With an ice storm, two rounds of deadly flooding, and deadly tornadoes already hitting Kentucky this year, Governor Andy Beshear anticipates that he will have to call lawmakers back to Frankfort before they meet again at the start of 2026.
"I do expect that we'll hit that (the $100 million cap), especially at the rate that we keep getting hit by natural disasters and so the two pieces I see that we'll likely need is a safe act for this and potentially April's flooding," Beshear said.
We reached out to Senate President Robert Stivers, who provided the following statement:
"When the executive and legislative branches work together in good faith, state government is better equipped to serve our constituents. During the last session, we doubled the Governor’s emergency funding authority to $100 million and made it immediately accessible.
"If additional funding is needed, the General Assembly stands ready to act when appropriately engaged, whether during the upcoming session on January 6 or sooner through a constitutionally called special session.
"The legislature has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to act quickly when there is a legitimate and urgent need. A targeted relief package could be passed in as little as three days if that need is demonstrated and communicated." ~Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester.
Beshear said he will communicate with lawmakers once his administration "has the numbers." He credited Senate President Robert Stivers for vowing at a recent press conference that funding for disaster recovery would not be an issue.