Beshear says special session remains a ‘possibility’ with FEMA aid still up in the air
Republished from Kentucky Lantern
The need for a special legislative session to address storm damage recovery in Kentucky hinges on the Trump administration’s decisions on pending disaster assistance requests, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters Thursday.
Since February, Kentucky has faced three natural disasters, including two flooding events and a tornado outbreak. Beshear said Kentucky still has not received approval from President Donald Trump for public assistance to state and local governments for the April floods and May tornadoes.
The president previously approved expedited disaster assistance for individuals and local governments for the February floods and individual assistance for the April floods and May tornadoes.
Beshear said the April floods could become a “$225-plus-million-dollar hit to the state and to the counties” if the federal government does not provide assistance to governments. Beshear raised concerns over the state’s ability to shelter Kentuckians following the disasters, saying without the public assistance “we may not be able to run our housing program as long as we have in the past.”
Beshear said other states that have faced natural disasters during the second Trump administration are also waiting to hear decisions about public assistance, the category of grants that go to state, local and tribal governments after disasters to help them recover cleanup costs and repair infrastructure.
Shortly after Trump took office, he floated the idea of doing away with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and moving its responsibilities back to the states. The president said a couple of weeks ago that he wants to “wean” states off FEMA assistance after this year’s hurricane season.
“We need the federal government to step up and to say they’re going to be there for our state, our cities and our counties in our toughest of moments, and they’re going to do what every other administration — Democrat or Republican — has done,” Beshear said.
To Kentucky, FEMA has approved and dispersed nearly $2 million through individual and household assistance in response to tornadoes this spring, along with more than $1 million in other needs, Beshear said. As for the February floods, FEMA has dispersed more than $49.5 million in individual assistance and more than $18.1 million in other needs. For the April floods, FEMA has dispersed $24 million for individual assistance and $9 million in other needs assistance.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is also still working on roads damaged from the April event. Beshear said 13 roads are still closed, mostly from mud and rock slides. Crews have assessed damage at 300 other locations, with the initial repair estimate topping $21.5 million. The governor stressed that assistance to local and state governments from the federal government could help with about 75% of that cost.
The governor told the Lexington Herald-Leader in May that he would likely call a special session of the legislature to allocate more state funding for storm recovery. When asked about that possibility again Thursday, Beshear said his office is pulling together a final set of numbers, showing money needed both if federal funding is granted or not, and would meet with legislative leaders early next month to discuss it. A special session is still “certainly a possibility.”
“If we’re not going to get public assistance, we’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars between the state and the city,” the governor said. “That throws all of our budgets out of whack and is just a major blow that would require some more significant action.”
Senate Republican leaders said on Wednesday during a press conference that it was still unclear if they would need to reconvene before the next regular legislative session begins in January. The next two-year state budget will also be deliberated at that time.
Senate President Robert Stivers said that lawmakers would be ready to do a one-day session to approve funds if needed. He also said the legislators’ temporary structure, built to house meetings of the Senate and House while the Capitol is renovated, would be ready for use in July.
According to a recent emailed FEMA update on disaster assistance, applications for support are being processed daily for all three natural disasters in Kentucky. A regional FEMA spokesperson did not immediately return an emailed request for comment Thursday afternoon.
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