Sep 27 Local News LRC Budget Chief Says Lawmaker Face Tough Choices From Dan Conti, Kentucky Public Radio The retiring budget director of the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission has told state lawmakers that they face some tough choices when they begin their nexts budget session in January. Bart Hardin steps down at the end of this week. He says Kentucky’s economy is growing and revenues are improving […] By Rick Howlett Sep 27 Local News LRC Budget Chief Says Lawmaker Face Tough Choices Rick Howlett
Jul 12 Local News Kentucky Revenues Exceed Estimates By $166 Million From Stu Johnson, Kentucky Public Radio State officials hope higher than expected tax receipts translate into more jobs across Kentucky. The end of the fiscal year report shows general fund tax receipts came in $6.5-percent higher than anticipated. State Budget Director Mary Lassiter says receipts exceeded estimates by $166 million. She says the numbers signal […] By Rick Howlett Jul 12 Local News Kentucky Revenues Exceed Estimates By $166 Million Rick Howlett
Jul 21 Local News State Parks May Turn Golf Courses Over To Private Vendors The Kentucky Department of Parks has issued a proposal seeking information from vendors that might want to operate state owned golf courses. Spokesperson Gil Lawson says there are 18 state courses that could be operated by private sector firms. “Right now rounds of golf are subsidized by taxpayers, we are losing money at this and […] By Rick Howlett Jul 21 Local News State Parks May Turn Golf Courses Over To Private Vendors Rick Howlett
Jul 12 Local News Kentucky FY10 Receipts Down, But Outlook Positive By Rick Howlett State Budget Director Mary Lassiter says Kentucky’s General Fund receipts declined for the second straight year, the first time the state has seen a consecutive decline since the end of World War II. She says tax collections for the just-ended fiscal year hit their lowest point in five years. General Fund receipts […] By Rick Howlett Jul 12 Local News Kentucky FY10 Receipts Down, But Outlook Positive Rick Howlett
Jun 11 Local News Kentucky Tax Collections Were Up in May by Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh There was an encouraging rise in Kentucky’s revenue receipts in May, compared to the same month last year. State tax collections rose just over three percent last month, with total receipts exceeding $636 million. That’s compared to $617 million collected in May 2009. For the first 11 months of […] By Stephanie Crosby Jun 11 Local News Kentucky Tax Collections Were Up in May Stephanie Crosby
May 12 Local News Beshear Offers Budget Plan, Sets Special Session from Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is offering a proposal he hopes will end the state’s budget stalemate and has set the date for a special session. Gov. Beshear says his $17.1-billion dollar biennial spending plan is not a new budget. It’s just a compromise based on the separate budget plans […] By Stephanie Crosby May 12 Local News Beshear Offers Budget Plan, Sets Special Session Stephanie Crosby
Feb 19 Next Louisville State of the News SoA 2/19/10: State of the News Listen to the Show By Robin Fisher Feb 19 Next Louisville State of the News Robin Fisher
Dec 9 Community Beshear Marks Midpoint Of Term This week marks the midpoint of Gov. Steve Beshear's first term as Kentucky’s chief executive. To assess the administration's performance, the governor has been sitting down with reporters at the State Capitol, including Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh. By Rick Howlett Dec 9 Community Beshear Marks Midpoint Of Term Rick Howlett
Jul 20 Local News Kentucky Ends Fiscal Year With Balanced Budget From Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh Kentucky didn’t use any federal stimulus dollars to balance the state budget last month, but it did have to pull some surplus funds out of Medicaid. Earlier this year, Kentucky lawmakers approved budget cuts, a raid on the rainy day fund and tax hikes on alcohol and cigarettes to […] By Stephanie Crosby Jul 20 Local News Kentucky Ends Fiscal Year With Balanced Budget Stephanie Crosby
Jul 13 Local News Deeper Cuts Likely Ahead for State Government From Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh Some state agencies in Kentucky may see budget cuts of three-to-four percent this fiscal year. That’s the message in a letter mailed Friday by State Budget Director Mary Lassiter and obtained by Kentucky Public Radio. Lassiter says these are NOT across-the-board cuts. “Most of the priority areas of government […] By Stephanie Crosby Jul 13 Local News Deeper Cuts Likely Ahead for State Government Stephanie Crosby
Dec 22 Local News KET Facing Staff, Program Reductions From Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh Kentucky Educational Television is taking a major hit under Governor Steve Beshear’s budget-balancing plan. Education Secretary Helen Mountjoy says KET is a member of the 18 percent club, meaning its budget has already been cut 18-percent this calendar year. Now it’s facing another four-percent cut. “They’re probably going to […] By Rick Howlett Dec 22 Local News KET Facing Staff, Program Reductions Rick Howlett
Dec 5 Local News Deadline for Kentucky Agencies to Submit Budget Cuts is Today From Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh It’s D-Day for state agencies in Kentucky, which must report how they intend to reduce their budgets by four-percent. Proposed cuts could affect the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs Director Les Beavers sees no way to reduce his agency’s budget by four-percent without furloughs or layoffs. And he […] By Stephanie Crosby Dec 5 Local News Deadline for Kentucky Agencies to Submit Budget Cuts is Today Stephanie Crosby
Nov 21 Local News Forecast: Kentucky Revenues Plummeting From Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh More bad economic news out of Frankfort, as a panel of economic experts revises downward, the revenue estimates on which Kentucky’s budget is based. The Consensus Forecasting Group believes the state could be facing a $456 million deficit this fiscal year, which is worse than the $294 million predicted […] By Rick Howlett Nov 21 Local News Forecast: Kentucky Revenues Plummeting Rick Howlett
Nov 14 Local News State Revenues To Be Discussed From Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh Projected state revenue shortfalls are behind two meetings of a panel of economic experts who advise Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and legislative leaders. The first of those meetings is today. Two weeks ago, Governor Beshear warned the state is facing “an ominous future,” because of an almost 300-million dollar […] By Rick Howlett Nov 14 Local News State Revenues To Be Discussed Rick Howlett