Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says his budget is the first in more than a decade to propose no spending cuts to the state's General Fund. The Democrat unveiled a plan Tuesday that relies, in part, on yet-to-be-passed legislation and "modest" tax hikes to boost public education, health care, and a host of priorities.
The executive began his budget speech by announcing a new day in Frankfort.
"Tonight, I am proud to report that I am submitting a budget that ends these 14 years of painful cuts," he said.
To that end, the governor reeled off a list of funding changes he wants to see in the coming biennium — ranging from raises for teachers and public employees to the hiring of 350 new social workers to reviving the commission on women and the office of minority empowerment. The plan stops short of funding the full comprehensive school safety bill passed last year, instead providing around $18 million for the first phase: facility upgrades.
Beshear's budget relies on sports betting, tax hikes on cigarettes, vaping, and limited liability entities, along with more vague categories like "excess funds" and "maximized resources."
It was a plan that garnered a more enthusiastic response outside the chamber than inside.
Debbie Eller teaches art at Lexington's Dunbar High School. A one-time Capitol protester, she said Beshear's budget is what she and other demonstrators fought for.
"I feel like he started out strong," she said. "He needs the support of the legislature though to do many of the things going need to do."
Fellow educator Michelle Armstrong said she heard a plan that parted ways with former Gov. Matt Bevin's often dire budget predictions.
"He has demonstrated that the funds exist, that he's not just putting a budget out there that we don't actually have the money to cover," she added. "I was very happy with it."
Republican leaders, meanwhile, sounded blindsided — saying no lawmakers had been briefed ahead of time and many aspects of the spending plan remained mysterious.
"We're talking about major, major portions of the budget that we just have no idea what is in the document, so it's impossible to speculate," said House Speaker David Osborne.
The House will be the first to get a closer look at those numbers. The Republican-led chamber hopes to deliver their version of the spending plan to the Senate by the end of February.
