Governor Andy Beshear has said that it is ‘likely’ that he will call for a special session of the Kentucky General Assembly to address emergency disaster funding—but leadership amongst legislators aren’t as sure about that.
Representative Myron Dossett says he and others in leadership in Frankfort have heard nothing about a special session from the governor or his office at this point.
Governor Beshear’s concerns come from a ‘spending cap’ that was set down by the legislature during the 2025 session earlier this year. He feels that with at least six disaster declared in 2025, they’ll quickly reach that total of approximately $100 million, and he wants to ensure that funding is available in recovery efforts.
Dossett says the Governor’s Office has a history of not being fully transparent when it comes to spending, citing what he calls unspent money from relief funds in 2021 and 2023. He says there’s more like $150 million in the disaster fund.
Representative Dossett expressed some frustration with the governor, saying that Beshear often wants access to funds but won’t provide the details on what it’s being spent on, and legislators are trying to be responsible with the state’s money.
If a special session was called, Dossett says they would certainly discuss putting more money into that fund if it was needed, but they would like to see that the money that is currently available is being put to good use first.