Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told the state’s legislative leaders that he wants to create a working group that includes six state legislators to reach consensus on utilizing $400 million of American Rescue Plan funds next year to give bonuses to front-line essential workers who have been employed throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Beshear announced earlier this month that he planned to use those federal funds to provide bonuses to people who worked (and continue to) throughout the pandemic.
The governor said he wants to include two legislators from the Republican Party and one legislator from the Democratic Party from each chamber.
The leaders of each party caucus would select the legislators on the work group, according to a letter Beshear sent.
The working group will tackle the issues of which professions would receive the payments and how much those payments would be.
The work of the group will be guided by U.S. Department of Treasury guidance that provides broad definitions and limitations on the amount of pay that can be provided. The group’s recommendations would be addressed when legislators convene in Frankfort for the General Assembly in January.
Nurses, police officers, firefighters, grocery store workers, agriculture workers and educators are among the groups Beshear has mentioned that should be included.
You can read more on this from the Lexington Herald Leader here.
