks certain students and have ratcheted up support after the suicide of 14-year-old Kentuckian Miranda Campbell, who reportedly shot herself after being teased for being bisexual.

Louisville Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman says state and school officials should pay closer attention to students who are being bullied, but stricter laws should apply to prevent young people from being perpetually harassed.

“The legislation is pretty clear that school boards and the department of education develops what sort of penalties are associated with bullying incidents. But when there is physical harassment…when it rises to that level it becomes a misdemeanor as it would anywhere,” he says.

The measure passed last year by an overwhelming majority in a House committee, however, state Rep. Mike Harmon, R-Danville, opposed the bill and argued it would prohibit students who believe homosexuality is a sin from expressing their religious views.

He successfully stalled the legislation with a number of amendments.

In response, Marzian has included additional language during this legislative session that protect a fellow student’s right to religious freedom of speech regarding sexual orientation. The language states that: “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit or deny the civil expression by any student of religiously based opinions on issues related to sexual orientation.”

Hartman says the amendment should address Harmon’s complaint and balance protecting students First Amendment rights and harassment

“It allows for that free civil expression to say in the classroom my religion believes that transgender individuals or lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals are perhaps sinful and everything that goes along with that with their religion. It does not allow for them to turn on another student and commit harassing or an utterance that is meant to intimidate,” he says.

Harmon was unavailable for comment.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear used his weekly YouTube address to promote the constitutional amendment to legalize expanded gaming in the state.

Earlier this week, the governor and state Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, unveiled the legislation to allow gaming in up to seven locations across the commonwealth. The legislation would permit five casino’s at horse racetracks and two at stand-alone locations that must be at least 60 miles from the nearest racetrack.

Check it out:

Political observers have noted that Beshear usually avoids controversial topics in his weekly address. The bill is expected to be voted on in Senate committee next Wednesday.

A bipartisan group of Louisville Metro Council members have signed a letter urging the Kentucky General Assembly to support charter schools legislation.

Earlier this week, the House Education Committee held a hearing on a bill that would create charter schools in the state. Several supporters testified that Kentucky is being left behind as one of the nine states without the education alternative.

Councilwoman Cheri Bryant-Hamilton, D-5, was one city lawmaker who signed the petition calling on the state legislature to pass the bill. She says the broadening coalition of council Democrats and Republican from various parts of the city should show leaders in Frankfort that the commonwealth needs to provide local communities with more educational choices.

“We want all the tools in the toolbox and I don’t think one-size fits all. I don’t think sitting next to another child is going to improve my education, but I think the small class size, extended day and Saturday school, a lot of the tools in charter schools appeals to people and to parents,” she says.

Eleven other council members have joined Hamilton in lobbying Frankfort for the reform: Barbara Shanklin, D-2, Ken Fleming, R-7, Kevin Kramer, R-11, Bob Henderson, D-14, Kelly Downard, R-16, Glen Stuckel, R-17, Jon Ackerson, R-18, Jerry Miller, R-19, Stuart Benson, R-20, Robin Engel, R-22, and Dan Johnson, D-21.

In addition to council support, leaders in favor of charters schools add that more than 9,000 Kentuckians have signed a petition supporting public charters and have lobbied their elected officials to do the same.

Former councilman and Louisville mayoral candidate Hal Heiner is chairman of Kentuckians Advocating Reform in Education, which has been jockeying for the change. He says his former colleagues crossed party lines to support charter schools because education trumps partisan politics.

“This is a courageous step for these council members to jump into this effort. And also I think they have an understanding of how really desperate we are here in Kentucky to bring a different form of education to the students,” he says.

Advocates are pushing for a vote on charter schools for this legislative session, but House Education Committee Chairman Carl Rollins, D-Midway, says the panel will continue holding hearings until state lawmakers are comfortable with the issue. If approved, however, the alternative school option would be allowed to receive public funds but operate with a private board made up of parents, residents and education advocates.

Opponents argue charter schools have mixed results and are not a panacea for low-performing students. But Hamilton says the broadening coalition in Louisville represents a growing frustration with the current education system especially, among minorities who are fed up with the achievement gap.

In 2010, a report released by the Schott Foundation found the graduation rate for African-American males in Jefferson County Public School was only 36 percent.

“There’s something going on in education with our black kids, especially our black boys after the 3rd grade. They get to the middle school years and kids are coming out of school not reading,” says Hamilton. “We just need to do better.”

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., challenged Congress to vote on an amendment that would cut U.S. financial support to Egypt until it releases 19 Americans who are being detained in the African country.

The amendment would strip Egypt of all foreign aid for 30 days or until it releases the pro-democracy workers, who are accused of receiving foreign funds illegally and being involved in banned activity in Egypt. Paul attempted to have a 10-minute vote, but his motion was blocked by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Ca., on the floor.

Paul says the Senate can either placate to foreign mobs or cut Egypt’s “welfare check” as a rebuke of country’s that show their disdain for the U.S.

“Over the last 40 years America has lavished over $60 billion of welfare on the government of Egypt and they act with insolence and disregard by detaining 19 of our citizens,” said Paul.

Check it out:

Paul also called out President Obama to send the Egyptian ambassador home with a demand to release the American workers.

The Indiana Democratic Party launched a website Thursday dedicated to attacking Republican Congressman Mike Pence’s legislative record as the conservative lawmaker’s gubernatorial bid accelerates.

Last week, Pence made his candidacy official when he submitted the necessary petition signatures to run in the May 8 GOP primary. Dubbed “The Mike Pence Show,” the site’s first episode focuses on the congressman’s positions on the debt ceiling and the federal government shutdown last year.

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker says the site is meant to hold Pence accountable for his decade in Washington.

“Congressman Pence is part of the problem in Washington: He spouts off the latest partisan talking points but accomplishes little. He’s been trying to rewrite that do-nothing record in his bid for Indiana governor, but we’re not going to let him get away with it,” he says.

Pence is running against businessman Jim Wallace in the Republican primary. Democrat John Gregg is running unopposed in the primary.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will visit Louisville on March 1 as part of the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center for Political Leadership lecture series.

The scholarship program founded by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has hosted several high-profiled speakers in the past including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner.

Panetta will be the first sitting secretary of defense to headline the lecture series, but the center isn’t clear on what he will discuss.

But McConnell Center Director Gary L. Gregg says given international conflicts with countries such as Iran and the end of the two major wars, this address could be a defining speech for U.S. defense.

“This will be our first secretary of defense so we’re very excited about that and particularly at this time in American history when the defense department is coming under such pressure financially and we’re winding down these two important wars overseas. It’s just a really fabulous time for us here in the Louisville community to hear from our secretary of defense,” he says.

Earlier this week, Panetta and other top military leaders defended President Obama’s budget that makes $487 billion in reductions over a decade. The defense secretary promised the Pentagon would do its part to help reduce the government’s deficit and has backed the “slimmed-down” military.

“It was this Congress that mandated, on a bipartisan basis, that we reduce the defense budget, and we need your partnership to do this in a manner that preserves the strongest military in the world,” Panetta said. “This will be a test of whether reducing the deficit is about talk or action.”

Last year, however, he warned Congress against drastic cuts to the defense budget as a result of and he’s stressed the need to maintain entitlements to veterans.

Gregg says the lecture series has brought in top U.S. officials to the city to discuss those sort of issues and give the community a front row seat on policy-making.

“Having the chance to bring people like that who will come make major statements on public policy right here in Louisville brings a lot of prestige—not only for the university—but for our city. Brings a lot of international coverage for our city and we think it’s just really great for our community to be able to meet these folks,” he says.

Before being appointed defense secretary, Panetta served as Mr. Obama’s director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He also served as White House chief of staff under former President Bill Clinton.

The Kentucky Fairness Coalition launched a television and web ad campaign Wednesday aimed at raising awareness over the state’s lack of anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens.

The 30-second spot features residents highlighting a survey that shows 83 percent of registered voters support of civil rights protections for LGBT individuals in housing and employment. Gay rights leaders have argued the poll demonstrates the gulf between public opinion and state law.

In Kentucky, only three cities have so-called Fairness laws barring discrimination and the group says man people may still be fired from their jobs, denied housing or kicked out of private businesses based on their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Check it out:

The commercial will air initially in central Kentucky, including Richmond and Berea, where there is a continued fight in passing local Fairness legislation. The ads will then move into western and eastern parts of the commonwealth in the Hopkinsville, Hazard and Whitesburg area.