By Carrie Pond
Frankfort, KY – Kentucky officials say government services to help elderly and low-income residents across the Commonwealth will be cut or reduced because of the state's deepening budget woes. Health and Family Services Secretary Janie Miller says officials are planning to cut about $1.5 million dollars in funding for local health departments across the state. Officials are also planning to cut about $1.2 million in funding for need-based grants to help grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. The state is facing a $456 million budget shortfall between now and June 30. Beshear has proposed offsetting the budget hole by increasing the state's tax cigarette tax by 70 cents to $1 per pack, and cutting most government agencies' budgets by 4 percent. Beshear is scheduled to be in Dry Ridge Thursday night for a Town Hall meeting to outline his proposal.