By Drew Adams
Murray, KY – Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says the upcoming budget cycle is expected to be the "most challenging" yet. Beshear has been at the helm of state government through an economic recession that triggered $1 billion in revenue shortfalls over the past four years. He says finances will be especially tight now that federal stimulus money has been used up. Beshear says he'll push for tax reforms to raise revenue and for a gambling amendment that could be a source of cash for the state. But the second-term Democrat says he doesn't expect to apply any potential revenue from those sources to a budget he will propose early in a legislative session next week.