Kentucky House and Senate leaders are slated to resume budget talks as the session deadline approaches.
Call it a cooling off period, but negotiations have been slow to restart this week during the legislature’s veto break. Tuesday, Lexington Rep. Susan Westrom said budget news out of Frankfort has been scant since disagreements came to a head last week over the $65 billion two-year spending plan.
"I don't think there's been any movement on the budget since we left on Friday," she told WUKY.
Wednesday, a spokesman for Senate President Robert Stivers said the Republican leader plans to meet with his Democratic counterpart in the House. So far the two sides appear to have made little headway in resolving a dispute over proposed cuts to public colleges and universities. Republicans want to use the funds to shore up the pension system while Democrats have lined up against the reductions.
The final day of the legislative session is scheduled for April 12. Lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget by the 15th.
