Gov. Matt Bevin’s budget proposal would eliminate some government programs that provide vital services to Kentuckians, including a poison control center in Louisville that fields calls when children have swallowed potentially lethal household cleaners, cancer screening initiatives, the Kentucky Coal Academy, and the popular Robinson Scholars program at the University of Kentucky.
Details about the two-year spending plan, vaguely unveiled during the State of the Commonwealth Address Tuesday night, were released in a briefing to reporters on Wednesday.
The Norton Kosair Children’s Hospital Poison Control Center was one of them. Panicked parents call the center in a panic when their child has ingested something potentially poisonous.
The 387-page budget bill was released late Tuesday night on the State Budget Director’s website. Officials briefed reporters on Wednesday, outlining the 70 programs that will not receive funding in the next biennium. Budget officials say that will be a saving of $85 million.
The cuts were difficult to make but necessary, the governor said.
“The reality is we don’t have enough money to meet the obligations this state has,” Bevin said.
The governor didn’t identify any of the 70 programs to be eliminated on Tuesday, saying they were “scattered throughout state government.” The eliminations meant huge savings to other parts of state government, Bevin said.
Some programs, however, will be getting a funding boost. The state’s adoptive and foster care program will receive $10.8 million and the kinship care program, for relatives who are fostering family members, will be revitalized with $5.1 million in funding. Budget officials said the Cabinet for Health and Family Services will determine how that money is spent.
Because of the high number of caseloads in Kentucky courts, 75 new prosecutors, 15 assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys and 60 assistant county attorneys were funded for $7 million and 51 new positions will be created at the Department of Public Advocacy for $6 million.
The budget will also fund new patrol cars and rifles for Kentucky State Police.
A total of $34 million was allocated to fight the opioid crisis that has gripped the state.
State budget officials said the federal Medicaid waiver approved last Friday has not been factored into the Medicaid budget because it is too soon to measure its effect.
“It is a realistic budget. It is one that is not wishful thinking,” Bevin said. “It is one we must pass, and it will set us on course to set our house in order.”
Bevin said his budget aims to get the state’s finances in order and calls for difficult choices to be made to deal with Kentucky’s massive pension liability, which he estimated at $60 billion.
Bevin said some of the spending cuts he proposed could be avoided if lawmakers pass meaningful pension reform during the current legislative session.
Projections call for modest revenue growth of 2.7 percent or $287.5 million in 2019 and 2.6 percent or $284.1 million in 2020.
Bevin’s proposal would provide $1 billion for the retirement fund of state employees and nearly $2.3 billion for teacher retirement over the two-year period. In all, about 14.5 percent of General Fund revenue would be dedicated to retirement.
“This year, they will be funded in their entirely for the first time in the history of the commonwealth of Kentucky,” he said.
The budget officials stressed that these are Bevin’s proposals and many changes are likely before a final budget is adopted by the General Assembly.
Here are the 70 programs that were targeted for elimination.
Health-related programs on the list:
- Family Medical Residency in Owensboro
- ARC of Kentucky
- Kentucky Lung Cancer Education Awareness Detection Survivorship Collaborative
- The Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program
- The Kentucky Breast Cancer Screening Program
- Norton Kosair Children’s Hospital Poison Control Center
Education is the category taking the biggest hit in the number of programs that will not be funded.
Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12, will see 20 programs unfunded:
- Textbooks
- Professional Development
- Kentucky Teacher Internships
- Collaborative Center for Literacy Development
- Georgia Chafee Teenage Parent Program
- Leadership and Mentor Fund
- Middle School Academic Center
- Teachers professional Growth Fund
- Teacher Academies Program
- Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program
- Virtual Learning Program
- Writing Program
- Lexington Hearing and Speech Center
- Heuser Hearing and Language Academy
- Teach for America
- School Technology for Coal Counties
- Madison County Early Intervention Services
- Appalachian Learning Disabled Tutoring Program
- Commonwealth School Improvement Fund
- Community Education Program
24 higher education programs will go unfunded:
- Go Higher
- Work Study Scholarships
- Teacher Scholarships
- Early Childhood Development Scholarships
- Washington, DC, Internships
- Professional Education Preparation
- Minority Student College Preparation
- Autism Training Center
- Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Studies
- Community Operations Board at EKU
- Adult Agriculture at KCTCS
- Kentucky Coal Academy at KCTCS
- Kentucky Folk Art Center at Morehead State University
- Kentucky Center for Mathematics at Northern Kentucky University
- University Press at UK
- Kentucky Transportation Center at UK
- Center for Entrepreneurship at UK
- Hospital Direct Support at UK
- Agriculture Public Service at UK
- Kentucky Mesonet at Western Kentucky University
- Trover Clinic
- Lung Cancer Research Grants
- Mining Engineering Scholarships at UK
- Robinson Scholars at UK
Seven General Government Programs will not be funded:
- The Kentucky Commission on Women
- The Office of the State Budget Director Planning Fund
- State Tree Nurseries
- Environmental Education Council
- The Insurance Subsidy Program within the Personnel Cabinet
- Arts Council Marketing Program
- Frankfort-based Cafeterias operated by the Department of Parks
11 Local Government Programs will be going unfunded:
- Conservation Districts Local Aid
- Libraries-Direct Local Aid Non-Construction State Aid
- County Costs-Sheriff’s Expense Allowance
- Kentucky Legal Education Opportunity Fund
- Access to Justice
- Life Safety or Closed Jails
- Local Jailers Allowance
- Area Development Fund
- Whitehaven Welcome Center
- Bluegrass State Games
- Coal County College Completion Scholarship Program
Agriculture will have two programs unfunded:
- Farmers Market Senior Program
- County Fair Improvement Grants
(Photo courtesy of Kentucky Today)
By Kentucky Today
