Owensboro area state legislators gave favorable marks to Gov. Steve Beshear’s “State of the Commonwealth” address, but said they’re waiting to hear more specifics from the governor about his budget proposal.
In his address last week, Beshear asked for bipartisanship between Republicans and Democrats when addressing the state’s budget woes. The state faces a revenue shortfall and a hole in its 2010-12 budget of between $1.5 billion and $900 million. Beshear’s office and the Senate Republican leadership disagree on the extent of the deficit.
“The public wants something done with this,” said Rep. Jim Glenn, an Owensboro Democrat. “The public wants us to work together.”
Sen. David Boswell, a Sorgho Democrat, said Beshear did “a commendable job” with the address.
“I thought he did as good a job as he could, under the given circumstance,” Boswell said. ” … He emphasized we need to approach the problem on a bipartisan note and put all (differences) aside and deal with this for the good of all people. I agree with him 110 percent.”
Boswell said he agreed with Beshear that job creation is a top priority. “(Beshear) highlighted some of the jobs that have been created under his administration,” Boswell said. “I’ll say this … the adminstration has been very aggressive in trying to help with the job losses in our community.” The state economic development cabinet worked to retain jobs at General Electric and other Owensboro area business that have announced layoffs, Boswell said.
Rep. Dwight Butler, a Harned Republican, said Beshear’s address was “a good start.” Butler said Beshear’s failed effort in 2009 to create a Democratic majority in the Senate – by offering top Republicans positions elsewhere and hoping for success in the resulting special elections – could make bipartisanship difficult.
“I think that’s going to make it a little tough with the Senate,” Butler said. ” … I hope they can get it worked out. We have to work together.”
Beshear’s attempt to change the Senate was “just politics,” Butler said. “You just have to put it behind you and work together,” he said.
Butler said government will need to take a broad approach to dealing with the budget deficit.
“I’ve been talking with some people about being more efficient,” Butler said. “The whole system is going to have to be looked at … go through the system, where we have duplication, whether or not we’re getting the services we might need.
“It has to be looked at from each department also,” Butler said. “We need to see where the flaws are, where the problems are in our system.” Budget cuts should not be made equally across every state office, but should be made only where inefficiencies are found, Butler said.
Sen. Jerry Rhoads, a Madisonville Democrat and a member of the minority leadership in the Senate, said he thought Beshear’s speech “succeeded in his effort to (strike) a bipartisan tone.”
“We don’t have the luxury of partisanship,” Rhoads said. “It’s going to be a difficult enough problem to address. It’s going to be difficult if we don’t work in a bipartisan way.”
Beshear’s address focused primarily on what already has been done to create jobs – such as the passage of an incentives bill last year – and to streamline government.
“It’s not unusual for a governor to list the progress made under his administration,” Rhoads said. For now, legislators are waiting to see Beshear’s proposed 2010-12 budget, which will be released Jan. 19.
“I don’t think it’s surprising he didn’t get into specifics” during the address, Rhoads said. The session will likely not produce a new incentives bill similar to the one passed last year, Rhoads said.
“We put in place the package of incentives (Beshear) wanted in the last session,” Rhoads said. “… I think he feels he has the tools he needs in place.” The General Assembly could meet in a special session if additional incentives were needed to attract an businesses that would not locate in Kentucky otherwise, Rhoads said.
“I think, more than anything, he was trying to set the tone” for the session, Rhoads said of Beshear’s address. “A positive and bipartisan tone.”
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