Today, Louisville Young celebrated the future of their city thanks to investments made in the state budget this year as Kentucky additions.

June Lefler reports, state legislators say when Louisville prospers, so does the rest of the state.

United we stand.

Divided we fall.

Go.

Louisville.

Go Kentucky and go Cards.

Kentucky Senate president says Louisville's economic and cultural reach extends far beyond Jefferson County.

State lawmakers earmarked nearly $1.2 billion for one time investments in Louisville and its outskirts to keep Louisville's downtown bustling for residents and visitors.

Over $100 million to transform downtown to make our city safer.

We're going to make downtown more thriving, vibrant, clean and green space, starting with right in front of us here, transforming concrete and grass of the Belvidere overlooking the Ohio River, right in the heart of our central business district.

And to keep Lowell billions experiencing homelessness afloat.

To make the community care campus a reality in partnership with Volunteers of America, to help provide more services and shelter for those individuals in our community that are most in need.

Money is also set aside for Jefferson Memorial Forest.

Thousands of acres of green space just south of Louisville.

We have a gym right here in my district about 15 minutes away.

And we want to make sure that all 6500 acres are appreciated and enjoyed while maintaining Louisville's largest nature preserve.

Another roll of the forest.

Even modest investments and smaller organizations are a game changer.

The Kentucky College of Art and Design says state dollars will help them gain accreditation and grow their student body.

It's a small college started 14 years ago in the basement of 21 C hotel and went on to partner with Spalding University, where it was incubated for a period of time, then broke away and became an independent College of Art and Design, was licensed and is now in candidacy for accreditation and moving towards full membership, hopefully by December.

Kentucky's Speaker of the House says countless Kentuckians came to him to get a slice of the pie ahead of budget negotiations.

We had a $5 billion roughly, budget surplus, our budget reserve, and I counted about $500 billion from at least 5 million people in request.

Every state university had their wish list.

One of the biggest ticket requests came from you about asking for a new space and technology to train the state's future nurses and doctors.

And you have all got it.

This year's budget supports almost $300 million in investment to build a new health sciences center simulation and collaboration hub right here in downtown in the Looming District.

This is the largest funding of a single project in U of L's history, and I cannot tell you how very much it is needed to support our health sciences faculty, staff and students as they address a growing shortage of nurses and health professionals in our communities, as well as advanced cutting edge research to develop treatments and cures for cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

The legislative session was rough for some Louisville lawmakers.

The Republican supermajority passed sweeping laws that Democrats did not support and the General Assembly overhauled ways Louisville governs itself.

But the state's minority floor leader says he is bringing home the bacon to his district.

It takes a mix of willingness based on relationships and interests that often bring about good results.

Louisville and District 33.

And by the way, welcome, everyone, to the Senate District 33.

Come on, he said.

District 33 has benefited from that dynamic.

I encourage with respect to the budget that this continues because as those standing with me here today know, there is much more to be done.

For Kentucky Addition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you, June.

Last week, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg unveiled his budget for the Derby City.

It focuses on public safety, affordable housing and city employee raises.