FRANKFORT — Republican leaders expressed skepticism with Gov. Andy Beshear’s proposed budget Tuesday night and bashed the governor for not briefing them on its details before his speech.
Beshear pitched lawmakers on what he described as an “education first” spending plan — a phrase that prompted cheers from teachers listening outside the House chamber.
The proposed two-year budget would be the first in 14 years to make no cuts to the state’s General Fund, Beshear told lawmakers. Instead, the governor touted a combination of so-called fund transfers — pulling in excess available funds into the General Fund — and the use of money from legal settlements and “enhanced collections.”
Beshear also proposed a 10-cent increase in the state’s tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products, a new tax on vaping products, legalizing and taxing sports betting, and a 29% increase of the minimum tax on limited liability entities to $225. Together, Beshear said they would pull in $147.7 million over the next two years.
Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, told reporters afterward he was skeptical of the plan and that it was still too soon to know what cuts may be buried in the proposal’s details.
And while the Beshear administration provided reporters some background information in off-the-record remarks about the proposal hours before the speech, lawmakers were left in the dark, something that did not sit well with Stivers.
“You all got briefed on it and got two or three pages delivered to you,” said Stivers, referring to reporters. “We have yet to see the first document, and I don’t think anybody in this group votes on the bill.”
That didn’t stop some Republicans from criticizing Beshear’s promises.
“I’m glad he’s got fantasy gaming in there, because it’s a fantasy budget,” state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill and chairman of the Senate Appropriations & Revenue committee, told The Courier Journal.
Both McDaniel and Speaker of the House David Osborne, R-Prospect, were also critical of Beshear’s proposal to increase the minimum tax on limited liability entities.
“It’s a little bit disconcerting that we heard that he’s going to propose an increase on every single job creator in Kentucky,” Osborne told reporters.
Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, noted that with the exception of the LLC tax, Republicans had already filed bills in the House to support Beshear’s tax increases.
“So I do expect bipartisan support on the vaping tax, the cigarette tax and sports betting,” McGarvey told reporters on the House floor immediately after Beshear’s speech. “Again, those are all Republican bills that the governor is saying he supports.”
Minority Floor Leader Joni Jenkins, D-Shively, agreed.
“I think sports betting and tobacco and vaping (taxes) have seen bipartisan support here in the House and I assume so in the Senate, as well,” she said, though she, too, hadn’t been briefed on the proposal beforehand.
Some places where lawmakers will likely disagree include Beshear’s decision to not fund school safety officers and mental health counselors in his proposal, something Osborne called “woefully short.” The speaker said he supports spending “however much it takes” to fund school safety.
“To present a budget that does not fully fund keeping our most precious assets safe is pretty disconcerting to me,” Osborne said.
And while Osborne called raises for teachers “merited,” Stivers questioned the decision to not include raises for non-teaching personnel, including school bus drivers and cooks.
“Those individuals who provide a lot of the services in the school systems seem to be the forgotten ones,” he said.
Osborne said the House would move as quickly as possible to send a budget to the Senate by the end of February, adding that Steven Rudy, R-Paducah and chairman of the House Appropriations & Revenue committee, probably has “the most difficult job in legislature right now.”
Rudy told The Courier Journal he was curious what savings the Beshear administration found in the corrections budget and in various fund transfers, but that it was still too early to say much about Beshear’s proposal.
“We can’t judge a budget on a 30-minute speech,” Rudy said. “We will start analyzing the numbers. We will take a good, deep dive into his recommendations. Where we can agree, we will move forward, and where we can’t, we’ll have to make those decisions.”
By Alfred Miller
Louisville Courier Journal
Hurt all small business in KY, to fund teachers, forget cooks, bus drivers and maintenance in schools, but fund those teachers, right longneck? Tax tax tax, got to help those teachers, huh Andy? Those unionized teachers must have more, although they already make more than most do, cant even think of merit based raises, cause their union doesn’t allow that, and we must support unions even though their run by the mob, and most people don’t have union jobs, we must support those damn teachers because them and their mafia bosses got you elected…right Andy? I have a better idea, let the teachers put out (educationally speaking), or get out! To blazes with commiecrats and everything they stand for.(which is nothing).
So, the teachers are the only ones with a state pension? I thought all the other state workers had a pension also??? Must be a different kind of pension.
Many state employees do have pensions Sam, but all longneck wants to do is raise teacher pay, teachers supported him against the good of the commonwealth (in my opinion), I’m all for a good teacher, but there not all good teachers. However under his plan they are the only ones he wants to give a (taxpayer funded) raise to. Maybe the others didn’t support him?
The base pay of an average teacher in KY is roughly $58,000 per year which doesn’t count their perks, retirement, medical and dental, survivor benefits etc. We know there are 52 weeks in a year, however teachers don’t work 52 weeks, so in my opinion they do quite well compared to other workers in KY. I attached the following website to back my statement.
https://www.prichardcommittee.org/kentucky-teacher-salary-comparison-reviewing-pay-over-time-across-states-and-across-districts/
oh Charley
https://us19.campaign-archive.com/?e=%5BUNIQID%5D&u=0724f72ab49b2ab8c4de76939&id=85722e308d
What liberal website did you pull that link from KAG? I didn’t, because one can read the link and tell it has not one thing to do with what we are talking about. I am impressed you can copy and paste nonetheless.
Charley just click on the link you posted and go to the bottom of the page there is a little f(facebook) you will go to there facebook page
went over your head again
Fact Check: Beginning teachers make less than $30,000 per year and most teachers never make it to the $58,000 level in the classroom unless they have extensive service time and a Rank I certification which costs about the same as an attorney spends for law school.
Then post the link that proves that statement, The dot.gov websites I tried to access required a pin number or a security code. I think the link I gave you was credible, and may have been peer reviewed. Please, as a media outlet you are supposed to provide the facts. So we’ll wait on the link, you saying it doesn’t make it so.
you are correct since the great recession the education has been cut just about every year and teacher’s have gotten very few raises
First KAG, there was NO great recession. When it was supposed to be happening I was making $1000 a week. What were you doing back then? What do you work at now?
Lazer, the average pay in Kentucky is closer to $52,972 per year. You will have to scroll some KY is number 30. This is a grammar school ONLY average. I guess my posts will start going away again.
https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-salary-in-every-state-2018-4#29-texas-23
Of course they are skeptical. They are happy with the trillion dollar deficit we have thanks to Rump. They are stupid, just like him.
KY doesn’t have deficit Chelsea, you are confused dear. It was Obama who left America with a 13.5 Trillion dollar deficit. You see Chelsea America is a nation, Kentucky is a state. You never have a clue do you?
there you go again Charley spreading your lies
You never did tell me what you work at KAG?
let’s just say it was in the private industry not getting my money from the taxpayer’s
now what about them lies you are spreading
Charley
I was mistaken about the deficit under Obama, although it was the highest of any president. I wont mention that he robbed Social Security.
The Social Security Trust Fund has run a surplus since 1987.6 There have been more working people contributing to the fund via payroll taxes than retired people withdrawing benefits from it. This fund invests its surplus in U.S. Treasury notes. The president can reduce the deficit by spending these funds instead of issuing new Treasurys. As a result, Obama added a total of $8.588 trillion to the debt.
https://www.thebalance.com/national-debt-under-obama-3306293
and your boy Trump is on pace to add over 4 trillion in his first term
if he get’s a second term it will be close to another 6 trillion and let’s not forget what he said about 2 weeks ago
Kernen asked the president, “One last question: Entitlements ever be on your plate?”
To which Trump replied, “At some point they will be.”
times are good
Charley you might want to take a look at this
times are good
https://www.thebalance.com/trump-plans-to-reduce-national-debt-4114401
Trump’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget projects the debt would increase $5 trillion during his first term.11 That’s as much as Obama added while fighting a recession. Trump has not fulfilled his campaign promise to cut the debt. Instead, he’s done the opposite.
Obama nearly crippled this country.
hate to bust your bubble but Obama has left the best economy for another president in the last 60 years
And you are crazy as a loon! But lets work with your logic. If Trumps economy is a result of Obama, then you must admit Bill ‘slick willy’ Clintons economy (which Democrats say was great) was actually the result of Reagan and H.W. right? You will never say that KAG, but Citizen was right Obama did his very best to destroy this great nation. And last, you look like an idiot using other peoples names. My name really is Charles, but KAG fits you fine, it reminds me of GAG!
there you go again spreading lies
all I said was that Trump inherited the best economy in last 60 years
and if Reagan had left Bush something to work with instead of debt he would of won a 2nd term remember this “read my lips no new taxes”
you can not tell me a first term president who has inherited a better economy than Donald
what you think about all the debt your boy Donald is racking up
times are good
Hey GAG, you just proved your own point! ALL first term Presidents inherit their initial debt from the former President, Bill Clinton didn’t inherit any, Bush got Clintons, Obama got little and destroyed the American to boot, with all his ‘ZARZ’s, Destroyed the coal industry, the power plants, the steel industry and what Clinton left of American manufacturing due to NAFTA and whatever the WTA was called? All commiecrats do is sell out our nation and give bums like you free stuff! OH I forgot you working at the dollar store that week. Trump has done the greatest job in American history! He will be re-elected by likely the greatest landslide in history. Live with it!
there you go again Charley more of your lies
every president you mentioned has inherited debt from the last president expect lil Bush he had a surplus just more of your lies
but as far as the economy Trump walked into the best a president has in the last 60 years usually it is a downturn or a recession when they take office