Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says he will protect education spending at the expense of cutting other services as a new state budget is crafted.
When it comes to cuts, Beshear says “everything is on the table.”
With a budget deficit likely in excess of $400 million, Beshear says if the need arises, he will preserve funding for one of his top priorities, education. And it will come at the expense of other services.
“We’re not making any pledges, at this point, on anything, ‘cause everything is on the table," he said. "But what I’m telling you is that in spite of shortfalls in revenue, I’m gonna find some way to make some reinvestment in education.”
Beshear says he favors expanded gambling and tax reform to bring in new revenue. And he will base his budget on numbers from the Consensus Forecast Group, a panel of economists that will meet this week to put together a budget forecast.