Governor's budget address

Here are some thoughts and highlights from the Governor's budget address given Tuesday night:

The Governor indicated that there would be no money taken away from the SEEK formula for K-12. That is something I can support. However, according to Mark Hebert from WHAS 11, that is not entirely true.

Regarding postsecondary education, the Governor cut higher ed about 9%. He said need based scholarship money would stay the same, but KEES money would be cut back.

On health care, said that this would have the largest amount of new funding. Also supported bonds for the Glasgow Nursing Home. I suppose this means that the state is in the nursing home business. That should not surprise me. But it does beg the question, why are we in that business. Maybe in these tight times we should examine the possiblity of getting out of it.

No cuts in Agriculture and Coal Severance programs.

He uses most of the rainy day fund.

My favorite part, he cut in half the reliance on one time money, something the state needs to get away from.

But in the end, this just a starting point. The House will now create their version, and the Senate will do the same.