Kentucky House unexpectedly delays vote on state budget bills

FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House unexpectedly delayed a vote Wednesday on several two-year budget bills containing a total of $20.3 billion in state government spending, rescheduling the vote for Thursday.

House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, said he's confident there are enough votes to pass the budget bills. But debates on other bills Wednesday stretched longer than expected, including one about HPV vaccinations for school children, so House leaders decided to start fresh Thursday, Adkins said.

The House voted 53-to-44 on Wednesday to approve a revenue bill that will help pay for state spending in fiscal years 2015 and 2016. House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, tried to amend the bill to remove a 1.5-cent-a-gallon increase in the state's gas tax, which pays for the road fund, but the House voted 51-to-48 against the amendment.

This story was originally published March 12, 2014 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Kentucky House unexpectedly delays vote on state budget bills."