A statement from Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Director, Jason Bailey:
“The Senate budget released this morning doesn’t just repeat many of the same mistakes and miss out on many of the same opportunities as the House did in their January proposal. In some ways, the Senate proposes to take an even bigger step in the wrong direction.
Despite a once-in-a-generation budget surplus, the Senate has proposed to invest $311 million less than the House budget on P-12 education, including not funding full-day kindergarten and less for student transportation and other needs. By putting less money in education, the Senate would make providing pay raises for teachers and school employees even more difficult than what the House proposed. The Senate’s proposal to give a $4,500 raise to other state employees should be kept as a better alternative to the House’s smaller raise.
The Senate’s budget is filled with choices and priorities that leave out Kentuckians with the greatest needs. If such a budget is paired with permanent tax cuts, as the House has proposed, this budget’s glaring lack of needed investments would be worsened by the massive revenue holes that would be created in future budgets.”
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Click here to read KyPolicy's full analysis of the budget proposal released by the Kentucky Senate this morning.
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