Kentucky attorney general sues governor over education cuts

Source: AP

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Democratic attorney general has sued his state's Republican governor, saying he overstepped his authority when he ordered budget cuts for state colleges and universities without legislative approval.

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has proposed $650 million in state spending cuts over the next two years as part of a plan to begin paying down the state's public pension debt, estimated at more than $30 billion. Part of that plan included budget reductions of 4.5 percent, or $41 million, for the state's colleges and universities in the last three months of the fiscal year.

State lawmakers rejected that plan.

But Bevin cut their budgets anyway, and Attorney General Andy Beshear gave Bevin seven days to rescind his order. Bevin ignored him.

On Monday Beshear announced he had filed a lawsuit.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/1d23913713174cc7b8f5c147ace29145/kentucky-attorney-general-sues-governor-over-education-cuts