FRANKFORT, Ky. — Today, Gov. Andy Beshear was joined by First Lady Britainy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman to provide an update on economic development; the unveiling of the 2024 Governor’s Derby Celebration poster; grants to support veterans; sports betting numbers from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament; new homes at Wayland high-ground site; recent and upcoming inclement weather; and actions taken on recent bills. Lt. Gov. Coleman also named everyone at the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs as this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars.
Economic Development
The Governor announced that State Budget Director John Hicks reported March’s General Fund receipts grew 12.7% over last year, while the state’s Road Fund receipts grew by more than 13.5% over the same period. General Fund receipts for March hit nearly $1.2 billion. This is the 19th consecutive month in which collections have exceeded $1 billion.
Gov. Beshear highlighted further growth in Kentucky’s manufacturing industry as Gracious Living KY, a manufacturer and distributor of consumer products, announced plans to expand its Butler County operations with a nearly $9.8 million investment creating 50 new full-time jobs.
The Governor congratulated Manchester Lumber Co. for expanding its operations after 75 years in Clay County. The company broke ground on its new location earlier this week.
Later today, Gov. Beshear will join local officials and representatives from Washington Penn Plastic Co. to celebrate the beginning of construction for the company’s new manufacturing facility in Clark County, a nearly $105 million investment that will create 88 full-time, Kentucky jobs.
Governor’s Derby Celebration Poster
Gov. Beshear joined Lexington artist Ken Burney and Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Matt Gibson for the official unveiling of the 2024 Governor’s Derby Celebration poster. To celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, Burney created this year’s poster to pay homage to the Kentucky Derby’s Black jockeys, who made significant contributions to the sport. The poster depicts Oliver Lewis riding Aristides in 1875, Isaac Murphy riding Buchanan in 1884 and Isaac Lewis riding Montrose in 1887.
Louisville artist Richard Sullivan helped present the 2024 Official Kentucky Derby Festival Poster to the Governor and First Lady. This year’s poster, titled “Liberated,” is the 44th poster in the Kentucky Derby Festival series and is available for purchase online. To learn more about these posters, see the full release.
KDVA Awarded Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award
The Governor highlighted recent awards received by the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs. For the fourth year in a row, in February, the KDVA was awarded the Department of Veterans Affairs Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award, this time for its innovative Veterans Red-Carpet Welcome Home program. Also in February, three Kentucky Veterans Centers were recognized as 2024 America’s Best Nursing Homes by U.S. News World Reports. On April 15, the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery South East, located in Hyden, will receive the National Cemetery Administration’s Stewardship Award in recognition of superior performance results. To learn more the recent award, see the full release.
Veteran’s Program Trust Fund Grants
The Governor announced nearly $393,000 in funding from the Veteran’s Program Trust Fund, which will go to nine organizations supporting Kentucky veterans. The funding includes:
- $105,000 to the Honor Flight Bluegrass, which provides flights for veterans to visit war memorials built in their honor in Washington, D.C.;
- $100,000 to the Clark County Veterans Council to build a public monument to honor the sacrifices of 101 Clark County residents who gave their lives in World War II and Korea;
- $75,000 to Honor Flight Kentucky to fly Kentucky veterans to Washington, D.C. to tour war memorials and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;
- Over $14,700 to the Lady Veterans Connect to host a weekend retreat for Kentucky women veterans at Cumberland Falls State Park;
- $5,000 to the Louisville Armed Forces Committee to recognize and honor Kentucky veterans at the Louisville Armed Forces Day Dinner in May;
- $500 to the Rowan County Veterans Foundation to build a simulated Vietnam War-era hut in the Rowan County Veteran Museum;
- $30,000 to the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame to honor Kentucky veterans;
- $10,000 to Operation Odyssey Outdoors to sponsor a trip to Florida for 20 wounded veterans; and
- $50,000 to the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Veterans Program to prevent eviction and utility connection for veterans and their families.
Over the last four-plus years, 97 grants have been awarded to various organizations supporting our great veterans, totaling more than $2.9 million.
NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Numbers
Lt. Gov. Coleman said that initial numbers indicate over 2.5 million individual bets were placed in Kentucky during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, with a total handle of more than $57.7 million, retail and mobile combined.
“We have seen some great success from sports wagering, which opened last September, and for the first time, Kentuckians were able to place legal wagers on NCAA Tournament games,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “In just seven months, sports wagering tax revenue is already beating predictions and it continues to be an entertainment source Kentuckians enjoy.”
New Homes at Wayland High-Ground Site
This week, the Governor joined Appalachia Service Project volunteers for a celebration of the progress being made at the high-ground community site in Wayland. Eleven homes are being built on the 4-acre site in partnership with ASP and with partial funding from the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund. Each home received $100,000 from the fund. The homes are expected to be ready for occupancy in June.
Weather Update
Lt. Gov. Coleman provided an update on the state’s ongoing response to severe weather that swept through the Commonwealth early this month. The National Weather Service has confirmed 19 tornadoes throughout Anderson, Bath, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Clark, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Mason, McCracken, Nelson, Oldham, Woodford and Union counties.
The ongoing priority remains the thorough assessment of damage sustained across the commonwealth following these storms. Although the threshold for requesting public assistance has not been met, the state is committed to continuing to document and report damage so that every affected community is accounted for.
“For those who were hardest hit, we are carefully compiling the necessary information to advocate for individual assistance where needed,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “Our focus, as always, is on ensuring that all affected communities receive all the support needed as they begin the recovery process.”
Two households are currently housed in travel trailers through the Commonwealth Sheltering Program following the April 2 storms. Another two households are housed in travel trailers following storms in Trimble County on March 15.
Lt. Gov. Coleman also provided an update on upcoming inclement weather. The Commonwealth is expected to experience scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, which could produce damaging winds, hail, flooding and tornadoes.
Action Taken on Recent Bills
The Governor updated Kentuckians on bills he has acted on recently. Gov. Beshear was joined by former University of Kentucky basketball star and NBA player Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and bill sponsor Sen. Whitney Westerfield to ceremonially sign Senate Bill 111, which requires health insurance coverage for speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering. Kidd-Gilchrist used his personal story to advocate for the legislation.
“Back in 2010, I made a commitment to UK, but also to this state,” Kidd-Gilchrist said. “And I’m fortunate enough to help the state and adults like myself who stutter in the future.”
“I’m honored to have been the sponsor of Senate Bill 111, and I’m glad that Kentucky gets to be first of the states in the country where Michael is going to bring this important work and this important change,” said Sen. Westerfield. “Michael, thank you for your advocacy. Using your story and your platform to do good for others is what we are all called to do.”
In this year’s legislative session, Gov. Beshear has signed 144 bills so far, including:
- House Bill 377 establishes a Teacher Recruitment Student Loan Forgiveness Pilot Program and a pilot Student Teacher Stipend Program.
- House Bill 453 establishes a requirement so that when child abuse or neglect is reported to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, they must determine the military status of the parent or guardian. This will allow the proper military Family Advocacy Program to intervene, providing quicker and more consistent services to military children and families.
- House Bill 30 establishes the Kentucky Service Members, Veterans and their Families Suicide Prevention Program.
- House Bill 752 appropriates funding from the Eastern and Western Kentucky SAFE Funds to help communities recover from historic flooding and tornadoes. It directs $48 million to the city of Mayfield to rebuild a fire station, police station, electric and water system facilities and city hall; $6.1 million to Graves County for its administrative building; and $11 million to the Breathitt County school district to help those schools continue to recover. The Governor noted that although this is a good bill, the budget as it stands includes no replenishment to the Eastern Kentucky SAFE Fund, which will keep affected counties from being able to provide funds for FEMA matching funds.
- House Bill 15 establishes rights relating to personal data, including letting Kentuckians know when their data is being used and allowing them to opt out of targeted advertising.
- House Bill 52 ensures all Kentuckians will have insurance coverage for any cancer screening, test or pre-diagnostic procedures.
Gov. Beshear has vetoed 27 bills, including:
- House Bill 5 is an act relating to crimes and punishments. The Governor said that the bill has some positive components, such as requiring the destruction of firearms used in murders. Still, these policies were combined with many negative measures, including criminalizing homelessness and significantly increasing incarceration costs without any additional appropriation. See the Governor’s full veto message.
- Senate Bill 349 establishes the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission that would be attached to the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research. Gov. Beshear said that the bill would place roadblocks that jeopardize economic growth. He also stated that numerous entities and organizations have expressed opposition. See the Governor’s full veto message.
- Senate Bill 299 attempts to remove the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Department of Charitable Gaming from the Public Protection Cabinet. The Governor said this bill would have unintended consequences on Kentucky’s horse racing, sports wagering and charitable gaming industries, including disrupting the positive rollout of sports wagering in the commonwealth, declassifying current Horse Racing Commission employees as state employees, causing them to lose job protections, possible fee increases for race tracks and exempting the new corporation from the Open Records Act. See the Governor’s full veto message.
- House Bill 513 would strip the authority of the Historic Properties Advisory Commission over monuments and art in the State Capitol rotunda and give final approval to the General Assembly. Gov. Beshear said under this bill, the commission would have had no authority to have voted for removing of the Jefferson Davis statue, which stood as a negative symbol in the state Capitol. See the Governor’s full veto message.
Of the 27 bills the Governor vetoed, six were line-item vetoed, including House Bill 6. The Governor said that he line-item vetoed the parts of the bill that put limits on responding to natural disasters as well as the lines that limit the financial resources necessary to fight forest fires.
Team Kentucky All-Stars
Gov. Beshear and Lt. Gov. Coleman named everyone at KDVA as this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars for winning the Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award for the fourth year in a row.
“To everyone doing the fine work of supporting our veterans, we are naming you all this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars,” said Lt. Gov. Coleman. “We also thank all our veterans and their family members. No matter the conflict, they have stood ready to sacrifice and protect our freedoms. We are forever grateful. They truly represent the best of Team Kentucky.”