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ALLISON BALL Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball announced today that she has promoted her current Communications Director, OJ Oleka, to serve as Chief of Staff and Assistant State Treasurer.

For the past year, OJ has shaped the message coming out of my office, Treasurer Ball said in a statement. He has been a leader in developing policy goals and has developed a strong understanding of all functions within Treasury. Im confident in his ability to do the job.

As Chief of Staff, Oleka will advise Treasurer Ball on policy and legislative issues, while also managing the day-to-day operations in Treasury.

Treasurer Ball is one of best leaders in Kentucky, Oleka said. It is an honor to serve in this capacity. Oleka is a Frankfort native; he has an MBA from Bellarmine University and a bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Louisville, where he served as Student Body President and Chairman of the Board of Student Body Presidents. Oleka led the Unclaimed Property Division as Director during Treasurer Balls first year. Prior to joining Treasurer Balls staff, Oleka served in numerous private sector and non-profit management roles. Oleka will continue to maintain the communication duties within the office.

Treasurer Ball has also hired Samara Heavrin to serve as the Unclaimed Property Division Director. In addition to that role, Heavrin will assist in promoting Treasurer Balls new STABLE Kentucky initiative and other legislative priorities.

Samara is a tremendous asset to our team, Treasurer Ball said. She is a hard worker and will bring an additional level of organization and a fresh perspective to our team.

Heavrin is also a Kentucky native, with roots in Grayson County. Prior to joining Treasurer Ball, Heavrin worked for Senator Rand Paul in his Washington, D.C. office for two years, serving as Executive Assistant and leading the scheduling and logistics efforts. Prior to Senator Pauls office, Heavrin worked for Congressman Brett Guthrie.

It is great to be home working for such an accomplished public servant in Treasurer Ball, Heavrin said. Im excited for this new opportunity. Heavrin is a Western Kentucky University graduate with a degree in Advertising.

The appointments were made at the beginning of this year.

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Treasurer Ball appoints new Chief of Staff; hires Rand Paul DC staffer - Berea Online

WASHINGTON D.C., (WKYT) - Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he doesn't want to waste any time repealing and replacing Obamacare after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on Friday.

"In fact I've put together a bill, a replacement bill, that we can vote on the same day and I hope Democrats will work with us because I think we should replace it with something better, " Senator Paul said.

But earlier this week when WKYT asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell if Senator Paul's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on the same day was possible, he seemed to shoot down the idea.

"Well that's not possible, legislatively but we do intend to replace it very soon," Senator McConnell, R-Ky., said.

"Well I disagree and we've had replacement bills out there for a number of years. We've been complaining for six years. Certainly we have legislation that could fix this," Senator Paul argued.

Paul says mom and pop businesses should not be punished trying to afford health care.

"I'd like that small mom and pop business join together with hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people, in an association in order to get the leverage to lower prices but also to get insurance that can't be cancelled," Paul said.

When asked if he could assure Kentuckians on Obamacare that they would not fall through the cracks when a new health plan was put in place he said many already qualified for other options.

"A lot of these people actually qualified for Medicaid already so the interesting thing is they thought they were getting something new and they already qualified. My main point is we have to take care of those who can't take care of themselves. But it should be paid for," Paul said. "If we need to expand Medicaid every state needs to decide how much they're going to raise taxes to pay for Medicaid," Paul said.

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Sen. Rand Paul talks about future of Health Care

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to taskWednesday during a hearing for HHS Secretary-designate Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) after the Vermont lawmaker boldly assertedthe U.S. is not a compassionate nation.

Sanders comment came during a discussion with Price before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee about health care in the United States. During Sandersadvocacy for socialized medicine, Price interjected the the U.S. is a compassionate society a remark with which the senator vehemently disagreed.

No, we are not a compassionate society, Sanders charged. In terms of our relationship with poor and working people, our record is worse than virtually any other country on earth.

Moments later, when Paul was given the opportunity to question Price, he used a portion of his timeto lectureSanders and explain why, in his view, is wrong about Americancompassion:

One of the things thats extraordinary about our country is just two years ago, in 2014, we gave away $400 billion privately, not the government, individually to churches and to charities. Were an incredibly compassionate society. This was misplaced in sort of the wonky numbers of this number and that number within health care how much we do help each other.

Not only do we help each other within our own county, Id bet you most half the physicians in my community in Bowling Green have gone on international trips and done international charity work and all that is lost in saying that were this heartless, terrible country, and I would just argue the opposite. I think the greatness of our country and the greatness in the compassion of our country we give away more than the gross domestic product of most of these socialized countries around the world.

Pricewas grilled by Democrats on the Republicans promise to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act. WhenSanders argued for a more socialized system, guaranteeing health coverage as a right, Price reminded him that there are consequences for countries that have chosen to have entirely government-run health care.

If you want to talk about other countries health care systems, Price said, there are consequences to the decisions that theyve made, just as there are consequences to the decisions that weve made.

I believe, and I look forward to working with you, to make certain that every single American has access to the highest quality care and coverage that is possible, he added.

As the Republicans move forward to scrap outgoing President Barack Obamas signature health care legislation, 45 percent of Americans the highest percentage since April 2009 say Obamacare is a good idea while 41 percent say it is a bad idea, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Half of Americans 50 percent say they have little to no confidence that GOP proposals to replace the law will make things better.

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Rand Paul slams Bernie Sanders' assertion that the US is 'not compassionate' - TheBlaze.com

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doesnt seem to think America is that nice of a place when it comes to those who are poor and needy. During Dr. Tom Prices (R-GA) congressional hearing, Sanders threw a very pointed question at Price revolving aroundhow the U.S. government is the only first-world country that does not make healthcare a right.

The United States of America is the only country on Earth that does not guarantee healthcare to all people as a right, said Sanders. Canada does it. Every major country in Europe does it. Do you believe that healthcare is a right of all Americans whether theyre rich or theyre poor? Should people, because they are Americans, be able to go to the doctor when they need to? Be able to go into a hospital because they are Americans?

We are a compassionate society, began Price in response, but was quickly cut off by Sanders.

No, we are not a compassionate society! Sanders quickly cut in, before going on about our childhood poverty rate and seniors not having a government safety net. Sanders asked his question again, only to receive an answer from Price that basically told Sanders that the good doctor was not going to engage in socialism when it came to healthcare.

Later on it was Senator Rand Paul of Kentuckys turn. As many know, Paul is not only a staunch advocate of capitalism, and a great enemy to socialism, but hes also a physician with a lot of experience with our healthcare system.

So of course, Paul was not going to take Sanders comments lying down.

Its also been insinuated that America is this horrible, rotten place. You know, that we dont have compassion, and I guess by extension the physicians dont, began Paul. As you worked as an emergency room physician, or as you worked as a physician, did you always agree as part of your engagement with the hospital to treat all comers regardless of whether they had an ability to pay?

Price affirmed Pauls question, and said that it was something he and his practice took pride in whether it was public or private.

But Paul wasnt at all done.

The senator from Kentucky went on to bash those in particular Sanders who call America a horrible place for its people, yet extol the virtues of socialism, which has left countries with high resources like Venezuela in poverty stricken shambles.

To put thefinal nail in the coffin for Sanders argument, Paul discussed just how charitable and giving the American people are.

One of the things thats extraordinary about our country is that just two years ago, in 2014, we gave away $400 billion privately. Not the government. Individually, said Paul.

Were an incredibly compassionate society, he finished.

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Rand Paul absolutely destroys Bernie Sanders' talk about how uncompassionate America is - TheBlaze.com

"We've had six years to complain and we have complained -- I've been one of those complaining about Obamacare," he told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "The replacement bill that we put together, our goal is to insure the most amount of people, give access to the most amount of people, at least the amount of cost."

Republicans have been at loggerheads over the timing and execution of their promise to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a cheaper alternative that will not disrupt the insurance market and leave millions of Americans without coverage.

"I completely disagree with those who say we either don't have a plan or have to wait," Paul told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Monday. "There are about 50 replacement bills that have been out there for years."

On Sunday, Paul gave a preview of his and argued that in requiring insurers to offer more robust plans, Obamacare drove up prices and pushed people out of the market.

"One of the key reforms that we will do is, we're going to legalize the sale of inexpensive insurance," he said. "That means getting rid of the Obamacare mandates on what you can buy. We are going to help people save through health savings accounts, as well as a tax credit."

Those less expensive options, which were prevalent on the market before the 2010 reform was signed into law, would offer less robust care but also, as supporters argue, be more neatly tailored to what consumers view to be their specific needs.

Under Paul's program, the bargaining power created by the state and federal exchanges would be replaced with a provision that allows individuals and associations like small businesses to create their own markets.

"There's no reason why (a business owner) with four employees shouldn't be able to join with hundreds and hundreds of other businesses that are small to become a large entity to get leverage to bring your prices down," Paul told Tapper.

He added that those negotiations with insurance companies could also be used to guarantee the availability of policies that "can't cancel you and guarantees the issue of the insurance even if you get sick."

Paul's plan did not directly address the future of states that signed on for expanded Medicaid offered as part of Obamacare. Kentucky, which had a Democratic governor when the law went into effect, was among those to accept the funds. The majority of the more than 400,000 Kentuckians insured under the law were brought into the fold by Medicaid expansion.

"That's the big question," Paul said of their fate. "And I don't think that's going to be in the replacement aspect."

The future of Medicaid expansion would then be decided during the repeal process, which will run through a budget reconciliation vote -- one that requires only a simple majority for passage.

"What we have to decide is what can be kept and what can't be kept," Paul said, suggesting that the states should raise taxes if they want to maintain their current expenditure levels.

He also described the current system as having come about as the result of "deceitfulness" by the Obama administration, which Paul accused of having misled the public about the federal government's ability to foot the bill.

"So I'd say that if you want to have more Medicaid you should say we're going to have to have higher taxes to pay for it," he said.

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Rand Paul previews Obamacare replacement plan - CNN