Eastern Kentucky University President Michael Benson expects to spend a great deal of time in the state capital over the next few months.
That is likely to include the night Governor Bevin unveils his budget proposal for the next two years. Benson said that will begin the discussion over funding of higher education.
“You know he has the right to take the first shot at the budget and then everybody else takes shots at his shot at the budget. Then it’s kind of game on. That’s where it all begins,” said Benson.
University funding will be just one of several financial issues before lawmakers as they consider a biennial budget. Governor Bevin has indicated he would like to see lawmakers address pension issues early in the 2018 session. Benson is concerned work to reform the state’s pension systems could leave other issues unexplored.
“My worry is that the pension issue, the fact that it hasn’t been resolved threatens to kind of suck the oxygen out of the room of every other issue come January. And I believe it will,” said Benson.
The EKU president said university leaders will be anxious to hear what the governor suggests during his state of the commonwealth speech in mid January. Benson said members of Eastern’s Board of Regents and other school officials will be advocating for EKU on February 6th during Colonels at the Capital Day.
