By Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public RadioGov. Steve Beshear is warning of dire consequences if Kentucky lawmakers don’t pass a budget by July 1.Beshear says a partial shutdown of state government could result in no Kentucky State Police, no mine inspectors or mine rescue units, no Medicaid, no money for universities and the closure of state parks and veterans nursing homes. “We only have two choices – bad choices and worse choices. But it is time to make those choices. That’s what the people pay our salaries for. And it’s time for the legislature to come together. And I will work with them in every way that I can and let’s make those choices and get a budget in place so that we don’t at least see the kind of cataclysmic results that will happen if we don’t have a budget,” he said Wednesday.Beshear says he's not choosing sides, but House and Senate leaders need to come to an agreement so he can call a special session on the budget in May. Lawmakers left Frankfort April 15 without passing a budget during the 60-day regular session, which began in January.
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.
