Columns

When House and Senate leaders first sat down early last week in budget negotiations, most of the major issues had already been decided.

Each chamber, for example, supported Gov. Steve Beshear’s decision to cut most state agencies by more than 8 percent next fiscal year to balance the books, and then maintain that level of spending in the following year. Both the House and Senate believe it is important to live within our means, and to rely as little as possible on one-time funding sources to cover recurring expenses.

Most legislation that the General Assembly passes each year falls in one of two categories: It either protects or it promotes.

That was especially evident this past week in the Kentucky House of Represen-tatives, which voted for bills that range from further limiting abuse of our youngest and oldest citizens to helping more students in the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky get their four-year college degree.

By the time you are reading this, more than a week will have passed since the monster tornadoes targeted many of our communities. I want to tell the victims that you are not alone; Kentucky stands with you.

For the last several years, the biggest challenge facing the General Assembly and Governor Beshear has been keeping the state on track as it weathers the toughest worldwide recession in more than 70 years.