Ky. budget crisis imperils environmental programs, including rural trash cleanup; cig tax hike proposed

Kentucky is facing a state budget crisis that "could mean more litter along roadsides, slower cleanup of dumps and less successful reclamation of strip-mined land. And there could be fewer people to maintain the state's network of nature preserves and keep track of rare plants and animals," reports The Courier-Journal.

The economic slowdown, combined with irresponsible budgeting by past governors and legislatures, prompted Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear to propose a budget that would cut the state's two main environmental agencies "20 percent and 25 percent next year. That's significantly more than some other state operations," writes Jim Bruggers, the Louisville newspaper's environmental reporter.

Kentucky has many small, poor counties, and the cuts would exacerbate a litter problem in their rural areas. (Bruggers photo shows a roadside dump.) "For many counties in Kentucky, especially rural ones, the only funding for litter pickup comes from the state," he writes. "Without it, there will be more dumping left unattended, said Wade Johnson, director of solid waste management for Woodford County and chairman of the Solid Waste Coordinators of Kentucky."

Beshear has proposed casinos as an alternative to tax increases, but the prospects for that idea are cloudy at best. Tonight he reversed himself and endorsed raising the state cigarette tax to $1 a pack from 30 cents. (Read more)