FRANKFORT, KY (AP)– House Republicans have proposed a two-year spending plan that restores some of the budget cuts proposed by Gov. Matt Bevin, but the Democrats will probably win since they are the majority in the House.
Bevin, a Republican elected in November, wants to cut government spending by $650 million and use the money to begin paying down the state’s multi-billion public pension debt. A plan filed by Republican state Rep. Steven Rudy restores some of those cuts to preschool education programs, gives volunteer fire departments more money to buy equipment and gives more money to counties from coal severance taxes.
The Republicans’ plan does not change Bevin’s budget cuts to state colleges and universities, although it let the colleges make changes in their budgets to help offset the cuts. Republicans also rejected Bevin’s move to eliminate the prevailing wage and his plan to borrow $100 million for workforce development programs.
House Democrats will release their plan Tuesday afternoon during a meeting of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee.
Democrats will have a 53-47 majority in the state House of Representatives after winning three of four special elections last week. The new members are scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday.