By Kenny Colston
Frankfort, KY – Governor Steve Beshear has now put a number on the budget cuts he's long said would be painful for the commonwealth. Beshear is cutting Eight point four percent in many state agencies for the next two years.
Public universities are being cut 6.4 percent and state police will take a 2.2 percent cut.In his budget address to the General Assembly last night, Beshear said the cuts are so deep, it could mean layoffs.
"For public employees and retirees this budget has both good news and bad news. My proposal does not include money for pay raises for the fourth year in a row. I regret that. I'm also aware that limited layoffs are possible, depending upon how our cabinets manage their reduced budgets."
But not everything is taking a cut. Many infrastructure projects, including the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville, are fully funded. And Beshear has proposed almost eight million dollars for substance abuse programs in Medicaid, two million dollars for colon cancer screenings for the uninsured and an expansion of preschool for low-to-middle income families.