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Kentucky Lawmakers to Craft Budget, Change Pension Systems in Coming Months

Alexey Stiop/123rf Stock Photo

Lawmakers return to Frankfort this week for the 2018 General Assembly and are slated to make changes to the state’s pension systems, craft a new two-year budget and consider a variety of other legislation. 

This will be the first time in Kentucky history that a budget will be written by a Republican-led legislature and governor.

On WHAS Radio’s Terry Meiners Show, Bevin said major cuts are likely across state government. “Everyone everywhere should anticipate—with some exceptions there’s certain things we have always exempted and will likely exempt again. But there’s some things we have exempted that may not get exempted,” he said.

Bevin has argued that the state needs to make changes to the state’s tax code to bring in more money for pensions and other expenses. But, he was was non-committal on the program on tackling tax reform in the upcoming legislative session. “If it doesn’t look like we have the ability to get it done, then that is the kind of thing that we could do in a special session. But it’s not a given that we’ll need that,” he said.

During the last budget session, Bevin signed a budget that cut most of state government by about 9 percent, though K-12 and state Medicaid funding were exempted.

For the upcoming spending plan, Bevin says the legislature needs to set aside an additional $2 billion for the state’s ailing pension systems—about 10 percent of the state’s $21 billion two-year budget.

Legislative leaders say they’ll make changes to the state’s public pension systems early in the session.

The legislative session lasts until April 13.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives for Kentucky Public Radio, a group of public radio stations including WKMS, WFPL in Louisville, WEKU in Richmond and WKYU in Bowling Green. A native of Lexington, Ryland most recently served as the Capitol Reporter for Kentucky Public Radio. He has covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin.
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