During this 60 day session, lawmakers created a two year budget, passed an anti-crime bill, put a school choice amendment on the November ballot, but some new limits on the governor's powers and more.

Today, both parties are talking about the just concluded session.

And as you might guess, they have different takes on how it went.

First, the Republican reaction to the session today.

GOP leaders of the Senate talked to reporters about what they see as the big accomplishments this year.

Here are some of their thoughts on tax cuts, infrastructure, education, spending and a new education commissioner.

I couldn't be prouder of the accomplishments that we achieved.

First and foremost, as I exit stage right later this year, knowing that two years from now, for the fourth time, Republicans will have led the way to yet another tax cut, I believe is one of the biggest and best stories coming out of this legislature because of the conservative management and fiscal discipline we showed during the budget process.

Kentuckians, by this time in 2026, will have their taxes cut yet again, a fourth time down to 3.5%.

We took $450 million in general fund and transferred it into the transportation cabinet funds to allow the roads and more roads to be built in areas in one of the areas.

We have added several millions of dollars to make sure or access to these dollars for the I-69 Bridge in western Kentucky, in and around Henderson, and also to continue the mountain Parkway.

We've been able to make major and I mean major investments in education.

You know, we did it last budget session when we did it for education.

It was record funding.

And this year we were able to do it again.

We did a 3% this coming year for 25 budget and a 6% increase in the same formula for the 26th budget, a bill that I sponsored last session.

Senate Bill 107, which would make the commissioner actually subject to actually being confirmed by the Senate, which we had never done before.

And thankfully we now have a commissioner.

He has Kentucky born.

He's raised in Kentucky.

He's been in all the Kentucky school systems superintendent.

Having been a teacher principal.

All of that knows our system has our values and Kentucky values, and we're very excited to have him.

State lawmakers didn't pass a specific bill to break up the Jefferson County public School system, the largest school system in the state.

A task force, though, was formed to do a top to bottom examination of JCPenney's that some fear could lead to a splintering of the district.

Outgoing Scott County Senator Damon Thayer, the Senate majority floor leader, says he supports splitting up JCPenney, and he says it could come back next year.

Publicly, I would have voted to break up JCPenney right now this session.

I've seen enough.

I was ready to vote that way.

But the Louisville delegation, who we see sort of follow their lead.

They would like to study JCPenney holistically, look at what's happening in other similarly sized Metropolitan School districts.

So I support that.

And I'm sure that's going to be something all of you are going to follow very closely.

It's one of the biggest stories in Kentucky.

And appropriately, one out of every six students in Kentucky is educated or supposed to be educated in JCPenney.

And quite frankly, what we're seeing coming out of there is it's not it's not working.

It's not satisfactory.

And there are some people from Jefferson County who say, leave us alone, we can figure it out.

But that's that's not how it works.

You don't get to get all the money that gets sent to you from the General Assembly without input on your policies from the General Assembly.

It's not just going to be a Jefferson County centric approach.

Other people are going to be involved in the discussion.

And so that'll be a big item during the interim.

Another item likely to be at be discussed during the interim or before the next session.

D-Ii or diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The House and Senate have both considered bills to limit or even cut D-I programs that Kentucky universities.

The two chambers, though, clashed on proposals.

But Senator Thayer says he expects an agreement could be worked out for next year's session.