Beshear touts new jobs, calls for investments in education in State of the Commonwealth

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The “new Kentucky home” Gov. Andy Beshear spoke about in Wednesday’s State of the Commonwealth address has a lot to be proud of.

In his annual speech to legislators and others at the state Capitol in Frankfort, Beshear touted economic progress in Kentucky during his five years in office, boasting more than 64,000 jobs have been created during his time as governor. Overdose deaths have dropped in the past two years, he added to applause, and the state continues to recover from natural disasters in 2021 and 2022 — and has helped with flood recovery efforts in North Carolina.

But Kentucky can do more, Beshear added, calling on lawmakers to use their time during this year’s 30-day General Assembly to “be thoughtful, even prayerful, about the legislation you choose to pass this session.”

In his 43-minute speech, Beshear put a spotlight on accomplishments during the past half-decade while looking toward the future. As legislators continue to consider bills this winter, the governor had plenty to say during his address to them.

Beshear highlights investments, legalization of medical marijuana

Beshear spent much of his address on one of his favorite topics — Kentucky’s economy.

The governor touted recent investments in the state, including a $700 million battery plant planned in Shelbyville that Beshear said will bring nearly 1,600 jobs to the state and a project in Christian County by Kitchen Food Company set to create more than 900 jobs.

He also took time to recognize Stellar Snacks co-owner Elisabeth Galvin, whose company has opened a manufacturing plant in Louisville’s West End, with the governor noting the pretzels it produces are now used on Southwest Airlines flights.

In Louisville: 1 year in, a look at progress the city has made on its economic development strategy

Beshear noted progress in Kentucky’s fight against drug addiction, telling legislators the state’s rate of overdose deaths has dropped for two straight years — “thank God,” he said, to applause.

He also promoted the state’s legalization of medical cannabis, which went into effect this year after being approved in the legislature in 2023, along with improvements to the 988 mental health hotline and mental health resources for students.

Tragedies due to natural disasters were pivotal moments in Beshear’s first term, between the December 2021 tornadoes that killed more than 80 people in Western Kentucky and the summer 2022 floods that claimed more than 40 lives in Eastern Kentucky.

Beshear called for applause for Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan, who led the city after it was wracked by the 2021 tornado, along with Perry County Judge-Executive Scott Alexander. Mayfield just broke ground on a new city hall and police station after its downtown was devastated by the storm, he said, and he thanked first responders who left the Bluegrass State to help with hurricane recovery last year in North Carolina,

“We’ve proven over and over again that Kentuckians don’t break,” Beshear said. “We lean on each other, and we get through whatever the world throws at us — and we get through it together.”

Governor calls on legislators to prioritize education

Still, Beshear said, Kentucky can improve.

Like last year, the governor called on legislators to prioritize public education by improving teacher salaries and by investing in universal pre-kindergarten education for all families, calling it “the single most impactful policy that can boost our workforce.” He celebrated the overwhelming Election Day defeat last November of Amendment 2, which would have allowed for tax dollars to go toward private schools.

He also pushed for lawmakers, who will go back to Frankfort on Thursday and Friday before recessing for three weeks, to invest in site development for the next company that eyes a major project in Kentucky, along with talent attraction at state and local levels.

They’re goals Beshear believes would lead the state in the right direction. But how much the Republican-dominated House and Senate will heed his requests remains to be seen.

House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, has said repeatedly he does not expect the budget to be reopened during this session for major changes, a comment he repeated after the speech on KET. Last year, the legislature did not specifically raise teacher salaries but put more money in the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky funding program to allow districts to allocate money as they see fit.

Also speaking after the address to KET, Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said universal pre-K was not a viable solution to issues facing Kentucky and said local governments should set their own policies.

In a statement late Wednesday, the Republican Party of Kentucky credited Stivers, Osborne and the legislature’s GOP supermajority for the state’s economic success, calling Beshear’s address “the same tired speech he has been giving for the past five years.”

The Kentucky Democratic Party, meanwhile, called on legislators to support Beshear and applauded his comments, attributing recent economic wins to the governor’s “relentless drive to meet Kentuckians where they are.”

Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, talked to reporters as he left the House following Beshear’s address. He said he appreciates talk of bipartisanship, but Republicans in the legislature feel its their job to set policy in the state and, as governor, it’s Beshear’s job to execute.

“Hopefully he won’t veto as much as he (has in the past), but if he does, we will continue to override them,” Rudy said. Republicans have a supermajority in both chambers and can override Beshear’s vetoes if the party is unified. He also does not expect action in the General Assembly on pre-K programs, he said — “we’re interested in making Kentucky a better place, focusing on continuing to lower the income tax and make us a better place to live that way.”

Lawmakers are currently advancing a bill that would cut Kentucky’s state income tax from 4% to 3.5%, with an expectation that it will be approved in the House on Thursday and sent to the Senate before the week ends. Beshear has indicated he will not veto that measure.

“We hope that he is moderating more and wanting to work with us,” Rudy added. “We hope that spirit truly was there.”

Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Beshear touts Kentucky’s progress in 2025 State of the Commonwealth

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel