Families touched by the cuts packed a committee room and filled overflow areas on Wednesday, with many testifying before lawmakers about Lee's Specialty Clinic and how the services there had been life-changing and unlike anything else available.
This is a Band-Aid solution.Gov. Andy Beshear
"The clinic gives their families and caregivers hope and without hope you have nothing. Please don't take our family's hope away," one speaker urged.
The funding cuts pit Gov. Andy Beshear against the GOP-led General Assembly, with Republicans arguing the governor has been given authority to move funds as needed.
"The operating contract for Lee Specialty Clinic to provide services has been eliminated by the administration," Rep. Ken Fleming said Wednesday. "The services are still required covered benefits under the Kentucky Medicaid program, and the General Assembly increased funding of these Medicaid benefits in the budget. What we have not heard (is) if there is a plan to continue to provide access to these services from the administration."
Thursday, the governor did put forward a plan, one that takes $4.5 million from a Capitol Annex renovation project and redirects the dollars to the clinic, fully restoring its funding for the next fiscal year.
Beshear added that the funds in question are not Medicaid dollars, but rather General Fund dollars from the behavioral health budget unit — which he said is largely taken up by mandatory spending.
"This is a Band-Aid solution," Beshear said during his regular Thursday briefing. "This isn't guaranteed funding that only the General Assembly can provide through the budget unit. This is me finding money and moving it to prevent these cuts from happening this year."
Beshear said supporters need to continue showing up to push for full funding during next year's legislative session.
It remains to be seen whether Republican lawmakers will push back on Beshear's maneuvering of the annex funds.