Here's what I can gather so far. Because I anchor the newscasts on Saturday and Sunday, my "weekends" are currently Wednesday and Thursday, which means I update the blog between episodes of Go Diego Go or trips to the zoo and late at night. That said, here are the releases I've received in the e-mail inbox.

Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP)

We appreciate the Governor's comments today and the fact that he's considering adding this VLT at racetracks issue to the call. His comments indicated that he clearly has a firm grasp of the plight we are in. We believe that the Governor and a majority of House and Senate members recognize the risk facing our signature industry. We fully expect that VLT's at racetracks will be introduced and passed during the special session.

Attorney General Jack Conway and Prosecutors Advisory Council

Attorney General Jack Conway and members of the Prosecutors Advisory Council today praised Governor Steve Beshear's proposed Special Session budget that seeks to increase funding for Kentucky prosecutors.

The Governor's proposal calls for an increase to the Unified Prosecutorial System in fiscal year 2010 in order to ease the devastating budget shortfall that the Commonwealth's prosecutors experienced during the last biennium. The Unified Prosecutorial System consists of County Attorneys, Commonwealth's Attorneys and their employees throughout the Commonwealth's 120 counties.

The Unified Prosecutorial System began fiscal year 2009 with a budget that was $2 million less than what was needed to maintain current staff levels. Kentucky's prosecutors were dealt another financial blow with an additional mid-year cut in excess of $2.6 million, leaving the prosecutorial system virtually crippled. As a result, many employees of the Unified Prosecutorial System were subjected to three weeks of unpaid furloughs, more than any other group of state employees. Prosecutors were also forced to implement layoffs and to transmit local funds to the State Treasury in order to deal with the budget shortfall.

"As Chairman of the Prosecutors Advisory Council, I am very pleased that Governor Beshear has recognized the critical needs of the state's prosecutors," said General Conway. "The additional funding included in his budget proposal is crucial for public safety and for ensuring that crime victims are properly served by our criminal justice system. I am hopeful that those who work day- in and day-out to protect Kentucky families will receive the necessary funds to avoid additional furloughs and job losses."

Members of the Prosecutors Advisory Council have also praised the Governor's proposed budget.

"We truly appreciate Governor Beshear's commitment to help the state's prosecutors in this most serious of economic times. We voiced our concerns to him, and he has proposed much needed funding to address this situation," said Christian County Attorney Mike Foster, a member of the Prosecutors Advisory Council and President of the Kentucky Association of Counties.

"Governor Beshear is dealing with a devastating financial crisis, and we are truly grateful that he recognized the dire needs of the state's prosecutors," said Chris Cohron, Warren County Commonwealth's Attorney and President of the Commonwealth's Attorneys Association. "We are hopeful that this proposal for additional funding will be adopted by the General Assembly during the special session."

Kentucky Education Association

Kentucky Education Association President Sharron Oxendine today praised Governor Steve Beshear's plan to balance the state budget. "Despite record state funding shortfalls and a state economy that does not yet show signs of recovery, the Governor is maintaining his commitment to K-12 schools, students and school employees, and to keep Kentucky learning." Oxendine said.

KEA urges members of the Kentucky General Assembly to maintain school funding, either by passing Beshear's plan or creating one of their own that prioritizes education equally.

KEA agrees with Governor Beshear that no other state function is more important than its investment in our children's future. Their future will determine the future of our state and whether we all thrive. "We are heartened that the Governor literally is willing to put his money where his mouth is," said Oxendine.

According to the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center, Kentucky children face more educational obstacles than children in all but three other states. The center's research also indicates that Kentuckians get better results than almost any other state for their investments in public schools. KEA believes the Governor's plan to maintain funding for public schools while most other states are cutting such funding will allow Kentucky to make gains in educational achievement. These gains will translate to gains for the Commonwealth's economy, health and safety.

KEA also praised President Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and increased levels of federal reimbursement for Medicaid expenses. Oxendine said, "Without this federal stimulus funding, the Governor would almost surely have had to make deeper cuts to school funding."

KEA is especially appreciative of the Governor's plan not to cut basic school funding through the SEEK program, to maintain one percent raises for teachers and classified staff, and to fund retirement and health care for school employees. "Teachers and classified staff design and deliver our children's education. If we do not attend to their economic and professional needs, our public schools and students would suffer."

Oxendine went on to say, "Of course, we are not satisfied with a budget that makes no increases to school funding. At the same time, KEA recognizes the difficult position the Governor and legislators are in with a projected deficit of nearly one billion dollars in the fiscal year that begins next month. Our children and our schools, however, continue to have real unmet needs."

KEA supports comprehensive tax reform to create a system that sustains important government functions like public schools through good times and bad. KEA supports a tax system that grows with the economy and taxes Kentuckians in proportion to their ability to pay. KEA supports legislative action to create such a system.

Oxendine said, "No one really likes taxes, but everyone wants good public schools, good roads, and safe communities. As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, 'Taxes are the price we pay for civilization.'"

KEA represents nearly 41,000 educators all across Kentucky, including active teachers and school classified employees, students studying to become teachers, and retired educators.

Kentucky Democratic Party

Kentucky is facing the largest budget shortfall in modern history. It is the third year in a row the state will be faced with revenues that don't meet projected needs - also an unprecedented occurrence.

Governor Beshear's plan represents a common-sense, compassionate approach that will help fulfill the two goals he has set for his administration: helping people survive and positioning the state for progress when the economy does inevitably turn around.

Three key elements of the plan:

The proposed budget next year does not raise taxes on working families and businesses - now is not the time to put additional burdens on our families already struggling to make ends meet.
The plan would preserve basic funding for classroom instruction and universities, health care programs for the most vulnerable and key areas of public safety.
The Governor said: "My plan protects our families and businesses in this vulnerable time; preserves investments in critical priorities like education, health care and public safety and recognizes the economy will take years to recover."
How will it be paid for?

In short, the proposed plan will be paid for by making an additional $200 million in cuts this coming budget year and utilizing more than $740 million in federal stimulus dollars, the bulk of which would go toward education and Medicaid as designed by law.
Given the challenges that we will face in the next biennium, as predicted by the Consensus Forecasting Group, it is prudent that we reserve some of the stimulus money to help us address next year's budget.
Without this money, the pain we are experiencing would be magnified many times over. We must realize, however, that this is one-time money. We cannot and should not use it to create new programs we would be unable to sustain in future years.
Highlights of the plan include:

Preserving the same amount in the coming year as last year in per pupil spending in classrooms across the state - the basic formula known as SEEK -- and funding for higher education at the same levels as the 2009 budget.
Fully funding Kentucky's Medicaid program, which until recently had run a more than $280 million deficit.
Preserving funding for mental health services at current levels.
Preserving funding for state police and support for local jails as well as increasing funding for prosecutors, public defenders and corrections.
Maintaining current funding for economic development efforts, veteran's programs and increasing resources in the Department of Revenue to escalate tax collection efforts. Also, increasing funding for parks to ensure that the system can meet its obligations in the coming year.
Cutting most other areas of state government by an additional 2.6 percent in the coming year from current year levels. That's on top of nearly $600 million in cuts to state government since Gov. Beshear took office 18 months ago, including some $150 million in the 2009 budget.
Eliminating three paid holidays for state employees making under $50,000 annually and five holidays for those making $50,000 or more. This move, Governor Beshear said, will prevent the disruption of basic services as state government is closed on holidays in any event. And it will help avert mass layoffs, as some other states are doing.
Continuing the budget reduction plan in the Transportation Cabinet to deal with a projected $239 million shortfall in the state's Road Fund.
Despite the pain that additional spending reductions and program cuts will foster, Governor Beshear said Kentucky is much more fortunate than most states, many of which have laid off scores of police, teachers, state and university employees, while also severely cutting basic and human services programs.

This is a tough time for Kentucky. Under the governor's plan the burden and sacrifices are fairly shared. The governor's leadership sustains our confidence that we will weather this storm together and be stronger for it.

-

---