FRANKFORT – Due to the numerous sacrifices made by Kentuckians through the pandemic, the State of the Commonwealth is stronger and extra ready than most to defeat COVID-19 and dash into our future, Gov. Andy Beshear declared Thursday
in a speech to a joint assembly of the Normal Meeting.
The Governor delivered his mixed State of the Commonwealth and Finances Tackle in a digital speech recorded in his workplace as a result of coronavirus restrictions and delayed a day by the assault on the U.S. Capitol by home terrorists.
“Tonight, I handle each a state and a rustic which are hurting,” Gov. Beshear mentioned throughout his handle. “Hurting from a pandemic that has swept internationally, upended our economic system and brought the lives of our family members. Hurting from assaults on our democracy that yesterday rose to the extent of a direct assault on america Capitol.”
The Governor urged Kentuckians to reject violence and political rhetoric that incites hatred and division.
Seeking to the long run, the Governor unveiled a three-pillared Higher Kentucky Finances proposal that can assist guarantee we take full benefit of each alternative and lead within the post-COVID economic system.
“To attain our purpose of a greater Kentucky, all branches of presidency have to be ready to take daring motion,” Gov. Beshear. “Now we have not had this a lot alternative for brand spanking new funding in our folks and our future in a technology. Let’s make it rely. Let’s have braveness. Let’s be daring. Let’s not fumble the chance.”
The Governor’s proposal contains measures everybody ought to assist. The proposed finances contains reduction to unemployed employees and small companies; makes long-needed enhancements to the unemployment system; gives help for extra Kentuckians to attend school or earn a certificates; and expands broadband. It additionally contains raises for educators and state workers; an additional $100 million to construct and renovate colleges; funding will increase for Ok-12 and better schooling; full funding for retirement and Medicaid; cash for added social employees; and a further $100 million for the Wet Day Fund, which is now at its highest degree ever.
Throughout his handle, earlier than laying out particulars of his imaginative and prescient for a greater Kentucky, the Governor requested these prepared to say a prayer and take part in a second of silence for the greater than 2,800 Kentuckians misplaced to COVID-19.
He additionally acknowledged Kentuckians’ selfless actions, which, together with the good, aggressive steps his administration has taken, suppressed three waves of an infection and saved 1000’s of Kentucky lives.
“You don’t must take my phrase for it,” the Governor mentioned. “You possibly can have a look at the devastating experiences in states that did not take the identical aggressive steps we’ve got to cease this lethal virus. Adjusted for inhabitants, we’ve got suffered lower than half the variety of deaths because the folks of Tennessee and fewer than one-fourth the variety of deaths because the residents of North and South Dakota. By means of these trials, we realized that an efficient virus response is important to maintain and rebuild our economic system.”
Regardless of the financial harm attributable to the pandemic, which negatively affected many small companies and households, Gov. Beshear mentioned the laborious work of his administration, particularly his State Finances Director, John Hicks, led to encouraging state finances information that permits the state to offer reduction to these nonetheless hurting and to take a position.
Director Hicks mentioned the finances is structurally sound, fiscally accountable together with the most important ever Wet Day Fund and contains $600 million in one-time funds. The finances additionally adheres to the income estimates of the Consensus Forecasting Group and it doesn’t depend on new taxes, new income measures or spending cuts.
Pillar 1: Instant Aid to Households and Companies Harmed Through the Pandemic For small enterprise reduction for people who have skilled losses due to the pandemic, the Governor is proposing a fast-tracked invoice to instantly make obtainable $220 million within the Higher Kentucky Small Enterprise Aid Fund. This represents the one largest reduction fund of its sort in generations.
For particular person reduction, the Governor is authorizing $48 million in CARES Act funding to those that have waited too lengthy to obtain unemployment advantages and to assist those that missed out on the federal authorities’s Misplaced Wages Help Program as a result of they made too little.
The Higher Kentucky Finances additionally allocates $47.5 million to right a legacy of underfunding the unemployment insurance coverage (UI) system after the Governor’s administration inherited a UI operation working on an IT system that has been in operation because the Seventies and is functionally out of date.
Within the years main as much as the pandemic, the earlier administration, and former periods, closed in-person places of work and lower 95 expert workers from UI. As well as, the UI finances was slashed by $16 million. This, coupled with a once-in-a-lifetime, 1,300% year-over-year enhance in claims meant many Kentuckians have needed to wait too lengthy throughout a tough time for his or her funds. The Governor’s finances contains Normal Fund spending of $1.1 million in fiscal 12 months 2021 and $8.4 million in fiscal 12 months 2022 to offer funding to revive workers to assist with unemployment claims on the 12 profession facilities all through the commonwealth.
“That is assist they’re owed and deserve and much too many have waited far too lengthy,” the Governor mentioned.
Lastly, utilizing CARES Act funding, the Governor has already repaid $152 million in UI loans, and his finances proposal provides one other $100 million in compensation.
Pillar 2: Investing in Our Folks The Governor is prioritizing the wants of our youngsters and households, together with their schooling, well being care and retirements.
Gov. Beshear acknowledged that educators and faculty staffers have needed to overcome unimaginable challenges this 12 months, shortly adjusting to on-line instruction when wanted and ensuring youngsters had been fed even once they weren’t within the classroom. The Governor is proposing a $1,000 increase for academics and categorised staffers, who’ve gone above and past of their duties.
He’s investing in our youngsters by growing the SEEK system and funding textbooks and expertise. The Governor is supporting preschool packages in deprived areas and restoring a instructor mortgage forgiveness program.
The Governor is also proposing a 1% increase for our hardworking state workers. He’s in search of to enhance compensation for native and state legislation enforcement and firefighters, who’re at all times on the entrance strains, with a $600 stipend enhance from the Regulation Enforcement and Firefighters Basis Program funds, bringing the stipend as much as $4,600. He additionally gives a full exclusion of navy pensions from the Kentucky earnings tax, recognizing the service that our women and men in uniform have supplied to our nation and the commonwealth, and welcoming them to stay, work and retire right here.
The Higher Kentucky Finances invests in our households’ well being care by totally funding Medicaid, including 76 new social employees for baby protecting companies, growing the variety of slots obtainable for Michelle P Medicaid waivers and extra. He mentioned his administration will proceed to handle inequities in entry to well being care, which have been spotlighted by the pandemic.
The Governor is supporting the selfless native well being departments by doubling their Normal Fund assist, including one other $12 million in fiscal 12 months 2022 to enhance their epidemiology and scientific capability.
To assist wholesome retirements, the Governor is offering pension reduction to important quasi-governmental businesses, like baby advocacy facilities and home violence shelters, in addition to native well being departments and neighborhood psychological well being facilities. The Governor’s Higher Kentucky Finances additionally contains full pension funding for the Academics’ Retirement System for simply the second time.
The Governor contains greater than $580,000 for the College Press of Kentucky and $20 million in support to small nonprofit organizations.
In doing what is true, Gov. Beshear’s finances reinstates funding for the Fee on Ladies, reinstates the Workplace of Minority Empowerment and gives further funds annually to reinvest within the Fee on Human Rights.
Pillar 3: Investing Boldly in Our Future The third pillar of the Higher Kentucky Finances makes daring, strategic investments in our future utilizing $272 million in one-time funds to enhance infrastructure and create 1000’s of jobs, all whereas exercising fiscal duty.
“The shock of COVID-19 has introduced on our present transformational interval, and the way we lead within the subsequent 12 months will dictate whether or not Kentucky merely recovers again to the previous regular or, as a substitute, takes its place among the many most efficient and modern states within the union,” mentioned Gov. Beshear.
His finances focuses on repairing crumbling colleges, a few of which date to earlier than the Thirties, with a one-time $100 million funding to renovate or substitute them. It will enhance the academic expertise for college kids and academics, whereas additionally creating 1000’s of building jobs.
He’s investing in our workforce with extra {dollars} to larger schooling and by creating the Higher Kentucky Promise, a program that goals to offer the mandatory final {dollars} that ought to enable almost 6,300 Kentuckians to finish affiliate’s levels or safe certificates.
The finances gives $50 million to fund last-mile broadband protection. That is the primary time ever that state {dollars} have been used to spend money on increasing broadband.
“We used to think about broadband when it comes to simply enterprise. Now we all know it touches each a part of our lives: the schooling of our youngsters, how we obtain well being care. That is crucial infrastructure of the long run,” Gov. Beshear mentioned.
The Governor is proposing the Rising Industries Fund, which is designed to offer versatile sources focused to Kentucky’s future economic system and creating applied sciences in agritech, aerospace, well being care, logistics, superior manufacturing and different key areas. By incentivizing these sectors, Kentucky can be extra ready to achieve the post-COVID economic system.
The Higher Kentucky Finances additionally contains $7.7 million in state bond funds to match $38.7 million in federal {dollars} to restore, substitute and enhance native consuming water and wastewater infrastructure, and $6 million in state bonds in order that localities can entry federal funds for important flood management initiatives in our communities.
The Governor additionally desires lawmakers to handle the transportation finances. He mentioned doing so would require each short-term and long-term options, however it’s time to create extra jobs and stimulate the economic system.
Constructing a greater Kentucky additionally means our legal guidelines don’t unduly prohibit us from innovation.
“I’m asking all of my cupboard secretaries to determine methods to modernize with a watch in the direction of figuring out what companies can stay distant. A resident of Paducah or Ashland who desires a license or certificates shouldn’t must spend extra time of their automotive coming to Frankfort than she or he does truly taking the check to get the certificates,” mentioned Gov. Beshear.
And talking of legal guidelines that unduly prohibit progress, the Governor mentioned it’s time to legalize medical marijuana, go sports activities betting and save historic horse racing.
The Governor additionally mentioned a part of constructing a greater Kentucky is acknowledging and addressing the racism that continues to exist on this nation and on this commonwealth.
“To stay our motto, ‘United We Stand,’ requires us to view and deal with one another as equals,” Gov. Beshear mentioned.
Lastly, Gov. Beshear urged lawmakers to come back collectively in assist of all Kentucky households, and to take the virus severely to keep away from extra ache, demise and disruption and to set politics apart.
“So, let me be clear: Each second on this quick session that we spend combating is a loss for our Kentucky households. Such combating will go away us empty-handed and additional behind these states that acknowledge this second and this chance. Our purpose must be to behave swiftly and with knowledge on behalf of the folks of the commonwealth.
“Now’s our time. We are able to’t play politics whereas our folks battle,” the Governor added.
The Governor mentioned there are lots of points that Republicans and Democrats can agree on, and he seems ahead to working with Senate President Robert Stivers, Home Speaker David Osborne and each member of the Normal Meeting to set a optimistic tone in Frankfort and benefit from this chance.
The Governor mentioned: “We get to determine how historical past seems again on us in 10, 20 or 50 years. That is our likelihood. Let’s suppose and act in another way so we are able to get totally different and higher outcomes.”
Throughout his remarks, the Governor talked about that over the previous 12 months, the phrases of President Abraham Lincoln, whose statue holds a spot of satisfaction within the Capitol Rotunda, have motivated him through the robust days and impressed his imaginative and prescient.
“I’m reminded of his message to the federal legislature in 1862. He mentioned, ‘The dogmas of the quiet previous are insufficient to the stormy current. The event is piled excessive with problem, and we should rise with the event. As our case is new, so we should suppose anew, and act anew. We should disenthrall ourselves, after which we will save our nation.’
“Whereas half of the nation disagreed with each resolution President Lincoln made, historical past has judged him amongst our biggest leaders.
“President Lincoln – the epitome of management in instances of turmoil and division – reminds us of the significance of this second. He mentioned, ‘Depart nothing for tomorrow which could be achieved right now.’”
Gov. Beshear concluded his remarks by reminding Kentuckians that that is seemingly probably the most essential and early life for Kentucky in a technology.
“Let’s get to work in constructing a greater Kentucky,” he mentioned.
Be aware: To assist restrict the unfold of COVID-19, the Governor filmed his almost half-hour of remarks at his desk within the Capitol Constructing in Frankfort. Based mostly on a suggestion from KET, the speech was pre-recorded to keep away from any technical points. KET will present full protection and stay shut captioning.
