FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A Senate spending plan to run state government for the
next two years would release up to 2,000 felons from prison and put them into
home incarceration or drug treatment programs.
The plan would allow for the release of nonviolent and non-sexual felony
offenders and place them in drug treatment programs or home monitoring programs.
State government could save up to nearly $50 million over the next two fiscal
years under the proposal, lawmakers said.
"If we can put these people in treatment, as opposed to incarcerating them
where they get no treatment the savings will be tremendous," said Sen. Charlie
Borders, Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee chairman. "Because, not
only will it get the people to treatment where we hope they won't be second,
third, fourth time offenders but now they become taxpaying contributors because
they're able to get jobs and become a contributing citizen as opposed to locking
them away for ever and without treatment."
The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee approved the two-year
spending plan Monday. The full Senate was expected to consider it later in the
day.
Kentucky lawmakers are facing a grisly economic forecast based on sagging
revenues and soaring expenses that has the state facing a projected revenue
shortfall of approximately $900 million over the next two fiscal years starting
July 1. That's on top of an approximately $434 million shortfall in the current
fiscal year.
Gov. Steve Beshear proposed an approximately $18.7 billion budget proposal
that called for 12 percent cuts to various state agencies, government programs
and public universities. Beshear has called on lawmakers to increase revenue by
raising the state's tax on cigarettes by 70 cents a pack and approve a proposed
constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling.
House lawmakers, seeking to close the gap, approved a nearly $19 billion
budget proposal that would increase the cigarette tax by a quarter and raise
various other taxes on services.
Inmates who receive their high school diplomas or graduate equivalency
diploma, or other educational or drug treatment programs, would receive up to 90
days of "good time credit," under the proposal.
Under the proposal, felons released from prison would finish their sentences
on home incarceration and some could be allowed to work to pay their restitution
or child support. The state's prison commissioner would have the discretion to
release inmates.
Senate lawmakers said their proposal called for no additional money from
taxes. However, the plan would collect about $110 million more from the Kentucky
Lottery to offset cuts to higher education, said Senate Majority Floor Leader
Dan Kelly, R-Springfield.
Public school teachers would receive smaller pay raises under the Senate
proposal. The proposal calls for 1 percent wage increases in each of the next
two fiscal years. A proposal approved by House lawmakers earlier this month
would provide raises of 1 percent in the first year of the budget and 3 percent
in the second.
The Senate plan would add up to 2 percent in pay raises for teachers under a
contingency spending plan that would be triggered if the state revenues improved
beyond the projections.
Kentucky Education Association President Sharron Oxendine said she is
hopeful the larger raises can be restored before lawmakers give final approval
to the budget.
"It's not just bad for teachers, it's bad for public education," Oxendine
said. "When you have school employees having to go out and take second and third
jobs to make ends meet, that's a detriment to education."
Oxendine was also critical of a Senate promise to increase teacher salaries
later, if state revenues were to grow.
"You can't make ends meet on a promise," she said.
Borders said Senate lawmakers did not feel raising taxes was appropriate
given the state's current fiscal condition. Still, Borders said lawmakers were
expecting state revenues would exceed current official projections.
"Increasing taxes was not a priority because we considered with the economy
being what it is -- and some fear of where the economy is headed -- that we
should tighten our budgets as much as we expect folks back home have to do the
same thing," Borders said.
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