Budget Casts Shadow on Kentucky General Assembly

Kentucky's next two-year budget is casting a dominating shadow over the 2020 General Assembly.  
 
The legislature starts the budget session today with the warning from former Governor Bevin's administration that the state is facing a $1.1 billion shortfall, although the claim has not been verified by the legislative research commissioner or new Gov. Andy Beshear's administration.  
 
Gov. Beshear will present his proposed budget to lawmakers in late January and is hopeful the legislature will be open to finding new forms of revenue, especially after Senate President Robert Stivers signaled he would allow a vote on a sports betting bill.  
 
The Republican-controlled legislature will see a new dynamic this year, sending their bills to a Democratic governor. They have the votes to override any veto Beshear attempts, but lawmakers on both sides have been trying to remain optimistic they will see bipartisan cooperation.  
 
Curbing teen vaping could be an early bipartisan win, with widespread support in both parties, as well as with urban and rural lawmakers. A bill to legalize medical marijuana could also transcend party politics, but promises to still be controversial.  
 
And a bill to approve a $50 million loan to the University of Louisville, designed to help with its acquisition of Jewish Hospital, could pit urban and rural lawmakers against each other.  
 
Kentucky's lawmakers have until mid-April to sort through hundreds of bills. The final day of the session is scheduled for April 15.