>> Good evening, and welcome to KET live coverage of the Governor's State of the Commonwealth and Budget Address.

We welcome you.

I'm Renee Shaw, and we thank you so much for joining us this evening.

We will provide live coverage of the governor's address when he gives it shortly.

In just a few moments.

This is where he will lay out his legislative priorities for this session and his budget.

And this will be the final time he makes his budget address to lawmakers and others assembled at the Thomas D. Clark center for history.

We're joined in the Lexington studio by two of our political pundits you see frequently here on KET Amy Wickliffe, who is a Republican strategist and partner with McCarthy Strategic Solutions, and Sherman Brown, who is a Democratic strategist, also a partner with McCarthy Strategic Solutions.

We welcome them and we thank them for being here with us.

And you are seeing a live shot of the Thomas D. Clark History Center there in Frankfort, where Governor Andy Beshear will make his remarks, his address shortly.

Amy, let me start with you.

What do you expect to hear?

And then I'll get Sherman's take on what he predicts and has heard so far.

>> So I think we're going to hear a very optimistic speech tonight.

Governor Beshear in the past has taken kind of a look back.

Right.

He wants to talk about kind of the wins that he's had as governor.

What I'm most interested in hearing is his budget address.

There's been a lot of talk over the last month about, are there going to be cuts in the budget?

The executive branch has been very close.

They've kept they've not leaked any details about what types of programs that they intend to fund.

I think we're going to hear a lot about pre-K for all economic development winds.

But that budget address, I think is really crucial and kind of sets the tone for where the legislature goes from there.

>> And Sherman, as we mentioned, this will be his final budget address, as he will be termed out after next year.

But he will have another opportunity to also do another legislative agenda.

What do you think and what have you heard about what he's really going to push this time?

And will it be some of that legacy setting as he thinks about entering the final years of his second term?

>> I think, first of all, I think Amy, Amy's kind of right.

I think you're going to hear, you know, where things are because things are good.

I think that's where people are going to be watching this and seeing it as far as jobs and things that have been created.

One of the things I think that we'll hear about, though, is on the federal, you know, we're going to hear some of that impact, what that's going to be for the budget at the state, since some of that has been passed on and kind of put on the on the states from healthcare side, as we kind of look at that, the impact of tariffs, I think you're going to hear some of that in the speech.

I'm interested to see that Medicaid, Medicaid, I think absolutely.

On health care.

That's what I mean.

Snap you can go through go through some of those.

I'm eager to hear on on that side, I think the pre-K for all is something he's been talking about.

And, you know, I think we're going to get some more, more details here tonight.

>> We want to give the audience a little bit more context when it comes to where they are and why they are there.

They are at the Thomas D. Clark center for history, because the state capitol is under major renovation, and it is closed for business for the next at least three years, possibly five.

So this is a different venue, and a lot of things will be different than usual.

>> That's right.

This is an unprecedented as we were talking before.

Right.

This is a completely different setup.

I think it's important to note that the governor was invited by the legislature to utilize the temporary house chambers, which normally the governor would be invited into the House chambers in the Capitol, which is not available at this moment in time.

They would gavel into a joint session, and the governor would present there in front of the Senate and House members present.

That's not where we are tonight, right?

There is no joint session.

The governor is at the History Center.

I believe the governor declined the option for the temporary chambers, probably largely due to space.

So this is different tonight.

But I think the ability for everyone to to still hear his message is really what tonight's about.

>> And legislators were invited to be in attendance at the History Center.

Right, chairman.

>> That's right.

All legislators were invited.

And it is.

It's unprecedented.

We've already seen we've seen one unprecedented back with Covid in 2021, having to have it done via via tape.

So it is an interesting spot that we find ourselves in.

>> And this will be how it will be done for the next several years.

Really.

Right.

Because the Capitol will not be available for at least three years or so.

And for those who are there, it's not just lawmakers.

Do you have any idea of who else might be in attendance?

>> I know there are.

Typically you've got university, some university presidents, you've got folks that are maybe impacted by some of the policies and things along those lines.

You've got staff.

Typically you have constitutional officers.

>> I was going to say constitutional officers, your Supreme Court justices, assuming all of those were invited, whether or not they're in attendance tonight, it's going to be a little hard for us to determine that.

But yeah, I mean, they're going to have there's going to be a lot of guests, a couple hundred people, maybe they're in the History Center.

>> Yes.

So you're seeing that live shot of what it looks like they're a little bit more elbow room than usual when you're in the packed chambers.

And so and with this setting too, so much is different tonight than, than usual and lots of ways.

And the venue makes a difference perhaps.

And does that affect the tone and maybe the tenor of what he delivers?

>> Well, I think tonight what I'm another thing I'm looking for is the setup.

Right.

The setup is different.

Right.

It's a little bit campaign style.

So is this not so much a state of the Commonwealth, but a little bit of state of the campaign and a kickoff.

>> Campaign for what?

Sherman Brown.

>> Hey, you can ask the questions all you want.

Everything that this guy does, if he's speaking in Maysville or if he's speaking to, you know, some wherever he is traveling, you know, in Oklahoma, he's giving the same speech.

It's the same conversation through it.

He's run on the same things.

So as far as what it looks like, you know, it's going to look that way because that's kind of the the message out there and conversation the way that it's been going, the.

>> Communication.

And those who may not be in the full know that he is looked at as perhaps as a candidate for president in 2028.

>> Absolutely.

I think he was you know, there was discussion around 2024 with everything that was going on there with the vice president opportunity.

And now, you know, he's listed in several, several circles and ones that I get phone calls all the time on, on, on the national level.

>> And we should also say that it's not going to be the normal proceedings, parliamentary proceedings that we're used to seeing when they're conducted in the House chamber, because it is convening them in joint session.

That is not the case tonight.

It's just a venue where the governor is speaking.

>> That's right.

And the governor really gets to set the agenda today.

Right.

That where that's different when you are in the House chambers and you are with the legislature, they are the ones who kind of set that agenda and, and gavel in and set the parameters and where you speak from.

In this instance, the governor and his team really got to lay out what this looks like tonight.

Who speaks, who introduces what they have.

>> And speaking of who introduces right now Silas House, who was the poet laureate for Kentucky for 2023 to 2025, is introducing the governor.

>> I was really fortunate to know Thomas Clark.

He was a true gentleman, one of our greatest writers and historians who preserve stories of those who came before us.

He documented the lives of all who lived and died along the Kentucky River that winds nearby, those who worked the fertile ground here, who forged our way of life and passed down traditions that live on in us as Kentuckians today.

It is the work of each generation of Kentuckians to decide how best to honor the heritage and legacy we've inherited, and how best to chart the way forward.

So tonight, together, we will use this moment to take stock of where Kentucky is at the dawn of 2026, as well as the path forward.

Friends, neighbors, Kentuckians to lead us on that way.

I'm very honored to introduce to you the governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Andy Beshear.

>> Pocahontas and Cranberry glaze ain't got bars, nor the charge to call her.

Anyway, my mind's a mile a minute.

My thoughts bark like hounds.

I focus on my breathing and universal sound.

I think about my darling girls waiting all alone.

I pray the stars will shoot her.

All the wishes she can hold.

>> Members of the General Assembly, Lieutenant Governor Coleman and Secretary Adams, justices of the Kentucky Supreme Court, former Governor Steve Beshear and former First Lady Jane Beshear.

Our amazing current first lady Britney Beshear.

And to every Kentuckian and every American watching from home.

Good evening.

Tonight, I'm speaking from the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History here in Frankfort.

As our state capitol undergoes its most significant renovation in more than 70 years.

The renovation is a reminder that our great democracy at times can buckle, and that cracks in the foundation and stress on the joints can threaten our very future.

Because our democracy, our way of life, even the stability of our Capitol building, is not guaranteed.

Instead, it takes work, effort and cooperation to sustain, strengthen and leave a thriving state and a functional country to our kids and our grandkids.

Every generation has a solemn duty to safeguard this great experiment that has persisted for more than 250 years.

That means every generation must roll up their sleeves and do the work.

Over the past six years, our people have been putting in that work to secure a brighter future, and we've been doing it together.

Together, we're building a future where every Kentucky child can achieve their Kentucky dream, no matter how big.

Together, we set an example for all of America, a state where officials are both Democrats and Republicans.

A state that's both urban and rural, a state that stretches from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River.

Yet we found a way to work together to find unity and to succeed.

That's why folks around the country are no longer looking down on Kentucky.

They're looking up to us.

They're looking to find hope beyond the chaos.

And they're finding that hope right here.

While our national politics has been poisoned with division.

Here in the Commonwealth, we've won as one team.

Team Kentucky, by pushing out that noise and finding common ground to move our state.

Not right, not left, but forward for everyone.

We've done this by recognizing the most important things to our people.

They're not Partizan.

They're not even bipartisan.

They are nonpartisan.

A good job, affordable health care, safe roads and bridges, good schools, safe communities.

These aren't red or blue issues.

They're just what every Kentucky family wants, what every Kentucky family deserves, and what our American families demand.

To keep succeeding, we must remain focused on what matters most our people and bettering their lives.

And that's why I remain optimistic about what we can continue to accomplish together.

This is my seventh state of the Commonwealth and my last budget address in this job.

So tonight, I am proud to report once again that the state of our Commonwealth remains strong.

But our people, our Commonwealth and our country are facing serious new challenges.

And it's our job to meet this moment.

For the first time in my lifetime, a large portion of the American public is questioning one of the most important foundations of our country the American Dream.

The American Dream is as simple as it is powerful that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead.

You can build a better life.

You can leave your kids better off.

For generations now, my family has lived the American dream.

My grandfather, who couldn't afford to go to college, worked hard, saved up and bought the local funeral home.

Through that small business, he was able to do what his parents couldn't.

He was able to send his kids through college one to med school, another to law school, and then their children, myself included, had even greater opportunities.

But today, too many American families feel the stream is just a hallucination.

The cost of groceries and health care are too high.

The family vacation they took as kids just doesn't fit in the budget.

That first home for a young couple is unaffordable, maybe unattainable.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to reignite and refuel the American dream for the sake of future generations.

It must burn bright in the minds of our people.

So tonight, I'm going to discuss the American dream, both where we're succeeding and where we must do more.

The American dream starts with a job.

It's what supports a family and drives our economy.

I'm proud to say that no administration has created more.

Last year, we delivered once again announcing more than $10.5 billion in private sector investment and creating 9600 new jobs.

That's the second best year in the history of our state.

And that means that this administration has had the first, second, third and fifth largest years on record.

Over the past six years, we have become an economic powerhouse, more than doubling Kentucky's previous investment record with over $45 billion in new investments for our families.

For the American Dream, we've broken our job creation records with 68,000 new jobs, but not any job will do.

Because while the American Dream is about working hard, it's also about getting ahead.

So our people deserve good jobs.

Jobs where you can not only pay the bills at the end of the month, but you can save for your kids education, for retirement, for the down payment on a new home and for that summer vacation that you deserve.

That's why I'm proud to report that we have recruited the best jobs in our history, with the highest three year average for new wages we've ever seen.

Last year, our average incentivized wage was just under $30 an hour.

And despite national headwinds, despite the damages of President Trump's tariff policy that both of our U.S.

senators and this governor strongly oppose, Kentucky's economy is still growing.

According to a recent Moody's study, most states saw their economy slow and even slide into recession last year.

But in Kentucky, we're still expanding, showing our nation what an economy built to last looks like.

Take a ten day window in August, where we welcome more than $6.3 billion in new investment and over 1000 full time jobs for iconic companies GE appliances, Ford, Apple and General Matter all chose Kentucky.

On August 11th, GE appliances announced the investment of $3 billion in new American manufacturing and the creation of 800 new Kentucky jobs.

CEO Kevin Nolan shared that when it came to writing the next chapter for GE appliances, it needed to start in Kentucky.

He said, we're making this commitment because we believe the future of manufacturing is in America.

And here in Kentucky, we have representatives from GE appliances with us tonight.

Let's thank them for this big investment.

Just two days later, Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford Motor Company, announced a nearly $2 billion investment in Louisville.

It's going to revolutionize Henry Ford's assembly line and create an affordable EV from Kentucky that can compete anywhere.

He said Ford's goal was to put an affordable, unbelievably great product within the reach of millions of Americans built in the US by US workers.

Who do you trust for this massive game changing investment?

He trusted us.

Kentucky.

His exact words were we made a big bet on our country, and we made a huge bet on the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Also in August, General Matter announced a $1.5 billion investment in Paducah.

This company is going to change our nation's energy economy in profound ways and bring modern nuclear power to our state.

Their project is already creating interest up and down the supply chain, with the possibility of future companies making Western Kentucky their new Kentucky home.

Now, some will be surprised that I mentioned this investment tonight.

Now, it's true that some of the companies, investors and I don't share the same politics, but we do share a commitment to get this job done and to strengthen our nation's energy economy.

And we know one simple truth there ain't nothing Democrat or Republican about a good job.

This is how we find common ground.

This is how America is supposed to work.

Leaders from General Matter are here with us tonight.

Let's welcome them.

Folks, that was just ten days.

Over the rest of the year, we saw great announcements like Nieto creating 220 new jobs right here in Frankfort, Alta Alloys and Shinsung USA, 95 jobs in Simpson County, Paragon Metal Fabricators, 40 jobs in Pendleton County, Toyota and Steel Blue components, 163 jobs in Scott County.

Lockheed Martin 70 jobs in Fayette County.

Sazerac 50 jobs in Taylor County, Louisville.

Brands 210 jobs in Jefferson County Morris Packaging 276 jobs in Marion County E. Hoffman packaging 165 jobs in Hopkins County and in Glasgow.

We celebrated some great news when we closed the deal in person in Ireland with Tate, the company, $61.2 million project is the largest announcement for Barron County in 18 years.

It has 400 new jobs.

Marine Carpenter, the president and CEO of the Barron County Economic Authority, is here with us tonight.

Maureen, thank you for all your work.

This is a county and our commonwealth.

Kentucky our job creation efforts are being recognized nationally as we secured another top five ranking for economic development.

That's now five straight years of being in the top five in the country.

And we've been congratulated by the toughest of critics as we secured three credit upgrades, which say Kentucky is on the upswing.

The products we make are being sold all over the world as we have broken back to back our record on exports.

Of course, I can't miss an opportunity to thank our hard working unions be in.

Being pro-union creates jobs, it creates opportunities, and our unions have fought for the American dream longer than I've been alive in Kentucky.

We've proven you can be pro-job, pro-business and pro-union.

Everyone wins together.

So that's a lot of good news.

But often on sunny days, there are storm clouds on the horizon.

Bad tariff and trade policy are impacting our national economy.

Slowing or pausing.

Many projects in other states are shedding both investments and jobs.

That means competition will only intensify.

We'll have to work even harder.

That's why my proposed budget begins with job creation.

It contains $70 million for site development to create build ready, job ready sites.

It contains $100 million for large projects that just need that last bit of infrastructure or an access road to say yes.

And for the first time, it includes a $25 million Rural Economic Development Fund to bring jobs to areas that have been so close but haven't had that big announcement yet.

We must invest there because you should be able to live the American dream in every part of our state.

A good job is where the American dream starts, but a home is where it lives.

Our homes are where we raise our families and make our memories together.

Sadly, owning that home seems out of reach for far too many Americans in Kentucky, we're doing better than most.

Last year, Kentucky scored as one of the best states in the nation for home affordability.

We've been recognized for our efforts not just to build affordable housing, but to build housing in western and eastern Kentucky for those impacted by natural disasters.

In western Kentucky, we're building 254 homes for tornado survivors through our relief fund.

And I announced the single largest affordable housing investment in our history, with $223 million going towards 953 rental units.

In eastern Kentucky.

We've embarked on the most ambitious rebuilding effort our country has ever seen through our High Ground initiative.

With eight communities underway, this initiative will eventually bring more than 500 new homes to eastern Kentucky.

Two sites are already complete Wayland and Floyd County, and the cottages of Thompson Branch in Letcher County.

Robbie Williams, the judge executive of Floyd County, is here with us tonight.

He can share firsthand how a bold housing initiative like our high grounds can transform a region and its future.

Great work is continuing at our other high ground sites.

Homes are springing up at Chestnut Ridge and Knott County and New Hope in Floyd County, and people like Samantha Turner are already moving in at Sky View in Perry County.

See, Samantha was volunteering at the Hazard Airport in 2022.

She was helping flood victims as they stepped off a National Guard helicopter in 2025.

Her home was destroyed by a similar flood.

But last year I got to walk her through her new Kentucky home in Sky view.

Now she'll never have to worry when it rains.

While these efforts are amazing, they're not enough to preserve the American dream of owning a home.

Kentucky needs a big, bold investment now.

It can't wait.

It can't be incremental.

So I'm proposing a game changing $150 million investment in our Affordable Housing trust fund combined.

Combined with private dollars that create $1 billion of new housing.

We must tackle the shortage in housing and we must do it now.

While most dreams at night are short, the American Dream is about a long, healthy life where you can raise your kids and eventually spoil your grandkids.

That's why we've continued efforts to expand health care, to keep our people healthy and happy.

Our people are healthier, and our workforce is better.

When every Kentuckian can see a doctor close to home.

Late in 2024, we opened Norton West Louisville, the first hospital in West Louisville in 150 years.

In its first year, the hospital served nearly 60,000 Kentuckians.

Norton West Louisville is changing lives through increased access to quality care, something every person deserves.

Let's thank the Norton team, including Russ Cox and Carenza Townsend.

Since 2020, we've also opened the Pmc's new Children's Hospital and its Appalachian Valley Autism Center.

These facilities serve over 100,000 children, covering 23 eastern Kentucky counties.

These services are critical, and they're life changing.

Before these investments, parents in eastern Kentucky were told the best thing they could do for their kids was to move.

That is wrong.

No Kentucky family will ever have to hear those words ever again.

We've also broken ground on or opened a new Ava center location in Floyd County, UofL Health in Bullitt County, the Burch in Owensboro, the Mercy Health Lourdes Cancer Center in Paducah, Baptist Health Hamburg in Lexington, the New Reach Clinic in Mason County, and we celebrated Appalachian Regional Healthcare's new mobile clinic, which is bridging the gap between hospital visits and house calls.

We haven't just expanded access, we've also expanded coverage.

I was proud to expand Medicaid to include dental, vision, and hearing.

That's resulted in 267,607 Kentuckians receiving glasses, 16,274 Kentuckians receiving dentures, and 675 being fitted for hearing aids.

When it comes to our fight against addiction, we continue to make meaningful progress that has saved lives, reunited families and created safer communities.

We're now up to 35 recovery ready communities, and I've banned harmful drugs like designer Xanax and deadly forms of kratom.

The result?

Drug overdose deaths have now gone down three straight years in Kentucky, thank God.

We also recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health.

Since I've taken office, our number of mental health professionals has nearly doubled our efforts to rebuild our state run health care exchange.

Connect have been hugely successful.

Last year, nearly 100,000 Kentuckians enrolled the highest number in the past decade and as of last month, safe, regulated medical cannabis is now available in the Commonwealth.

Sadly, a lot of that progress is at risk due to decisions at the federal level.

Decisions like Congress voting yes to extend tax cuts for the wealthy, but voting no to extend tax credits for working Americans to afford health care, and the impact of the president's big ugly bill is going to hit Kentucky the hardest.

It could close 35 rural hospitals, fire 20,000 health care workers, and eliminate coverage for 200,000 Kentuckians.

That ugly bill.

It also cuts nursing scholarships at a time when the shortage threatens the quality of care our families receive.

The combination of these federal failures threatens the American dream with lost jobs, higher costs, shorter lives and longer drives.

Just to see the same doctor.

That's why my budget pushes back.

Investing in our people and our health care.

My budget fully funds Medicaid.

Even with the increased cost.

It provides $100 million to lower the cost of coverage on connect.

It expands the number of Shelby waiver slots for families of children with special needs.

It includes $25 million for nursing student loan forgiveness, and it creates $125 million rural hospital fund.

We simply cannot allow our rural hospitals to close, and we cannot accept a future where a Kentucky woman must travel several hours just to give birth.

Tonight we have a real life healthcare hero with us, Doctor Jason Smith, the CEO of UofL health Jason shown courage leading through Covid 19, speaking out after mass shootings, and recently he spoke truth to power, writing an op ed titled Medicaid Cuts Threaten Lives, jobs and Kentucky's Future.

Jason, please see this budget as a reflection that Kentucky believes in you, and we believe in healthcare for all of our people.

The American Dream doesn't begin with success.

It's a journey towards it.

The path that leads us there are the roads and bridges across our state and our country.

Whether it's to work, church, a doctor's appointment, or dropping your kids off at school, our infrastructure is essential to our daily lives.

Since 2020, Team Kentucky has replaced or repaired 660 state and local bridges.

During that same period, 20,000 miles of road improvements have been completed or are currently underway.

We celebrated some big wins over the past year, finishing the US 460 quarter in Pike County, a project 23 years in the making.

In early November, we cut the ribbon on the completed approach to the I-69 Ohio River crossing, which is going to open up new lanes of commerce in our state and in our region.

And this year, we began construction on the final stretch of the Mountain Parkway through the heart of Appalachia.

It's been talked about for decades, but now I can say I'm the first governor to say every portion of the four laning of the Mountain Parkway is now complete or under construction.

The American dream is rooted in hope, but it can be extinguished through fear.

So public safety is everyone's job, a job where we work together, where we not only make our people safer, but they feel safer at all times.

As a state and as a country.

We don't accomplish this by stunts in the short term.

We accomplish it by putting in the work for the long term.

We do it by hiring more law enforcement and paying them better.

By protecting our children online and on our streets, by reducing recidivism, and through the best natural disaster response in the country.

When I came into office, our Kentucky state police force was dwindling.

The previous governor had attempted to cut promised retirements and morale was low.

So we rolled up our sleeves, increased pay, and made real changes.

Now, the full KSP agency is up to 1896 team members we put in.

We put in that same effort in training local police and sheriff's deputies.

Now Kentucky has 8000 local law enforcement officers protecting our streets.

We opened the new Western Kentucky Law Enforcement Training Center, which had its first graduating class of 21 officers.

Even better, tonight we have the top graduate of that class, Briana Ray, now a sheriff's deputy with the Hardin County Sheriff's Office.

In October, we announced the good work of our state police and protecting our children.

Since late 2019, they have arrested 474 online child predators.

That's 474 predators that will no longer threaten our children.

Let's give KSP the child crime task force in Breonna a big round of applause.

Making our community safer.

It's about more than just arresting criminals.

It's about preventing crimes altogether.

When a crime doesn't occur, there's no victim, no families left grieving.

One way we prevent crime is by working with our inmates to ensure once they're released, they do not violate again.

Last year we did that, securing another record low recidivism rate.

A good part of that is thanks to our efforts to provide second chances and real job opportunities.

It's not just the smart thing to do.

My faith teaches me that second chances are what we're called to do.

So last April, we announced more than a dozen new vocational programs in our prisons.

Inmates are receiving training in CDL, construction, cosmetology, HVAC, and painting.

But it's time to take these efforts to the next level.

So we've teamed up with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and together with President Ryan Quarles, we're seeking funding for a nonpartisan, game changing project, a reentry campus that will make our people safer and make Kentucky a national model.

I want to thank our Council of Second Chance Employers, who are working together to help continue this important progress.

Making our people safer also means having the best emergency response to natural disasters.

We've had far too much practice, with 14 federally declared weather disasters, a pandemic, helicopter crashes, mass shootings and a major plane crash.

Last February, our state was hit with another devastating flood.

In the end, 25 of our fellow citizens were killed in early April, much of the state endured even more flooding this time.

We lost seven Kentuckians.

In May, an EF four tornado struck through southeastern Kentucky.

The 19 children of God taken far too soon.

And if natural disasters weren't enough, we suffered the catastrophic UPS plane crash in Louisville.

We lost 15 souls to that terrible accident.

I want you to remember these are real people.

In response to each of these disasters, our emergency personnel stepped up and showed this country how it's done.

Our swift water rescue teams were pre-positioned before the floods, jumping into action and making hundreds of rescues.

Our National Guard responded time and time again.

And in Louisville, 18 different fire departments and 50 fire trucks led by the Okolona Fire Department responded to the inferno, preventing more loss.

It's impossible to know why Kentucky gets hit over and over again, but my faith teaches me that God saves his biggest challenges for the strongest of people, and each response reminds me that strength is not bravado.

It is not bullying, but a resolve built on love, kindness, and a commitment to our fellow human beings.

Tonight, let's recognize and remember all the families that have suffered loss, and let's give a big thank you to all our first responders.

Part of the American Dream is about us, the adults doing well.

But the core of the American Dream is about empowering our kids to do better.

As it says in Psalms, children are a gift from the Lord.

They are a reward from him.

Our priority always must be the future, and our future is molded in our public schools.

I am unapologetically a 100% pro-public education governor.

Every budget I proposed has invested in our school system, starting with our educators.

Once again, I'll be doing what's right.

I'm proposing $159 million for mandatory raises for our educators, and a proposal to increase take home pay by nearly 7%.

My budget also increases education funding per pupil, and it adds $560 million to our teachers retirements.

But that leads me to the most important choice in this session for our future our businesses, our families and our children.

The single most effective way we succeed in this next budget is by funding pre-K for all.

Right now, more than half of Kentucky's kids are showing up to kindergarten already behind.

They come to school with fewer vocabulary words.

Some don't know their colors.

Others aren't even potty trained.

Most Kentucky parents can't afford pre-K, so many of our neighbors want to return to work, but simply can't afford child care.

And at a time when things cost too much, pre-K saves parents thousands of dollars every year, and one study shows it boosts parents earnings by nearly $9,000 per year for at least six years.

Over time, pre-K is projected to grow Kentucky's workforce by up to 70,000 people, and studies show that for every $1 invested in pre-K, we get $10 cycle through our economy.

It's clear Kentucky needs pre-K for all.

And the members of the General Assembly, we're able to work together on medical marijuana to make sports betting legal, to protect horse racing and gaming in our horse industry.

Surely we can come together for four year olds.

And for those that say pre-K for all is political, let me remind you, four year olds can't vote.

They're not registered.

So if you're against this because you think it gives me a win, what you're really doing is handing these kids a loss.

Pre-K for all is the right thing to do.

So let's get it done.

Our state is on a roll.

But with the challenge of tariffs, national uncertainty and more, life's going to be a little tougher than in the past.

Without action, Kentuckians are going to suffer.

So in addition to our proposed investments in housing, jobs and health care, tonight I have two more proposals to help our families.

First, my faith tells me no one should go hungry.

The miracle of the fishes and the loaves is one of the only miracles that appears in each of the first four books of the gospel.

That tells us it's pretty darn important, but the actions by the Trump administration to the Snap program are going to result in soaring costs, and 114,000 Kentuckians are going to go hungry from losing their food assistance.

We can't let that happen.

That's why my budget provides $50 million to help our hard working Kentucky food banks do more.

Let's give a big round of applause for Feeding Kentucky their network of food banks and everyone working to end hunger in the Commonwealth.

Second, we cannot let our people freeze in the winter or suffer heat stroke in the summer.

My budget creates a $75 million fund to help at risk Kentuckians pay their utility bills.

I'll close tonight with a grand understatement.

We live in chaotic times, but in such times, I hope and I pray that God grants us the wisdom to see beyond the anger of today's politics, to the possibility and the promise that tomorrow holds.

And even in chaotic times, we see the goodness of our people.

If you need proof of that, look at Trooper Jud Vermillion, Jimmy and Jessica Alexander, Taylor Hall, and Adam Arnold.

These heroes exemplify this goodness.

When Trooper Vermillion was shot while protecting Kentucky, Jimmy, Jessica, Taylor and Adam did what we all hoped we'd do in a life threatening emergency.

They stepped up, they stepped in, and they helped save a life.

They didn't ask Trooper Vermillion about his background, his politics, or even which basketball team he roots for.

They just helped him.

Scripture tells us, you see, that his faith and his actions were working together, and that his faith was made complete by what he did.

Some of these good Samaritans are here with us tonight.

Let's show them our appreciation.

We always come together in times of need, and that's what makes me so proud to be a Kentuckian in Kentucky.

We've turned down the temperature.

We've worked together because our people deserve a government that unites instead of divides, that works for the good of all of us.

Instead of creating an us versus a them.

If you walk into the construction project that is our state capitol, you'll find a statue of Abraham Lincoln.

His Gettysburg Address is on a plaque on the wall, another reminder that our democracy is indeed fragile.

President Lincoln said to his countrymen, we are not enemies, but friends.

Though passion may have strained, it must not break the bonds of our affection.

While the national media fixates on the rage, we focus on results while social media lifts up the angry and the judgmental.

We must amplify kindness, acceptance and empathy.

This polarized moment in our history.

It won't last forever.

And like Lincoln all those years ago, Kentucky can lead the way out of the darkness and into the light.

It's our job.

It's our duty, and we cannot leave a broken country to our children.

So as we repair our state capitol, let us also repair ourselves, our communities, and our countries.

Remember, your neighbor is not the enemy from within.

She's just your neighbor trying to do her best in this difficult world, this moment in our history.

How we conduct our business today is going to determine how future Kentuckians view us.

Did we favor division or unity, discrimination or inclusion?

This is the moment we've been entrusted to navigate.

So let's stay focused and deliver a 2026 filled with prosperity and promise.

Thank you.

God bless the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

God bless the United States of America, and good night.

>> And you just you just heard Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear give his seventh state of the Commonwealth and his last budget address, as he, quote, said in this job before an audience there at the Thomas D. Clark center for history, which is otherwise known as the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort, due to the Capitol renovations happening at the state Capitol, this venue was chosen here tonight.

We thank you for joining us for coverage of the governor's speech, and we're so glad to have you along.

And we also have in our studio here in Lexington, some of our political pundits who frequently join us on election night and other occasions.

Amy Wickliffe, who is with McCarthy Strategic Solutions, a Republican strategist, and her colleague Sherman Brown, a Democratic strategist who's also with McCarthy Strategic Solutions.

Okay, Amy and Sherman first, right off the bat, if there was ever any question that perhaps he's going to make a speech like this, some other place, he put that to rest tonight.

What his ambitions are right.

>> That's exactly right.

It was a very he painted a very confident picture of Kentucky.

Right.

It was a trip down memory lane, which I think we expected.

We've seen him do that before.

I think the open question to me, always is, is whether the picture that is presented during a state of the Commonwealth actually matches the pressure and the struggles of the people on the ground in Kentucky.

Right.

I think the true state of the Commonwealth is felt in our churches and our grocery stores, around our kitchen tables and our factories.

And so does that optimism really match what Kentuckians are really feeling today?

>> Yeah.

And what do you think?

Did he meet the moment tonight with that address.

>> I wrote down as he kind of went through?

I always try to think of the words that I'm feeling of what's coming from whoever's speaking.

Right.

And I got positivity, unity.

And then he ended with promise.

He talked about polarization in a couple of different times, and he talked about the politics of where things are.

I think just at the at the federal level and then just neighbors, you hear neighbor a lot through through him.

That's where you get the Mister Rogers kind of kind of jokes.

But I think that that's just who he is.

I mean, that's really what he is.

Kind of pushes and projects because it's coming from a natural place.

It's just, you know, him just speaking.

>> So the several major themes of his address tonight centered on the issues of housing, health care access, public safety, job creation and public education, which many of us might have said in my industry that he buried the lead.

I think perhaps many were waiting for more robust pronouncements about his ambitions to once again go for fully funding of pre-K for four year olds in the state.

And it seemed to be not an afterthought, but it came near the end of the speech.

>> I expected that to be more of a centerpiece of this speech, and it wasn't.

And for whatever reason that is, you know, I think we have to recognize that.

We know that the governor is really out there using all of his staff and his everything that he has, right?

Every lever that he has to really push the legislature towards a pre-K for all.

He did make an outreach right to the legislature, say, hey, we've worked on things before, we can do it again.

But it's no secret, right?

Pre-K for all is met with little to no support from the Republican legislature, and there are a lot of reasons for that.

I'm sure you'll explain that and talk about that in a future show, but that's going to be an uphill battle.

So but the governor is not giving up.

He's trying to do all he can to make sure that that gets a fair shake during the upcoming.

>> And he didn't mention the price tag for such an initiative either.

>> Well, I thought I thought the fact that he mentioned he did talk about the the that it helps the child, but he really started making the economic argument that was really more it than anything else of where this is.

And I'm guessing that's from conversations with legislators or, you know, who he's talking to.

Clearly, that's the question is just kind of let's put this back.

Look at the economic argument, investing in our children and our future.

And then, as Amy said, he kind of pointed out, we've done this before.

We've kind of brought this other big issues that we that we've tackled.

This is one that we can that we can surely find an agreement on.

>> But you're right.

No price tag.

>> No price tag on that, which is a budget address.

So you would kind of expect there to be some notion of that in public education, though he did give a price tag for proposing 159 million for mandatory teacher raises or educator raises, and a proposal to increase take home pay by nearly 7% and also increase per pupil funding and add $560 million to the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System.

So he did give some hard numbers there, but not for pre-K.

>> Yeah, exactly.

Interesting.

You know we'll see it.

Hopefully it'll.

>> It'll be in there.

>> Soon enough for sure.

>> Right.

It we'll see it soon enough.

Right.

And then at the end he talked about the two proposals to help the food banks in Kentucky.

We know that's been in the news a lot, considering the federal government shut down and how those food banks have really rallied to help those in need.

And then the 75 million to fund at risk Kentuckians pay their utility bills.

Sherman Brown.

So in addition to some of the public safety mentions, although even with public safety, that felt like we didn't get what the announcement was there, what the plan would be, and moving forward, it was more like what we have done.

Where do you think he missed an opportunity?

>> Amy Wickliffe you know one thing, I think everything that he talked about a lot, right?

He covered a lot of ground.

I will give him that.

One thing that I think is an area where he could actually find some common ground with the legislature, is in the area of energy.

You cannot read the news every day or pick up a newspaper and not see the need to have a focused energy plan, right?

To talk about what the innovations of AI, the capacity needs that we are going to have.

We are a coal rich state, right?

We have our own natural resources here.

And so to not hear some talk about how we can make strides in getting more generation online faster so that we can have that, it's a national security issue.

It's a military issue, and energy is a national issue as well.

And so to me, I think that's one where he may have missed the mark and not including that, because I do think that the the legislature over the past several years has made a lot of strides in trying to make sure that we're protecting our energy resources.

We are streamlining, we're trying to reduce some barriers and streamline permitting and whatnot.

And so to me, that was a that was a missed.

Even though he did.

>> Mention general matter, the Paducah company, the modern nuclear powers.

But he did in terms of a policy proposal.

>> That's right.

That's right.

And so that to me, that's a missed opportunity, because I think there is an openness from the legislature to want to work on that.

They have signaled that.

And it is a national issue.

Right?

I mean, our national security and energy, you know, American dominance in energy is key for our future and for our safety.

>> So, Sherman, in the minute we have remaining, was this speech for the Kentucky audience or a broader national audience or both?

>> The American dream goes to Kentuckians, too.

So I think I think obviously there are folks watching this at a national level.

I mean, there's there's no doubt about that.

But I did find it.

One thing that we didn't talk more about is the affordable homes, things along those lines, the fact that we're looking back and tackling both the disaster, natural disasters of floods and tornadoes and mass shootings, as he talked about that, and that is a Tommy Elliot in the old, old National.

That's a friend of his he's talking specifically about.

He didn't name him here.

But to me that was that was very interesting just to bring all of that together.

I think as far as a a missed opportunity, I would like to see more on that of what would you do on mass shootings and where would that be?

Because he's been pretty up front.

>> About it.

More analysis coming up as we will continue our coverage of the governor's address on Kentucky edition.

That begins in two minutes at 630 eastern, right here on KET.

Thank you for joining us.