Battle lines have been drawn in the ongoing standoff over Kentucky's two-year budget. Negotiations broke down again Thursday as lawmakers failed to reach agreement over proposed education cuts.
According to House Budget Chair Rick Rand, by the end of talks differences over just $200 million dollars - less than one percent of the budget - separated the two parties. But fighting over those funds has been fierce, with Republicans pressing for more pension relief and Democrats insisting they be used to restore cuts to universities and public school programs.
Earlier this week, Gov. Matt Bevin questioned whether Republicans have a good faith negotiating partner in House Speaker Greg Stumbo - leading to a sharp rebuke Thursday from the Prestonsburg Democrat.
"What the governor proposed would be a cost in student debt, a burden on Kentucky's working families, and obstacle to education attainment for our kids," he said, standing in front of a chart predicting Kentucky students will face more than $1,000 in yearly tuition hikes as a result of the reductions. "He may believe that there's fat there that can be cut... but show us the evidence."
Bevin has suggested the whole budget is on the table, but higher education should shoulder its share of the burden as the state digs itself out of more than $30 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. "We've got to stop kicking the can down the road. This is going to require an effort on the part of all parties concerned to come to the table and be part of the solution," he said Tuesday.
Both sides have leveled accusations of intransigence in recent days, but the governor told reporters talk of ending the session without a spending plan is premature.
"While we are at an impasse clearly at this time, we have two weeks to unimpasse ourselves... I'm confident we have the intellect, the ability, and the motivations to get a budget accomplished," he said.
Lawmakers have only two working days left before a hard April 15th deadline. If that date passes without a deal, Bevin would need to call a costly special session or risk a partial government shutdown.
