"The citizens of Kentucky appreciate the hard work that was put into this bipartisan budget agreement. I personally thank Senate President Stivers, House Speaker Stumbo and the members of the General Assembly for ensuring that we keep our commitment to state employees, teachers and retirees. I am proud to say that we have invested more in our state pensions than ever before. This was the right and necessary thing to do.

"Everyone came together bringing different viewpoints to the table. The result is that we have a budget that is going to put Kentucky on solid financial footing. It is conservative, focuses on important current priorities and also saves for the future. This budget sends a strong signal to the financial and business communities that we take our financial obligations seriously. I look forward to reviewing the details of the final bill over the coming days and signing a fiscally responsible budget into law."