Kentucky’s Attorney General is accusing Governor Matt Bevin of “dragging his feet” on returning millions of dollars to the state’s colleges and universities.
A 5-2 ruling from the state Supreme Court last week ordered Bevin to restore the funding he cut from university budgets. The court sided with the attorney general who argued that Bevin doesn’t have the authority to reduce spending levels unless there is a budget shortfall.
The governor has until the middle of next month to ask the high court to revisit the case.
During a visit Monday to Western Kentucky University, Beshear said the governor should release the $18 million back to the state's colleges and universities.
"The funds are sitting in a special account, so there's no reason to delay," Beshear told WKU Public Radio. "This governor's been about cutting the red tape and the bureaucracy, so let's cut the red tape, the bureaucracy, and provide those funds."
Bevin has said his office is “looking at our options.” He has 20 days from the date of the ruling to ask the Kentucky Supreme Court to reconsider the case. Beshear said the outcome is unlikely to change given the 5-2 decision.
Here’s a breakdown of how much money each institution will receive once funds are released:
Eastern Kentucky University: $1,360,700
Kentucky State University: not included in budget cuts
Morehead State University: $866,800
Murray State University: $960,500
Northern Kentucky University: $970,800
University of Kentucky: $5,592,200
University of Louisville: $2,781,500
Western Kentucky University: $1,493,000
KCTCS: $3,803,200
