Despite challenges, General Assembly gearing up to craft next two-year budget
Sen. JIMMY HIGDON
14th District State Senator
Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 — Despite the slick roads and thick accumulation of snow across the Commonwealth, the Kentucky General Assembly returned ready to work following the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. The general atmosphere in the Capitol was one of anticipation as citizens rallied for causes in the Rotunda and met with their legislators throughout the week.
SEN. JIMMY HIGDON
During even-numbered years members of the Kentucky General Assembly craft a two-year budget for the state. This year’s budget discussions kicked off with Governor Matt Bevin’s State of the Commonwealth Budget Address on the evening of Tuesday, January 16. The Commonwealth, unfortunately, currently faces a bleak financial outlook. We in the General Assembly are held accountable by taxpayers, and we must use taxpayer dollars in the most responsible manner possible. Although this budget will be tight, I believe this is one more step to getting our state’s financial health on track.
The budget address by the Governor is one of the first steps in crafting a final budget that will guide Kentucky’s financial decisions for the next two years. Once the Governor outlines his plan, the Kentucky Senate and House will craft their own budget plans, and—after long discussion and input from stakeholders—will come together to create a final budget.
When it came to pensions, the Governor proposed committing $3.31 billion over the biennium to fund public pensions, including the plan for teachers.
Other priorities included $46 million to hire more social workers, $34 million for additional opioid addiction treatment, and nearly $11 million for foster and adoption support. There was also more tax dollars for hiring 75 additional prosecutors and 51 public defenders, plus $4 million for new state police cruisers, guns and radio systems. And $100 million in workforce development bonds would be issued under the Governor’s priorities.
There was no short supply of reaction to his priorities, particularly when it came to education. While some expressed appreciation that the Governor placed a priority on classroom instruction, others expressed concern that cuts in non-instructional areas could cause inequities between districts across the state. One of those cuts is to the districts’ transportation budgets.
Again, the Governor’s budget proposal is just that—a proposal. We face a months-long process of negotiations, studies, and public hearings before a final draft is crafted. The final product will likely look much different from the Governor’s original proposal, but the driving force behind it remains the same—we must put our state on a financially-sound path forward.
I want to remind you about opportunities to share your thoughts with me at my upcoming legislative coffees:
· January 27: Meeting at Marion County Farm Bureau – 8 a.m. with Rep. Reed
· January 29: Meeting at the Casey County City Hall – 8 a.m. with Rep. Elliott
· February 5: Meeting at the Spencer County-Taylorsville Chamber of Commerce – 8 a.m. with Rep. Tipton
Finally, I would like to congratulate the recipients of the Kentucky Distinguished Young Women awards in Senate District 14: Leah Hazelwood of Marion County, Ariel Becker of Nelson County, and Myla McGowan of Casey County. These young women have shown great leadership and initiative, and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future.
If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy issue, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181, on my home phone at 270-692-6945, or email me at Jimmy.Higdon@LRC.ky.gov. You can also review the Legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov.
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