FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Proposals included in Gov. Andy Beshear’s two-year budget plan submitted to the legislature Tuesday evening:
EDUCATION:
-$2,000 salary increase for all of Kentucky’s public school teachers.
-1% increase in the state’s school funding formula, known as SEEK.
-Full pension funding for the Teachers’ Retirement System.
-$11 million for each year of the biennium for textbook funding.
-$18.2 million in bond funding to finance school building upgrades as part of the 2019 school safety law.
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION:
-1% increase in funding for all postsecondary education institutions.
-$200 million in bond funds for a backlog of maintenance needs.
-Almost $430 million in agency bond authority for universities.
HEALTH CARE:
-Fully funds the Medicaid program, including the Medicaid expansion.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES:
-Funding for an additional 350 children’s protective services social workers.
-$1 million in state funds each year to pursue full enrollment of KCHIP-eligible children in health care coverage.
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES:
-1% salary increase each year for state employees.
-Full funding for the actuarially determined pension contribution for all state employees.
PUBLIC SAFETY:
-$5.3 million in the first year and $8.6 million in the second year to provide salary increases for Kentucky State Police troopers and other sworn personnel.
-An additional $2.5 million each year for a program to treat firefighters with post-traumatic stress disorder.
-An additional $52.5 million for Phase II of the emergency radio replacement system.
-$3 million each year to improve state police laboratory staff salaries.
-General Fund spending increases by about $109 million for corrections.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
-Returns coal severance tax revenues to counties, after reserving amounts needed for debt service on past capital projects.
-$16.4 million in state bond funds to help repair, replace and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
TRANSPORTATION:
-More than $4.1 million in the current year and more than $15 million each year of the biennium so the Transportation Cabinet can issue Real ID licenses.
VETERANS:
-$2.5 million for the design of a new veterans nursing center in Bowling Green.
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