Governor says budgetary cap would limit his immediate response to natural disasters in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear was at a podium Wednesday for a familiar scene: to discuss damage from the latest round of storms that battered Kentucky. But this time he contended that a new Republican-backed policy threatens to tie his hands in responding to any future disasters.

A day after storms spawned multiple tornadoes that caused widespread damage in several counties, the governor criticized a provision in the budget bill passed by lawmakers that he said would limit how much his administration could spend to respond immediately to such emergencies.

Once reaching that cap, he’d have to ask lawmakers for more immediate funding, which would require a special session if they’re not meeting at the time, Beshear said.

Beshear signaled that he would line-item veto the provision in the two-year budget measure, which he said sets the limit at $25 million per fiscal year. The legislature’s Republican supermajorities could override the veto when lawmakers reconvene in mid-April for the final two days of this year’s session.

Mindful of that, the governor appeared willing to compromise.

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