Hopes for the private University of Pikeville to become a public school are dwindling in the Kentucky legislature.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo admitted Thursday that he didn't think lawmakers would agree to accept a proposal that would use millions of dollars--all from a tax on coal mined in the Appalachia region--to fund the project.
The proposal started to garner support early in the legislative session, but the momentum fell in recent weeks due to objections from local officials and leaders of other Kentucky public universities.
Former Gov. Paul Patton, now president of the University of Pikeville, said he's drafting a compromise that would instead use a portion of the coal taxes on scholarships for mountain students.
