Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at a Wednesday press conference the commonwealth’s budget for the last fiscal year ended far ahead of projections offered by the Consensus Forecasting Group, a statutory committee tasked with determining revenue estimates for the state’s general and road funds.
Beshear said the higher-than-expected revenue allowed state leaders to avoid making mid-year spending cuts to healthcare, education, public safety, the courts, and the General Assembly. Leaders were also able to increase the state’s rainy day fund by more than 18%. Total general fund collections amounted to $11.46 billion.
While Kentucky managed to avoid a budget crisis in the fiscal year 2020 spending plan, Beshear said the current appropriations period could have catastrophic results without federal assistance.
“This current fiscal year that we are facing does look to be as dire... as what we believed it would be,” Beshear said.
April-June revenues declined by eight percent, marking the worst quarter performance since the Great Recession. Road fund revenues were also down in the same period. Beshear called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to include monetary support for state governments in the next round of coronavirus relief legislation.
Beshear confirmed 518 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 24,540. With a total of 560,161 tests taken since the pandemic began, the commonwealth’s seven-day rolling positivity rate increased to 4.92%.
Hospitalizations increased slightly to 603, with 145 Kentuckians battling COVID-19 in the state’s intensive care units. Beshear said hospitalization levels are still under control with additional capacity available if necessary.
Three new deaths Wednesday brings the total number of Kentuckian dead as a result of the virus to 677. The Marshall County Health Department reported the county’s third death Wednesday (not yet reflected in the state numbers).
Find more information concerning Kentucky’s response to the coronavirus pandemic here.
