Legislators react to Bevin speech

Two local lawmakers are pleased some areas are spared from Governor Matt Bevin's proposed 6.25 percent budget cuts.

State Senator Whitney Westerfield says he was pleasantly surprised by some of what he heard.

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Representative Walker Thomas of Hopkinsville is glad the governor is not proposing any cuts to SEEK funding that is critical to public school systems.

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The budget now awaits a House committee consideration before a House vote and then the same process in the Senate before a conference committee made up of representatives and senators iron out a spending plan for the governor to review.

Westerfield says the budget will certainly undergo changes during that process.

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The reason for the spending cuts is the $3.31 billion proposed to spend on the state’s retirement system for state workers and public school teachers.