District 7 State Representative Suzanne Miles (R-Owensboro) was in Union County Tuesday and stopped by the WMSK newsroom to provide an update on the 2016 Legislative Session that concluded on Friday.
Miles tells me that the two most important things that will affect Union County will be coal severance money and the raising of US 60 out of the floodplain. She indicates Union County will not only receive their usual portion of coal severance, the county and other coal counties will also receive additional funding.
Miles says the other important project to her is US 60 being included in the two-year road plan, as well as the KY 359 bridge.
According to Miles, one of the biggest problems throughout the state is pensions.
State officials say more than $1 billion dollars to shore up underfunded public employee pensions, including nearly $500 million will be in the newly created permanent fund.
Officials at Union County Public Schools recently expressed their concerns at a board meeting of the district facing a 4 percent state funding cut, but Miles states there were no cuts in K-12 education.
She adds that education as a whole did very well in this budget.
Overall, Miles feels the 2016 Legislative Session ended well.
According to Miles, she thinks everyone is getting in the mindset they want to get their house in order and get on a better footing to go forward in order to pay for things and programs that might lead to some extra opportunities.