From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear didn’t veto any bills passed by the 2008 General Assembly, but he did take his veto pen to some items in the state budget Monday.Beshear vetoed ten line items in the state budget and language in the Judicial Branch budget related to potential layoffs. Beshear says the language dictates the priority of judicial personnel to be laid off, if reductions are needed."It certainly limits the court of justice’s flexibility in these tight budget times to implement any type of layoff, should they have to occur and implement any kind of budget reduction should they have to occur," Beshear said.Other veto language prohibits a raid on the state's transportation contingency fund, addresses funding for two state tree nurseries and a fee exemption granted to small horse tracks.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.