| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
General Assembly approves one-year state budget By Robert Weber, LRC Frankfort, KY - The Kentucky General Assembly wrapped up its final day before the start of a veto recess by passing a one-year Executive Branch budget. Lawmakers admitted that the $11.3 billion general fund spending plan -- approved today on a final 80-10 vote in the House after being approved earlier on a 34-0 vote in the Senate -- is not what they expected earlier this session when a two-year budget with increases for education and state employee and teacher raises had been proposed. Those plans changed with the slowdown of the economy as a result of COVID-19, House Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chair Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, told the House today. "The COVID-19 pandemic is putting unprecedented strains on the health of our communities, this commonwealth, our nation, and truly all of the Almighty's creation," said Rudy. "And we have no way to know how far this recession is going to go, how deep it will truly be, and what it will mean to the coffers here in Frankfort." The one-year budget found in House Bill 352 as amended by the General Assembly today is based on so-called "pessimistic" revenue estimates that were handed down by economic forecasters last December. Rudy described the pessimistic scenario as the best option, "knowing that it is not pessimistic enough" in light of the current economic downtown. Although the approved plan meets the state's obligation to the state Teachers' Retirement System insurance fund and would allow the system to fully meet its actuarially required pension contribution, it would not include pay raises for teachers or state employees that lawmakers had earlier hoped to provide. Lawmakers also had to do away with a planned increase in guaranteed per-pupil base funding for K-12 education known as SEEK--although Rudy said current funding levels won't be reduced. SEEK will remain at $4000 per pupil under the approved budget. The bill would invest in mental health professionals per school safety requirements found in 2020 Senate Bill 8 while also meeting the state's commitment under last year's SB 1, said Rudy. And it would authorize $47.5 million in bonds to assist with construction of four schools listed as priorities by the state. Other highlights in HB 352 as amended include appropriations of $2.5 million for pediatric research; $17 million received from the Volkswagen emissions settlement appropriated for new school buses and transit buses; reinstatement of a two-percent stop loss in the performance-based funding formula for state postsecondary institutions; $1.6 million in fiscal year 2021 to support medical services at county jails; and debt service for the state Bowling Green Veterans Center, with intent for support of a future facility in Magoffin County, among other spending items. "I wish I could stand here today excited about this document," said Rudy. "I think this is the best we can make of this situation at this current time." Sharing that sentiment was Senate Appropriations and Revenue Chair Christian McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, who said the approved bill "will mandate that we are back here in January to finish the second year of the budget." "But at that time, it would be all of our hopes that we will have a more stable environment, a better look at the future and a more accurate ability to predict for the commonwealth," said McDaniel. Although she admitted having concerns with HB 352 as amended, House Minority Floor Leader Joni L. Jenkins, D-Shively, said the bill is what is required at this point in time. "As difficult as it is right now I think it helps to remember that our parents and grandparents and generations before them dealt with hardships as well ... But they rose to the challenge, and as we've shown over the past month so have we," said Jenkins. "We are in effect buying time, and the hope is that when the General Assembly returns in January we will have a much clearer picture of where we stand, and what should be done next." Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, voted in favor of the budget and said it was a moment for people to come together. "I wish there had been more funds for some of the causes I care about, but we will come back and fight for those things when we revisit this issue as late as January, if not in a special session," he said. "I expect the governor to veto some of the provisions with which I have a problem, and I hope the legislature will thoughtfully consider his vetoes. We are all in this together." Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, defended the budget plan. "This budget gets as close to a bipartisan budget as any I have seen during the time I have been up here as we have laid down our partisan armor and put together a budget," said Thayer. Also passed by the General Assembly today before the veto break was the Judicial Branch budget and the Legislative Branch and the state's highway plan, or "Road Plan," which would still extend over two years. Funding for the Road Plan was included in the state Transportation Cabinet budget, which was also approved today. Highway projects slated as priorities in future years, through fiscal year 2026, were included in a joint resolution approved today. All legislation passed today now goes to the governor's desk. This story was posted on 2020-04-02 06:50:18
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Politics:
Commentary: Kentuckians must be Watchmen at the Wall Governor signed 35 bills last week Commentary: Tough Times Call for Working Together House approves $2T aid package over objections from Massie KY House approves COVID-19 economic relief Direct shipment of alcohol bill heading to governor Comer: Older Americans Act reauthorized General Election filing deadline moved to June 2 Voter registration deadline extended Proposed state budget could take $1B from teacher pensions View even more articles in topic Politics |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
