Governor to veto lines from budget or sign it

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) – Governor Matt Bevin has to veto lines from the budget or sign it this week.

Bevin said he is pleased with the bill but indicated that he will strike some lines from the budget.

The House and the Senate struggled through stalemates and deadlocks to approve the state budget two weeks ago.

“The House and the Senate came together in a bipartisan manner and did the job. But that is the job. That is why they were elected. That is why they were sent there,” Bevin said. “I will just say this: It frustrates me both now as governor, and long before I was ever governor, to see how often we push till the final hour or hours, the very key decisions that we had days and weeks and months to accomplish. That needs to end, and I hope in future legislative sessions we’ll get to the big things first. That said, the work was done. It is a good budget.”

Through sweeping cuts to numerous state agencies, their compromise on the state’s two year spending plan would put 1 billion dollars toward the state’s overwhelming pension debt.

Since lawmakers waited until the last day of the legislative session to strike a budget deal, they do not have the power to block any vetoes from Bevin.

He said he is still carefully considering what executive action he will take this week.

“I’m not done with it yet, and as you noted I am going through it line by line,” Bevin said. “That’s my responsibility, and that is what’s expected of me in my position. At the same time, I am truly grateful that our legislators did what they were sent to do. I applaud them for that.”

While the budget still has not been given final approval, Bevin did say that it is already much more conservative and fiscally responsible than anyone thought was possible.