By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – It's looking less likely Kentucky lawmakers will lop off any days from the 2011 legislative session. With eight days left, Majority Leader Robert Stivers says the Senate remains under the schedule initially adopted. House Speaker Greg Stumbo remains open to an abbreviated session, but admits there's still much work to be done.
"We have to solve the Medicaid problem. I think everybody recognizes that. As far as the other pieces of legislation that have been proposed, quite frankly they don't quite rise to that level, I think, of importance in the sense that if we don't solve the Medicaid problem we're going to have a huge, probably a 30-percent cut to our providers in the Medicaid program."
The House adopted Gov. Beshear's plan for closing the Medicaid deficit, and the bill is now under consideration by the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee. Monday will be day 23 of the 30-day session.