Governor optimistic about the state of the Commonwealth

Tuesday evening, Gov. Steve Beshear addressed a joint session of the General Assembly in his State of the Commonwealth address.

The governor remained optimistic about the future of Kentucky. While acknowledging the difficult times the Bluegrass State has endured during the last few years, Beshear said the economy is improving and cited examples from his administration.

He distanced himself from Democrats in Washington, touting his commitment to cut spending while fairly assessing: "Kentuckians are rightly disgusted by a federal government that defines fiscal management as the speed at which you can print money."

The governor took a strong stand for Kentucky's coal economy, vowing to protect the industry from federal regulations and overreach.

The address was not without party politicking, as Republican gubernatorial candidate and current senate president, David Williams, looked on.

The governor noted that he supported Williams in Senate Bill 8, an electronic portal to help reduce complexity for Kentucky businesses. However, Williams did not conceal his feelings about the Beshear administration: "The man has no agenda."

He said the governor is not adequately addressing pressing fiscal issues in the commonwealth, referring to Medicaid costs, the pension crisis, and the tax code.

Watch the entire speech archived here.