State of Kentucky Archives: on Budget & Economy
Adam Edelen:
Kentucky Kick Start: make Main Streets bustling again
Kentucky's history and heritage was built on the main streets of our cities and small towns. Unfortunately, for decades we've watched too many Kentucky main streets go from bustling centers of commerce, arts and civic life to empty spaces and
boarded-up storefronts. We are going to rebuild Kentucky, and we need to start by rebuilding our main streets--one block at a time.A "Kick Start" to Growth and Revitalization: The Edelen-Holland Team are ready to help lead a renaissance in delivering
economic and cultural vitality to our main streets.
One of the greatest barriers to channeling investment into Kentucky communities is matching national capital with local opportunity. The Kentucky Kick Start will create a simple, searchable and
scalable platform for local communities to showcase investment opportunities, as well as community needs, to investors no matter whether they are a company looking for room to grow or an individual seeking the right environment to open a new business.
Source: 2019 Kentucky governor campaign website AdamEdelen.com
Dec 31, 2018
Amy McGrath:
Against rolling back Dodd-Frank banking regulations
Q: Tighten or loosen regulation of banks and credit card companies?Amy McGrath: Tighten. Criticized attempts to roll back Dodd-Frank banking regulations. Noted payday lenders are "preying on anyone who is low-income."
Mitch McConnell: Loosen. Opposed creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Voted to roll back Dodd-Frank banking regulations, which he called "heavy-handed."
Source: CampusElect on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Oct 10, 2020
Andy Beshear:
Fully supports legalized sports betting
A commitment to the future also requires that we create new revenue to meet the growing needs of our state. Right now we are watching more than $500 million dollars in gaming revenue go across the border to states like Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.
It's time to stop that flow. To use that money for our needs. Representative Adam Koenig has filed a sports betting bill. I fully support it, and we should pass it.
Source: 2020 Kentucky State of the State address
Jan 14, 2020
Andy Beshear:
Better Kentucky Budget: no tax increase, no budget cuts
Kentucky's "Rainy Day Fund" is at its highest level ever. And we are going to provide an extra $100 million to further solidify and protect it. I'm pleased to report that with a better budget forecast than was initially anticipated, we have over
$600 million in one-time money available to invest in our future. This budget--my Better Kentucky Budget--doesn't rely on any increase in taxes; there are no spending cuts; and it doesn't rely on the passage of any new revenue measures.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 7, 2021
Andy Beshear:
Budget will invest in infrastructure, including bridges
In a little over a week, I will join you again to unveil a budget. It will continue to deliver on our promise of a world-class airport in Paducah. It will continue to invest in infrastructure, with more water and sewer grants. And we will continue to
expand the Mountain Parkway to four lanes and construct the I-69 bridge. It will move us ever closer to the announcement--which I hope we can make next year--that we will construct a Brent Spence Companion bridge without tolls.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
C. Wesley Morgan:
Balance the budget, by reducing benefits and tapping savings
Q: For balancing Kentucky's budget, do you support tapping into Kentucky's "rainy day" fund?A: Yes.
Q: Decreasing funding for public universities?
A: Yes.
Q: Reducing state employee salaries or pensions?
A: Yes, in moderation.
Q:
Instituting mandatory furloughs or layoffs for state employees?
A: Yes.
Q: Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
A: Yes. We have to get our financial house in order and government must learn to live within its means the same way a family does.
Source: Kentucky State Legislative 2016 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2016
Charles Booker:
Supports Universal Basic Income; poverty is immoral
Ending generational poverty will require bold solutions that lift up and provide stability for all working families; that's why I support a Universal Basic Income. Kentuckians deserve the freedom to make financial decisions in their lives, the resources
in their communities that will foster local business and ownership, and a government that does not sell them out for big corporate interests. Poverty is outdated, immoral, and expensive. It is time that we end it.
Source: KFTC.org on 2022 Kentucky Senate race
Mar 16, 2021
Jack Conway:
Against TARP bailouts due to lack of accountability
PAUL: Do you support the president's agenda or do you not support it?CONWAY: I support some of President Obama's agenda. The stimulus, 1/3 of it went to tax cuts. 1/3 of it went to keeping the jobs of police and firefighters. And
1/3 supposedly went to shovel-ready projects where the administration hasn't done that great a job. Actually, I wouldn't have voted for the bailouts. There weren't enough accountability in them. We had people getting bonuses after getting the bailouts.
And on health care, look, we've got 654,000 Kentuckians getting health care for the first time as a result of this bill. What I'm not for, is the $2,000 deductible and taking our health care system back to a pre-World War II system, which is what
Rand Paul's on the record as having said. So I'd like to fix health care. He wants to repeal it. And I think that's a stark difference.
Source: Fox News Sunday, 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
Oct 3, 2010
Jack Reed:
Address the sequester & debt ceiling without any new taxes
Q: You think that the budget deal you negotiated is imperfect, and you want to fix it?McCONNELL: These last-minute deals are no way to run the government. These three issues are coming up: the sequester, the debt ceiling, and the continuing resolution
to operate the government. Look, the biggest problem confronting the country is not taxes. It's spending. We don't have this problem because we tax too little; we have it because we spend too much.
Q: The president has said he's willing to engage in
more discussions over the sequester and the government shutdown, but that would also include new revenues.
McCONNELL: The tax issue is finished, over, completed. Now the question is, what are we going to do about the
biggest problem confronting our country and our future? And that's our spending addiction. It's time to confront it.
Q: You will not accept any new revenues in any new deal?
McCONNELL: Yeah, absolutely. The tax issue is behind us.
Source: ABC This Week 2013 on 2014 Kentucky Senate race
Jan 6, 2013
James Comer:
Federal fiscal restraint to tackle $19 trillion debt
The national debt is now over $19 trillion. By comparison, the total debt when Obama took office was $7.5 trillion. This type of spending is unacceptable.
We must get the spending in Washington under control so that we do not saddle our children and grandchildren with unmanageable mountains of debt.
This is why I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.When I was Agriculture Commissioner, my department was one of the first to return money back to the taxpayer. I will bring this same fiscal restraint to Washington.
We need to turn our economy around by spending less and taxing less in Washington. That way, we can give private sector businesses the stability and certainty they need to create good-paying jobs for hardworking Kentuckians.
Source: 2016 Kentucky House campaign website JamesComer.com
Nov 8, 2016
Jim Gray:
Think globally when talking about job creation
Jim's top priority is to grow the economy and make sure it works for all of us, especially hardworking families in Kentucky who play by the rules. Our economy has changed, and our policies need to change with it. We need to focus on growth,
help small businesses thrive, revitalize manufacturing, empower startups to take off, promote innovation, invest in infrastructure and strengthen our workforce.Jim will work to create new opportunities and careers across the Commonwealth.
He's done this work throughout his career, in business and as Mayor. That work highlights the importance of advanced manufacturing to Kentucky's economy and establishes goals that are critical to providing jobs for Kentucky workers.
We have to think globally when talking about job creation in our state and driving exports, training workers, and attracting foreign investment are three critical components to rebuilding our state's unique economy.
Source: 2016 Kentucky Senate campaign website, GrayForKentucky.com
Aug 8, 2016
Matt Bevin:
No budget deal; let the sequester cuts take place
Matt Bevin called on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to oppose the budget compromise negotiated by Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. The budget deal would keep government running for two years, would increase spending
from $967 billion to $1.012 trillion but would pay down the deficit by an additional $20 billion.McConnell hasn't expressed an opinion specifically about the Ryan-Murray compromise but he has urged other Republicans to stand their ground on the budget
and allow another round of sequester-related budget cuts to go into effect in January.
Bevin said he doesn't believe the plan's promised deficit reduction will ever happen: "Mitch McConnell is dodging a major issue. This deal is bad for
America because it raises spending in the short-term for long-term cuts that everyone knows will never happen. McConnell should lead Republicans in demanding a deal that, at a bare minimum, sticks to the existing savings of the sequester."
Source: Joseph Gerth in Courier-Journal on 2014 Kentucky Senate race
Dec 13, 2013
Matt Bevin:
AdWatch: Supporting a debt-limit increase is too liberal
Matt Bevin blasts McConnell for supporting a debt-limit increase and launching "false attack ads" in a new ad. It's the candidate's first significant statewide broadcast buy, and will also air statewide on cable, according to his campaign.
The ad features Bevin speaking direct-to-camera, declaring "after caving yet again to President Obama on the debt ceiling, all that Mitch McConnell can do is run false attack ads."
A narrator goes on to declare that "thirty years is enough," and calls
McConnell "too liberal" and "too long."
McConnell has attacked Bevin in radio ads, knocking him for what the campaign sees as a "pattern of deceptions" from Bevin. McConnell's vote to raise the debt limit drew heavy criticism from conservatives
and was seen as a risky vote for him. But the senator retains a solid lead over Bevin, and is heavily favored in the primary.
Source: AdWatch by The Hill weblog on 2014 Kentucky Senate race
Mar 31, 2014
Matt Bevin:
Must rely on cutting spending to improve financial outlook
Taking immediate action to stabilize Kentucky's future is no longer an option--it is a necessity.There is no magic wand or money tree in Frankfort to fix Kentucky's financial woes and improve the Commonwealth's credit rating. This budget must rely on
either tax increases or spending cuts to get Kentucky's fiscal house in order. Because Kentuckians cannot afford any tax increases, this budget proposal cuts spending and allocates Kentucky's scarce taxpayer dollars more prudently than in years past.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Kentucky legislature
Jan 26, 2016
Mitch McConnell:
Proud of role in high-profile deal to end federal shutdown
Alison Grimes' campaign has waged a news-release campaign against McConnell since the partial government shutdown began, accusing him daily of being responsible for the shutdown and labeling him "Senator Gridlock."McConnell said that his high-profile
part in the deal that ended the shutdown and extended the debt ceiling had taken the air out of Grimes' message. "It steps on the whole narrative of her campaign, and so she's desperately trying to criticize something I was praised for by Harry Reid,
among others," McConnell said.
The Grimes campaign fired back by noting a number of past remarks McConnell has made proudly proclaiming himself a "guardian of gridlock." A Grimes spokesperson said, "It is an embarrassment that McConnell waited until
the 11th hour to stop the manufactured crisis that he and members of Congress created. It is not heroic for McConnell to do his job and reopen the government. Kentuckians now have to pay for McConnell's Washington dysfunction."
Source: Lexington Herald Leader on 2014 Kentucky Senate debate
Oct 17, 2013
Mitch McConnell:
Supports sequester cuts: 2.4% out of $3.6 trillion budget
Q: Are these budget cuts a done deal?McCONNELL: The question is: Are we going to keep the commitment we made to the American people a year and a half ago, a bipartisan agreement signed by the president, that we would reduce spending without raising
taxes by this amount of money in this fiscal year? This modest reduction of 2.4% in spending over the next six months is a little more than the average American experienced just two months ago, when the payroll tax holiday expired.
Q: You call this a
modest cut, but it will cost about 750,000 jobs.
McCONNELL: By any objective standard, cutting 2.4% out of $3.6 trillion is certainly something we can do.
Q: Over a short period of time?
McCONNELL: The sequester was actually the president's idea.
He knows that we were not going to raise taxes to achieve this spending reduction this year. The American people need to know that we have a spending addiction in Washington. We've added $6 trillion to the national debt in just four years.
Source: CNN SOTU 2013 interview on 2014 Kentucky Senate race
Mar 3, 2013
Mitch McConnell:
Voted to roll back Dodd-Frank banking regulations
Q: Tighten or loosen regulation of banks and credit card companies?Mitch McConnell: Loosen. Opposed creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Voted to roll back Dodd-Frank banking regulations, which he called "heavy-handed."
Amy McGrath: Tighten. Criticized attempts to roll back Dodd-Frank banking regulations. Noted payday lenders are "preying on anyone who is low-income."
Source: CampusElect on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Oct 10, 2020
Mitch McConnell:
Opposes infrastructure spending in COVID-19 relief bill
McConnell panned the idea of using a coronavirus stimulus bill to fund major infrastructure investment in a conference call with Republican senators. Trump has been floating the idea -- and McConnell is moving early to crush it and encouraging
Republican senators to buck the president's freewheeling spending ideas. McConnell said he won't support infrastructure in a COVID-19 bill. "We need to keep the White House in the box," he told senators.
Source: Axios e-zine on 2020 Kentucky Senate race
Apr 28, 2020
Rand Paul:
Bank bailout was bad policy & helped no banks in KY
CONWAY: Chris, I'm proposing a hometown tax credit, a 20% tax credit, for the cost of creating a new job. I think it's important that Americans see that our government is not just growing but that we're providing the incentives for the private sector to
grow us out of the recession. I also think that we need to get the small and community banks lending once again, because the government bailed out a bunch of big banks on Wall Street, and these regulators have come down awfully hard on the small communit
banks.PAUL: But here's the problem. You say you want new lending from small banks, but you support the banking regulation bill. The problem was with government banks--Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac--bad policy at the Federal Reserve caused the recession,
caused the credit crunch. But yet Jack supports--President Obama supports--the new banking regulations, which every bank in Kentucky will tell you it wasn't our problem. No banks failed in Kentucky. But it's much harder to get a loan in Kentucky now.
Source: Fox News Sunday, 2010 Kentucky Senate debate
Oct 3, 2010
Steve Beshear:
Cut government spending due to the revenue shortfall
Because of the economic slowdown, the cooling of the housing market, oil prices and a gap between what we spend and what we earn, we are facing an unprecedented budgetary shortfall. While this is a situation I inherited, it is my job to fix it.
It is not a time for whining or "woe is us"--it is a time for leadership, bold action and temporary cost cutting. We have two options: raise taxes, or cut spending. If the Commonwealth of Kentucky were a family, and we realized we were spending more than
we could afford, we'd have no choice but to tighten our belts. Even though state government is not a family, it's about time we began acting more like one. After all, it is the people's money, and we need to be as efficient as possible when it comes to
taxpayer dollars. Raising taxes is and will continue to be a last resort as long as I'm Governor. So, that leaves cutting government spending. We can wring more efficiency out of state government and I intend to do just that.
Source: Kentucky 2008 State of the State Address
Jan 14, 2008
Steve Beshear:
Some budget priorities won't go away despite budget crisis
In the short-term, this budget crisis will unfortunately reduce our ability to make major new investments in some important priorities. However, the need to lower prescription drug costs for our senior citizens will not go away! The need to increase
college aid and job training will not go away! The need to send colleges and universities better prepared students will not go away! The need to invest in new 21st century jobs will not go away. I remain fully committed to those priorities.
Source: Kentucky 2008 State of the State Address
Jan 14, 2008
Steve Beshear:
Revenue situation becomes a golden opportunity for change
Ironically, the revenue situation I inherited becomes a golden opportunity to change the way we do business in Kentucky. It is an opportunity to make every state agency leaner, more efficient and more responsive. It is an opportunity to begin preparing
Kentucky to compete in the new economy. It is a way to focus on economic development that will create a stronger economy with jobs of the future rather than those of the past.
Source: Kentucky 2008 State of the State Address
Jan 14, 2008
Wesley Morgan:
Supports balanced budget amendment
Congress must be forced to cut spending.
I support a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget without raising taxes.
Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate website WesleyMorganForSenate.com
Feb 6, 2020
Wesley Morgan:
Supports permanent ban on earmarks, opposes bailouts
Congressional earmarks are a gateway drug to higher spending. I support a permanent ban on earmarks to break Washington's addiction to pork.
Bailouts force taxpayers to reward failure and punish success. I oppose bailouts and believe corporations should be forced to compete.
Source: 2020 Kentucky Senate website WesleyMorganForSenate.com
Feb 6, 2020
Andy Beshear:
Our mission is to move our families out of the floodplain
Our mission is to move our families out of the floodplain and out of harm's way. But doing so gives us a chance to reimagine our communities, to go beyond just rebuilding, and to set the stage for future growth. We have the chance to build new homes,
community centers, senior apartments, maybe even new schools, along with strong, modern, resilient infrastructure that will help the entire region. And here's the best part: There is enough land--both to rebuild and to attract new jobs.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 4, 2023
Andy Beshear:
Bringing new prosperity to every corner of the commonwealth
Our fiscal house is also stronger than ever. My administration is expected to post the four largest budget surpluses in the commonwealth's history. We have the largest rainy day fund ever, and we reported the highest annual revenue growth rate in
31 years. Put simply: We are winning and bringing new prosperity to every corner of the commonwealth, leaving no one behind.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 4, 2023
Andy Beshear:
Our Eisenhower moment: investing more in infrastructure
In many ways, we are in our Eisenhower moment, investing more in infrastructure than ever before. We have some major results on major projects to be excited about--ones that have been talked about for decades.
Together, we have also worked together to make the largest public sector investment in expanding high-speed internet. We delivered on projects to bring clean drinking water to nearly 85,000 homes, with every single county receiving funding.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 4, 2023
Daniel Cameron:
Fighting radical ESG movement against fossil fuel industry
Cameron's office is defending Kentucky from the radical ESG movement that would cripple the Commonwealth's economy.
The goal of the ESG movement is the destruction of Kentucky's fossil fuel industry using taxpayer's hard earned money.
Cameron's office released the first Attorney General's Opinion in the nation on ESG investment practices that affirms that politics has no place in our public pensions.
[Note: ESG stands for environmental, social, and corporate governance. It allows investors to take into account activities beyond financial return.]
Source: 2023 Kentucky Gubernatorial website CameronForKentucky.com
Mar 29, 2023
Daniel Cameron:
Will propose budgets towards eliminating state income tax
Cameron said that it is "important to get our income tax rate down to zero as quickly as we possibly can," saying it would help attract more people to the state. Cameron pledged to work with lawmakers "to make our tax code simple, fair and competitive
so that families and Main Street thrive.""My first budget and every one I submit as governor will keep Kentucky on the path to eliminating the income tax," the GOP nominee said. "We will help Kentuckians keep more of their own money."
Source: Spectrum News-1 on 2023 Kentucky Gubernatorial race
Aug 30, 2023
Andy Beshear:
Clean drinking water is a basic human right
I've seen the difference the Cleaner Water Program makes. It's life-changing, and it's something we owe to all our people. That's why I'm proposing we invest another $500 million dollars in grants to our counties and local governments to continue this
vital work. Folks, this is not a partisan issue. Clean drinking water is a basic human right, and this program is building on what we created together.
Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 3, 2024
Andy Beshear:
Expanding clean water projects, high-speed internet
We've been continuing our work to bring clean drinking water to every Kentuckian. Working with this body, we established the Cleaner Water Program. In 2024, 158 projects were completed under this program. Kentuckians also deserve access to high-speed
internet. We know that the internet is no longer a luxury. It's a necessity for education, health care and for our economy. And I'm proud to report, we have now approved projects that will connect 80,229 additional homes to high-speed internet.
Source: 2025 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 8, 2025
Andy Barr:
Voted for the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution
Andy voted for the Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment would prohibit total outlays for each fiscal year form exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless
Congress authorizes the excess by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber. This measure failed as it did not receive two-thirds support.
Source: 2026 Kentucky Senate campaign site AndyBarrForCongress.com
Apr 17, 2025
Andy Beshear:
Budget contains investment in sites for job creation
That's why my proposed budget begins with job-creation. It contains $70 million for site development to create build-ready, job-ready sites. It contains $100 million for large projects that just need that last bit of infrastructure or an
access road to say yes. And for the first time, it includes a $25 million rural economic development fund to bring jobs to areas that have been so close but haven't had that big announcement yet.
Source: 2026 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 7, 2026
Andy Beshear:
We must tackle the shortage in housing and do it now
To preserve the American Dream of owning a home, Kentucky needs a big, bold investment now. It can't wait. It can't be incremental. So I am proposing a game-changing $150 million investment in our Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Combined with private dollars, that would create a billion dollars of new housing. We must tackle the shortage in housing, and we must do it now.
Source: 2026 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature
Jan 7, 2026
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026