Governor Andy Beshear provided updates Thursday on early childhood education, the state budget, recent severe weather and several statewide initiatives — while also recognizing this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars.
+ More than 170 Kentucky business leaders are continuing to urge lawmakers to fund universal pre-K in the next budget, calling it both an education and workforce investment.
Beshear said 74 school districts could expand preschool access within two years if funding is approved, including 48 districts ready to begin as early as this fall.
+ Beshear raised concerns about the Kentucky Senate’s proposed budget, pointing to a potential $2.7 billion reduction in Medicaid over two years.
He warned the cuts could impact hospitals, providers and services, including maternity care and mental health programs, while also reducing funding for social services that support families and foster care.
+ The governor also noted that an EF-1 tornado touched down March 15–16, traveling more than 43 miles through Grayson, Hardin and Meade counties, with winds reaching 110 miles per hour.
Damage included downed trees, structural impacts and widespread power outages, though no injuries were reported.
Beshear also announced National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Wilson will join Kentucky Emergency Management to assist with forecasting and emergency coordination.
In other news from Frankfort:
+ Beshear said since 2020, Kentucky’s Earn and Learn Program has helped foster youth earn nearly 100 vocational credentials while completing their GEDs through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
+ In terms of Easter, families are invited to a Team Kentucky Easter event March 28 at 2 p.m. on the Old State Capitol lawn, featuring an egg hunt, crafts, food trucks and other activities.
+ And the Kentucky State Parks Ranger Division was named this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars after receiving a national award recognizing its emergency response during recent tornadoes and flooding.
+ Registration is now open for the second Safe Teen Driving Challenge, giving teens across Kentucky a chance to win part of $10,000 in cash prizes while promoting safer driving habits.
The program, led by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, comes as officials report more than 49,000 teen-involved crashes over the past three years, resulting in over 13,000 injuries and 197 deaths.
Open to drivers ages 15 to 19, the challenge uses the DriveWell Go app to track behaviors like speeding, braking, and phone use. Participants will be scored from April 17 through July 17, with winners announced in August. Top prizes range from $3,000 for first place to $1,000 for fifth.
The initiative is supported by partners including AAA Blue Grass and Intoximeters Inc., and is part of broader statewide efforts to improve teen driver safety through education and technology.
For more information and to register, visit kentuckyhighwaysafety.com.
