By Seth Helton
Murray, KY – Kentucky House leaders have unveiled their bipartisan plan for balancing the state's Medicaid budget. Democrats and Republicans caucused separately on the plan, which still allows Gov. Steve Beshear to move second-year Medicaid funding forward. But Speaker Greg Stumbo says if the governor hasn't proven by October 1st he can pay the money back, with savings from Medicaid managed care, targeted cuts to state agencies would have to be made.
"We do protect some areas such as education, and some of the things that the senate talked about. They had vocational rehabilitation - if you remember was a protected area. So, we protect those areas."
Wasting no time, House leaders quickly moved the bill into the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, where it passed unanimously. The bill is now under consideration by the entire House, with a vote pending.