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Did citizens of the commonwealth get their money's worth for the session that ran 99 days? It depends.
Those without running water might appreciate the more than $225 million earmarked for water and sewer projects, but state workers and teachers will have to tolerate a 1 percent wage increase next year.
In all, lawmakers approved 179 of the 1,031 bills introduced. That comes to about $35,238 a bill.
The number of bills sent to the governor's office has been declining since 2002. In that year, legislators approved 368 bills, which worked out to about $8,150 a bill.
Here's a look at this year's winning and losing legislative efforts.
Winning efforts
Amusement park safety: There will be more frequent inspections of amusement park rides. No one under 18 will be able to operate the rides.
Animal cruelty: Penalties will increase for torturing dogs and cats. Injuring a dog or cat by torture will be a Class A misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail. Serious physical injury or death will be a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. All torture cases of dogs and cats now are Class A misdemeanors for the first offense.
Booster seats: Children under 7 and between 40 to 50 inches tall must use booster seats when riding in vehicles. Courtesy warnings will be issued for a year.
Bullying: The state Department of Education must craft discipline guidelines for students who intimidate or harass others. Local school authorities must alert law enforcement when school harassment involves a potential felony. Yearly reports on school harassment will be made to the Department of Education and the legislature.
Cancer patients: Medicaid coverage will be available for breast and cervical cancer treatments for uninsured women. Insurers will have to cover colorectal cancer screenings.
Criminal justice. Corrections officials will be able to use GPS tracking technology to keep tabs on inmates on home incarceration and take DNA collections from all felons, as well as violent juvenile offenders down to age 13. The state Parole Board will increase from seven to nine members.
Dental health: Children enrolling in public schools or preschools must get a dental checkup.
Energy efficiency: Homeowners will be eligible for incentives if they use solar and wind energy, and other energy-efficient lights, windows, and insulation. State government and local schools will have to build and lease energy-efficient buildings. Low-interest loans will help businesses and public agencies become more energy efficient.
Student scholarships: Students with a 2.5 grade point average who are on track to graduate from college can keep their full state merit scholarship money each semester. Currently, students with GPAs above 2.5 but below 3.0 only receive half their award.
Tourism: The state can enter into agreements with private property owners to use their land for recreational activities like horseback riding and ATV riding.
Losing efforts
Anti-abortion: Despite strong backing from Kentucky Right to Life, the legislature did not approve requiring doctors to make ultrasound images available to women seeking abortions.
Casino gambling: Gov. Steve Beshear's mid-session proposal for up to 12 casinos in the state couldn't get out of the starting gate.
Cigarette tax: Beshear proposed raising the cigarette tax to $1, but lawmakers snuffed out his proposal within 24 hours. Also, Senate Republicans killed a 25-cent cigarette tax hike pushed by House Democrats.
Dams: Efforts to require emergency action plans for dams and coal-waste impoundments where a failure could kill people faltered again this year, as in several previous sessions.
Ethics: Beshear's push to tighten loopholes in state ethics laws failed.
"In God We Trust": An effort to create a state "In God We Trust" license plate did not receive a full blessing from this year's legislature.
Mountaintop removal: Environmentalists were rebuffed again in their attempt to stop coal mining companies from blasting off mountaintops and filling nearby creeks with waste.
Opponents of domestic partner benefits: A House committee killed a bill that would have prevented public universities and other government agencies from providing health insurance to unmarried domestic partners.
Restrictions on illegal immigrants: Despite several lengthy hearings on a controversial proposal to crack down on illegal immigrants in Kentucky and businesses that employ them, House Judiciary Chair Kathy Stein decided her committee would not vote on the bill. She said the federal government must address the issue.
State pensions: After a year of study, lawmakers could not overhaul the state's retirement systems.
An up-and-down legislative session
