Governor Steve Beshear says he'll call lawmakers back into a special session Monday to consider a transportation budget that provides needed funding for a 4 and a half billion dollar highway construction plan. Lawmakers passed the plan late last night, but adjourned without approving funding. Beshear blames Republican Senate President David Williams for thwarting passage of the transportation budget. Williams insisted Beshear sign the construction plan into law before the Senate passed the funding measure. But the governor says he didn't have time to fully review the construction before the session ended. State Representative Sannie Overly says the passed highway plan focuses on bridge building, including important spans in western Kentucky:
“It begins construction of the long overdue and much needed western Kentucky bridges across Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake."
Governor Beshear says he hopes the special session will only last a week, costing taxpayers about 3 hundred thousand dollars.