Fwd: 2011 Special Session Update

2011 Special Session Ends

The Kentucky State Senate convened today on what was the final day of the 2011 Special Session. The Senate ended the Special Session by adjourning Sine Die this evening a move made by the House on March 24. The House did not convene today. 

As you will remember, Governor Beshear called legislators into a special session after they adjourned the regular session without reaching agreement on how to deal with a deficit in the Medicaid budget.  The Governor and House proposed shifting funds from FY 2012 to FY 2011 in order to make up the shortage.  Those funds would then be replaced by savings found after the state enters into contracts with managed care companies to manage the Medicaid program. The Senate approach involved across the board cuts rather than shifting funds. 

During the special session, the House chose to concur with the Senate approach with an understanding that Governor Beshear would veto the cuts to state government.  Following that action, the House adjourned the session sine die.  The Senate however chose to adjourn until today, April 6th, in order to have the ability to override the vetoes. 

The House, in keeping with how they chose to end the special session, did not return today to look at veto overrides.  Therefore, action could not be taken by the Senate to officially address the vetoes. However, the Senate Republicans introduced and passed 19 resolutions - one for each veto that Governor Beshear issued - expressing their desire to override the vetoes.  The Senate Democrats passed on the block vote of the resolutions.

 

We also want to note, that thus far, the RFPs for Medicaid Managed care have not yet been released.  We anticipate that will happen sometime this week.