'Getting to the good times.' Highlights of Andy Beshear's State of the Commonwealth address

FRANKFORT — Fresh off reelection as the lone Democrat elected to statewide office in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear opened his 2024 State of the Commonwealth address with a joke for legislators in the crowd.

"It is a new year, and everyone has something to be excited about," he said Wednesday, the second day of the General Assembly. "Many are excited that I will be serving as your governor for the next four years, and the rest, you are excited that I am now term limited."

It was a light moment in a speech that recognized survivors of serious crises in Beshear's first term — including devastating tornadoes in Western Kentucky and floods that killed more than 40 people in the east — while striving to place the commonwealth in "a new era as an economic and moral leader in this country" in his second term.

"Over the past four years we have gotten through so many hard times together, and now we are getting to the good times together," said Beshear, who took office just before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

His priorities may not align with leaders in the legislature, with both chambers dominated by Republican supermajorities. But Beshear, now set to remain in office through 2027, took time Wednesday to outline what he hopes lawmakers accomplish in the new year and to promote his vision for Kentucky. He declined to take further questions after the speech.

Key points of the speech

Beshear tackled a lot of familiar ground in his address, pointing toward such developments as the electric vehicle battery plant investment in Glendale as well as the multimillion-dollar Norton West Louisville Hospital. The project is set to be the first hospital to be built west of Ninth Street in Louisville in more than 150 years.

Beshear noted 81 people were killed in the 2021 tornadoes that hit Western Kentucky while another 45 died in 2022 floods in Eastern Kentucky, The steps to rebuild those communities are still underway, with the governor highlighting a previous pledge of $21.6 million to build and repair 300 homes with help from nonprofit organizations in the west. According to Beshear, 175 of those homes are either completed, under construction or approved to start construction.

Beshear said he is seeking $75 million for the Eastern Kentucky SAFE Fund to continue rebuilding efforts as well as $10 million from the General Fund to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in his budget proposal.

“We are rebuilding roads and bridges, water and wastewater systems, and we are building new homes for families that lost everything,” Beshear said.

Beshear also referenced infrastructure projects, including the construction on the Brent Spence companion bridge to Cincinnati without tolls, expanding the Mountain Parkway in Eastern Kentucky into four lanes and pushing Interstate 69’s expansion forward.

Here’s where Beshear wants to place some other dollars for infrastructure:

• $300 million to speed up the Mountain Parkway in the east and the I-69 River Crossing in the west,

• $50 million to repair local bridges across the state,

• $500 million in grants to provide clean drinking water and improve water systems across the state, via the Cleaner Water Program.

A big part of Beshear's budget proposal surrounds education, including an 11% raise for public school employees and universal, free preschool for 4-year-olds.

“We don’t just need to,” Beshear said of proposing raises for educators. “We have to.”

House, Senate leaders react

House Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers probably agreed with Beshear on at least one point — in comments to KET after the ceremony, both said the governor delivered a good and optimistic speech.

But the rosy outlook Beshear conveyed in his comments may contrast with what lawmakers view as plausible in the session.

"There are things that he said tonight that I believe we will agree with, there are things that we will have to be convinced of and then there are things that we probably won't do," Stivers said. "But I think it is important that we give each person, any individual in the executive branch, the opportunity to make their case to the General Assembly about what they want to do and why."

Stivers said he expects legislators to act to support flood and tornado victims, in alignment with the governor. And Osborne said the next step for Republicans putting the budget proposal together is to "start digging into the particulars about how he actually funds some of these things" to determine what is and isn't reasonable.

Both agreed a proposal that includes universal preschool is unlikely, though Stivers said he sees a "strong desire" to take a closer look at childcare options to help people with kids "get back into the workforce."

Thanking those behind the scenes

Legislators dominate headlines during the General Assembly. But Wednesday's speech took time to recognize other Kentucky residents who have made a difference behind the scenes.

Beshear thanked Corenza Townsend, who pitched plans years ago for the Norton West Louisville Hospital. He honored eight law enforcement officials who have died in the line of duty since 2022. And he took a moment to thank Pastor Stephen Boyken and other representatives from The Hope Initiative, a social services organization that helped tornado victims in 2021.

Beshear recognized the White family, who lost their home on Troublesome Creek during the floods in 2022. With the help of Hazard-based Housing Development Alliance Inc., the family moved into a new home on higher ground about six months ago.

They made the nearly three-hour drive to Frankfort for what father William White described as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

"He showed that he wanted to make sure that everybody got seen," White said about the invitation.

More: Kentucky's legislative leaders unveil priorities. Here's how they match up with Beshear's

Beshear also recognized Matthew Oates, a Muhlenberg County High School teacher he met in the aftermath of the Western Kentucky tornadoes, and his wife Jamie, who teaches at nearby Longest Elementary. While his plan faces opposition in the legislature, Beshear used the pair as an example of why teachers deserve the 11% raise included in his budget.

"To support themselves and their two kids, Matthew and Jamie Oates are both working two jobs," he said. "Our public school employees deserve better than that. It is families like the Oates who need us to step up right now and pay our public school employees closer to what they deserve."

Reach The Courier Journal's politics team at lounews@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Beshear's State of the Commonwealth address: Here are takeaways