FRANKFORT, Ky. — House Speaker David Osborne issued a statement on June 4 criticizing Governor Andy Beshear's announced plans to cut state contracts and programs serving vulnerable Kentuckians, calling the reductions "a cruel and unnecessary blow."

Osborne said in the statement that the Republican-controlled legislature "gave the governor and his administration the flexibility to use existing state funding to protect priority services like those for vulnerable Kentuckians when making reductions." The House speaker directed the administration to seek savings by addressing what he characterized as "outdated and ineffective programs" and "services already provided by other agencies or the private sector."

The statement reflects ongoing tensions between the Democratic governor and the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly over budget priorities. Beshear's budget proposal, released in January, included a combination of small increases, frozen funding levels and reductions to various ongoing services and programs, partly due to revenue constraints from an expected revenue shortfall tied to state income tax cuts.

Osborne also took aim at Beshear's "Pre-K for All" initiative, saying the governor "consistently finds the funding needed to expand state government" while failing to prioritize other vulnerable populations. In May, Beshear launched Pre-K for All pilot programs in Robertson and Rockcastle counties through executive action after the Republican supermajority declined to fund the initiative during the legislative session.

"The fact is, his priorities and actions simply do not reflect the state's needs," Osborne said in the statement.