FRANKFORT — In his annual State of the Commonwealth address to Kentucky’s Republican-controlled General Assembly, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear renewed talk of economic wins and a need to overcome division while also calling on lawmakers to “stop the attacks on our public school system.”  Beshear addressed a joint session of the House and Senate for more than 40 minutes Wednesday evening. He recognized business investors in Kentucky’s economy, top education officials at postsecondary institutions and crew members from the commonwealth who aided in response to cleaning up debris and making repairs following Hurricane Helene in North Carolina last year — a situation he compared to the Western Kentucky tornadoes and Eastern Kentucky floods during his first term in office.  “Let’s let our positive actions speak louder than the nasty words we hear on TV or read online,” the governor said. “And we can do this by focusing on the core areas where we can and should find common ground.”  However, Beshear was clear in again calling on Republicans to support his education priorities — namely pay raises for public school teachers and implementing universal pre-K programs across the state. The governor pointed to Kentucky voters rejecting a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the General Assembly to fund nonpublic schools last fall.  Senate President Robert Stivers shakes hands as he walks into the House chambers before Gov. Andy Beshear’s State of the Commonwealth address, Jan. 8, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) “That’s a mandate — a mandate to prioritize public education,” Beshear said, earning applause from Democrats in the audience. “So let’s stop with the attempts to defund; let’s stop the voucher nonsense; let’s stop the end-runs through tax shelters. Instead, let’s do the hard work to strengthen and improve our public schools.”  After the speech, top Republicans were not so keen on those ideas. Republican Senate President Robert Stivers, of Manchester, said in an KET interview that universal preschool is  not a viable solution to improve education outcomes because it “does not look at a holistic approach” for needs of different counties and families across the state.  Republican House Speaker David Osborne, of Prospect, said in the same interview that he does “believe that there are legitimate arguments” for universal pre-K, but “until there is consensus, I don’t believe that it’s a proposal that this body is going to embrace.”  Speaker of the House David Osborne adjourns the joint session after Gov. Andy Beshear’s State of the Commonwealth address. Jan. 8, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) Speaking to reporters, House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, of Paducah, said he did not “ foresee us being able to do universal pre-K.”  “We’re trying to get our state’s fiscal house in order,” Rudy said. “We’ve done a really good job of that. Expanding new programs that are not just one-time money is really not what we’re interested in. We’re interested in making Kentucky a better place, focusing on continuing to lower the income tax and make us a better place to live that way.”  Beshear also said in his speech that “we’ve lowered the income tax” in his list of economic wins — a line that drew ire from Republicans because Beshear vetoed the income tax reduction in 2022 and signed another in 2023, the year he was running for reelection. The governor has previously signaled he plans to support this year’s GOP-backed proposal to lower the state income tax another half percentage point.  When asked for a response to Beshear’s use of “we” in regards to lowering the state income tax, Rudy said Beshear “sure did” say it. The House is expected to vote on the income tax reduction Thursday.  Former Gov. Steve Beshear, right, greets attendees before his son, Gov. Andy Beshear, addresses a joint session of the legislature, Jan. 8, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) “He was doing his typical speech which positioned himself as governor, taking credit for a lot of things that we did,” Rudy said. “And we hope that he is moderating more and wanting to work with us, and we hope that spirit truly is there.”  The General Assembly has 138 members across the House and Senate, however many seats in the House chamber were notably empty during the governor’s address. Rudy pointed to bad winter weather in the area as well it being early in the 30-day session. Stivers and Osborne canceled a post-speech press conference in consideration of staffers who had to drive home on icy roads. “It’s just not a lot of excitement,” Rudy said.  Gov. Andy Beshear gives the State of the Commonwealth address on Jan. 8, 2025, in Frankfort. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) Beshear, who spent a lot of time on the campaign trail last year for Vice President Kamala Harris and has gained speculation as a 2028 presidential candidate himself, did nationalize his speech a bit this year in comparison to previous addresses.  The governor ended with a call for “God bless the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the United States of America” and mentioned “America” at least five times. Last year, he ended with: “God bless the Commonwealth of Kentucky and God bless each and every one of you.”  Reaction outside of the General Assembly In response to the governor’s address, the Republican Party of Kentucky issued a statement Wednesday evening saying Beshear “delivered the same tired speech he has been giving for the past five years.”  Snow blankets the lawn of the Kentucky Capitol on the night of the State of the Commonwealth address, Jan. 8, 2025. (Kentucky. Lantern photo by Arden Barnes) “Kentucky’s economic progress began long before Andy Beshear was elected governor,” said RPK spokesperson Andy Westberry. “Our success is the direct result of the strong, decisive leadership of President Stivers, Speaker Osborne, and the Republican supermajority in the legislature, who have championed fiscally responsible policies that have transformed our state’s economy. We remain committed to building on this success and will continue to pass bold, effective legislation that delivers real, measurable benefits to Kentucky families.” Democrats applauded the speech. Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge said in a statement that Beshear “highlighted the unprecedented success our Commonwealth has seen and his bold, compassionate path forward to build on this ongoing progress — progress that can be attributed to his relentless drive to meet Kentuckians where they are.” Elridge called on Republicans to support Beshear’s agenda to “deliver real results for Kentucky and make good things happen for our people.”  Read Gov. Andy Beshear’s State of the Commonwealth address 20250108_State-of-the-Commonwealth-Address The post Beshear touts KY economy, urges end to attacks on public schools appeared first on The Lexington Times.