By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A flurry of hastily passed bills in one of the General Assembly's final days raises questions for development and spending in Northern Kentucky.

"We've been down there for three months, but we still have to play 'wait and see' on some things," said Rep. Paul Marcotte, R-Union.

Lawmakers worked until past midnight Tuesday morning to wrap up the third-to-last day of this year's legislative session. They will return to Frankfort on April 12 and 13 to act on any vetoes by Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

But they will also be presented with the final version of the budget. Because the House and Senate passed different versions of the two-year spending plan, a conference committee will spend much of the next two weeks trying to hammer out the differences in the budget bills.

Here is where some of Northern Kentucky's major issues stand:

Vehicle emission testing: Local lawmakers made eliminating the unpopular auto-emissions test one of their priorities for this year's legislative session. They took a step in that direction but were unable to move a law that does away with the $20 tests vehicles must be put through every other year.

"A bill went through," said Senate President Pro Tem Richard Roeding, R-Lakeside Park. "But it is much weaker than we would have liked."

Roeding and Marcotte filed legislation that would have declared the tests "unconstitutional, illegal and unenforceable." They say the tests designed to monitor vehicle emissions are ineffective and unnecessary.

But House Majority Caucus chairman Jim Callahan, D-Wilder, raised concerns that doing away with the tests without involving the federal government could have consequences. Louisville did away with its vehicle testing last year, and then lost a court ruling because it had not consulted the federal government.

The federal government has mandated that Louisville and Northern Kentucky act to reduce smog. The tests are part of the state's plan to follow that mandate.

So Callahan and Rep. Charlie Walton, R-Union, drafted an amendment that calls on the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet to come up with a new air quality plan that does not include vehicle testing.

The plan will then be submitted to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

"We had hoped to get rid of the tests by November," Roeding said. "I think it will still happen. We just can't say when."

Tax breaks for the Maisonette: The House and Senate approved a tourism development bill Monday that provides a tax break for the Maisonette to move from Cincinnati to Covington.

The five-star French restaurant is considering a move from downtown, possibly to Northern Kentucky, Norwood or Kenwood to boost its sagging business. The tax break - pushed by Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Crescent Springs, and Rep. Arnold Simpson, D-Covington - offers the Maisonette a quarter rebate on every $1 of sales tax it pays to the state for 20 years.

Northern Kentucky has used similar incentives to lure tourist attractions such as The Hofbrauhaus, Kentucky Speedway and Newport Aquarium.

Maisonette managing partner Nat Comisar could not be reached to comment on the bill's final passage. But when the Senate passed its version of the bill last week, he said Covington was still in the running for the restaurant.

Water lines: Roeding, Westwood and Sen. Katie Stine, R-Fort Thomas, inserted money to pay for water line projects in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties.

In Boone County, Roeding said, he was able to insert $2.4 million for projects. In Kenton, Westwood and Rep. Jon David Reinhardt, R-Claryville, secured $500,000. And in Campbell County, Stine and Callahan put about $1 million in the Senate and House budgets.

But all the spending will have to survive the House and Senate conference committee on the budget. Marcotte said he is concerned because no House Republicans received money for their districts in the budget passed by the Democratic-controlled House.

"It was outrageous, there was not a nickel for Boone or Kenton counties in the House budget," Marcotte said.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com