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State Budget Talks Inch Back To Life

Senate Democratic Whip Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, studies budget documents before a meeting of the House-Senate state budget conference committee in the Capitol Annex. Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo met Wednesday to relaunch talks.
LRC Public Information
Senate Democratic Whip Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, studies budget documents before a meeting of the House-Senate state budget conference committee in the Capitol Annex. Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo met Wednesday to relaunch talks.

Kentucky House and Senate leaders are slated to resume budget talks as the session deadline approaches.

Senate Democratic Whip Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, studies budget documents before a meeting of the House-Senate state budget conference committee in the Capitol Annex. Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo met Wednesday to relaunch talks.
Credit LRC Public Information
Senate Democratic Whip Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort, studies budget documents before a meeting of the House-Senate state budget conference committee in the Capitol Annex. Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo met Wednesday to relaunch talks.

Call it a cooling off period, but negotiations have been slow to restart this week during the legislature’s veto break. Tuesday, Lexington Rep. Susan Westrom said budget news out of Frankfort has been scant since disagreements came to a head last week over the $65 billion two-year spending plan.

"I don't think there's been any movement on the budget since we left on Friday," she told WUKY.

Wednesday, a spokesman for Senate President Robert Stivers said the Republican leader plans to meet with his Democratic counterpart in the House. So far the two sides appear to have made little headway in resolving a dispute over proposed cuts to public colleges and universities. Republicans want to use the funds to shore up the pension system while Democrats have lined up against the reductions.

The final day of the legislative session is scheduled for April 12. Lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget by the 15th.

Copyright 2016 WUKY

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now known as Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and Program Director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.