Beshear might sue Bevin on Monday over mid-year university cuts

Attorney General Andy Beshear will wait until at least Monday before taking any legal action against Gov. Matt Bevin for ordering mid-year cuts to university budgets, a spokesman for Beshear said Friday.

Beshear, a Democrat, said on April 1 that Bevin should rescind his higher education cuts within seven days or face litigation.

Beshear spokesman Terry Sebastian said the deadline will pass at the close of business Friday.

“Any action would not be until Monday,” Sebastian said.

Sebastian would not elaborate when asked whether Beshear is definitely going to sue the Republican governor.

Bevin has shown no indication that he plans to rescind the cuts.

On March 31, Bevin ordered immediate 4.5 percent cuts in state funding for public universities and community colleges for this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

In January, he proposed the cuts for this year and an additional cut of 9 percent in the next two-year state budget.

He has said the cuts are needed to help fund the state’s financially strapped pension programs.

The Democratic-controlled House blocked Bevin’s cuts in its budget proposal, but the Republican-controlled Senate restored them. House and Senate leaders are in negotiation to craft a compromise state budget.

Bevin has said he has the legal authority to cut higher education funding this year, but Beshear, the son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, has said that the legislature has exclusive authority over the budget and that a governor cannot make any budget cuts unless there is a declared shortfall in revenue.

Bevin also said Beshear’s threat of a lawsuit was premature because the legislature might address higher education funding before it ends this year’s lawmaking session on Tuesday.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Beshear might sue Bevin on Monday over mid-year university cuts."