FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov.-elect Andy Beshear is looking for ways to bridge the partisan divide as he prepares to work with the Republican-led legislature.
Beshear says combating drug-abuse problems should be achievable. He says strengthening child welfare protections is ripe for bipartisanship agreement.
Aiming even higher, he’s hoping to find agreement on big things he campaigned on — education, health care, pension protection and better jobs. Some of those issues stoked contentious debates in the past, but Beshear says they don’t have to be partisan.
The governor-elect is in the early stages of preparing a budget, too. Beshear guaranteed the $2,000 pay raise for public school teachers he campaigned on will be in his spending blueprint.
Beshear commented in a Friday interview with The Associated Press.