The budget bill reported out by the free conference committee and poised for final passage tonight is a mixed bag. HB 500 spends too much, contains too many earmarks and shortchanges the hard-earned gains we’ve realized from a consistent commitment to building strong budget reserves.

The bill is riddled with earmarks funding programs and non-profit organizations with little evidence that they are delivering real value for the taxpayers who make them possible. One glaring example is Dataseam, a program that drew a scathing audit just a few years ago and raised serious questions about the organization’s leadership mismanaging the program’s resources.

KYFREE provided the Dataseam audit to the legislature, highlighting the finding that Dataseam refused to respectfully engage with Finance Cabinet auditors.  What was the General Assembly’s response? They doubled the program’s funding in HB 500. It’s no wonder the public believes special interests dominate Frankfort.

To be fair, there are bright spots. 

The conversation around education funding needs to shift from how much money is spent to whether resources being spent are directed toward effective strategies for educating our children.The legislature is signaling it will scrutinize the Department of Education’s Learning and Results Services next year. If they follow through, it will be a step in the right direction.

The message coming from Frankfort at the beginning of the session was that the belt needed to be tightened. This budget didn’t meet the moment by delivering a fiscally disciplined final product. The grade for the assignment is clear: Needs Improvement.