Senate Likely Two Weeks Away From a Budget Vote

The legislative session is winding down, but budget negotiations are just beginning for Kentucky’s Senate.The House passed their version of budgets for all three branches of state government last week. But Senate Budget Chairman Bob Leeper says that doesn’t mean the Senate will be able to act quickly on the plan.Leeper says the Senate will compare three separate budgets: Governor Steve Beshear’s original proposal, the House’s changed plan and the last two-year budget. That means it could be some time before the Senate passes the budget.“I think we’re probably at least two weeks away from that. It’s going to be difficult to do in that sort of period of turnaround time. It’s a very deliberate process we’re going through the first time line item by line item,” Leeper says.Leeper says it’s too soon to say what changes the Senate may make. But there will be some, and Leeper says he hopes the Senate’s budget changes will play well in an eventual conference committee with the House.