On Monday, March 24, there was a 25-2 vote in the Senate in favor of adopting the $20 billion two-year state budget agreement, recommended by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. The new budget bill includes proposals of cutting the funding of some state agencies, freeing up more money that will be diverted into education at the behest of Gov. Beshear.

Plans to renovate the Rupp arena and construct a new convention center in downtown Lexington have been moved to the back burner in favor of restoring a small percentage of funding for state university operations.

Kentucky voters could also see a rise in the number of state troopers striving to keep the commonwealth safe. However, the Senate voted to drop funding Gov. Beshear and the House would have liked to be spent on pre-school services, as well as money that was originally allocated to help finance more cancer screenings. Government officials cited that federal health care law would likely cover the screenings.

There were several Democratic congressional leaders who abstained from voting on this bill and two Republican senators who directly opposed it.

 

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