Breaking news: With a firm commitment in hand, special session to commence August 13 sans sine die on July 30.

It appears that Peabody has given the firm commitment demanded by Speaker Jody Richards as a pre-requisite to a special session. The Speaker stated that "they [Peabody] did not rule Kentucky out if we didn’t pass them now, but certainly we’re convinced that it would be to Kentucky’s advantage for us to go on and pass those incentives now."

Gov. Fletcher saw it the same way, announcing that "[i]f this legislation is passed in a special session in the next couple months… they [Peabody] will make a recommendation, they are committed to make a recommendation to their partners that Kentucky be the sole site for the evaluation of this new plant, and that is a very, very strong commitment I believe."

Though there appears to be an agreement on the need for special session, both Houses are expected to adjourn sans sine die on Monday and tentatively resume on August 13. Stay tuned for more developments.

Update: Peabody deal will be the ONLY item on special session agenda, as Jody Richards took credit for the deal and, presumably, for the pared down special session agenda.