By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – The Kentucky House of Representatives has approved a new biennial state budget and sent it to the Senate. After three-and-a-half hours of debate, the House voted 65-33 for the $17.5 billion state budget. One Democrat, Rep. Jim Wayne of Louisville, voted no.
"If this bill passes, we will have over $10 billion total debt in the year 2012."
One Republican, Rep. Jim Stewart of Flat Lick, voted yes. Stewart sits beside the chairman of the House budget committee.
"And I can't help it because the A&R chairman put something in the budget for me!"
The two-year budget, with over $2 billion in bonded projects, two fewer classroom days and less than 2% cuts to the universities, now moves to the Senate.