Staff/Wire reports

COLUMBUS - Caretakers for the disabled would be prohibited from creating a substantial risk to the health or safety of their patients under a bill signed by Gov. Bob Taft following a showdown with lawmakers over closing centers for the disabled.

The bill creates a new crime, patient endangerment, punishable by up to six months in jail or 18 months in prison if a caretaker was previously convicted of the same charge.

The bill allows a shorter review period before developmental centers for the mentally retarded are closed than in a version that initially drew Taft's veto.

House candidate adopts Bush strategy

FRANKFORT - In the heated campaign for Kentucky governor last November, the Democrat tried to run against President Bush's economic policies and lost.

Now, in a special election for the House seat vacated by the gubernatorial winner, the Republican candidate is only too happy to make the Feb. 17 contest against the same candidate a referendum on the president.

GOP state Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr ran a TV ad showing her with the president at the White House and portraying her as "cut from the same cloth" as Bush.

Kerr is up against Democrat Ben Chandler, who lost the governor's race to Republican Ernie Fletcher.

Kindergarten plan stalls in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS - Legislation Gov. Joe Kernan was relying on to help pay for state-funded, full-day kindergarten statewide in 2007 stalled in the Democrat-controlled House on Monday, and the chamber's leader said its prospects of surviving were slim.

Democrats control the chamber 51-49, and it takes 51 votes to pass legislation in the House. But four Democrats were absent and none of 48 Republicans present voted for the proposed constitutional amendment that was part of Kernan's plan.

The legislation can be brought up for another vote, but this week is the deadline for measures to clear their house of origin. House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, said he was not optimistic of getting the 51 votes needed in time.