In an update to a story that ran in the News Journal earlier this month concerning the loss of funding for local senior citizen feeding programs, it now appears that state legislators have come up with a solution that will ensure the continuation of those programs, as well as similar programs across the commonwealth.
On Oct. 17, State Budget Director John T. Hicks sent a letter to Senator Christian McDaniel and Representative Jason Petrie, both of whom co-chair the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue. The letter stated that, pursuant to House Bill 6, Part III, Section 23, he had approved a General Fund appropriation reallocation in order to address the issues related to the funding shortfall within the Health and Family Services Cabinet.
The letter informed McDaniel, Petrie, and the members of the joint committee that a reallocation in the amount of $9,100,000 had been approved from the Medicaid Benefits appropriation unit, which as the letter explained, “is available from the $25 million that was contingent on approval of a proposal by the General Assembly that did not occur in the 2025 Regular Session.”
“This funding is reallocated to the Aging and Independent Living appropriation unit for the Senior Meals program,” the letter stated.
A day later, Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne issued a statement regarding the matter. In an attempt to clarify the exact reasoning behind the delayed response to the funding shortage problem, he said, “We have consistently maintained that the budget passed by lawmakers in 2024 not only grants the governor the authority, but also allocates the necessary resources to ensure the ongoing support of senior meal programs. The prolonged delay in taking action is deeply troubling and raises serious concerns, particularly because it comes after multiple excuses.”
Osborne also offered some words of warning concerning the future of state-sponsored programs, saying, “Furthermore, I would caution against any further expansion of services within state programs – especially those that already operate under constrained funding – without input from the legislature and other stakeholders. Once again, we’ve seen Kentuckians suffer because of the governor’s unwillingness to recognize that he can’t make policies unilaterally. Doing so has a very real impact on the lives of the people we represent and those men and women deserve responsible, transparent leadership.”
Beshear issued statements of his own via a press release that was sent out by his office Monday evening. In the release, he said, “No Kentuckian should ever face hunger, which is why my administration has directed more dollars toward funding senior meals than any other administration in the commonwealth’s history. While I am glad that we have found a temporary solution, our state faces real challenges with the potential $305 million budget shortfall, the exhaustion of one-time federal ARPA funds, and additional expenses the state faces due to the federal shutdown. We must remain fiscally responsible and work within a budget to provide the support and services Kentuckians need.
Monday’s press release went on to explain that Beshear had held a call with Area Development District leaders from across the state. According to the release, while on the call he shared details of his plan to request the Finance Cabinet to review the entire Senior Meals program in order to understand future funding needs, and to ensure that practices remain consistent moving forward.
“Just like our Kentucky families, our state must work within a balanced budget,” Beshear said. “To ensure we remain fiscally responsible while still appropriately funding the Senior Meals program, we must understand the difference in costs per meal across the different ADDs, as well as eligibility, procedures and numbers of meals available to confirm all funding is being used appropriately.”
