Gov. Steve Beshear (D) • Jan. 14
Gov. Beshear, who took office this month, warned lawmakers in his State of the Commonwealth address that Kentucky will have to trim its budget to overcome a projected shortfall. He said the situation will make it harder to fund priorities, including increasing the state’s investment in college aid and job training, and in better preparing students for higher education. Gov. Beshear has proposed a 3 percent across-the-board cut for most programs, according to a spokeswoman. But some programs are expected to be exempt, including Support Education Excellence in Kentucky, or SEEK, which allocates grants to districts for some K-12 education expenses, including transportation and special education.