Okay, here are the highlights from Papaw Governor Steve Beshear’s State of the Commonwealth Address this evening:

• Senator Kathy Stein totally ignored Beshear. It was magical.
• Jack Conway’s hair is once again highlighted (he had to wait for the campaign to end)
• Gambling, gambling, gambling
• “Strategic”
• “Fundamental weaknesses”
• “We won’t have a lot of money”
• “Continyuh”
• Claimed he balanced the budget nine times, which John Cheves proved is lie
• Won’t be relying on new revenue to balance the budget
• GAMBLING
• Gambling will save bridges and horses (never mind that casinos have jack to do with horses)
• Kentuckians want to vote on gambling
• Gambling
• Cutting in 2012 like woah. In 2011, he said cutting spending was insane.
• He finally admitted – after four years of saying NO – that tax reform is necessary in Kentucky. But he made some shit up about the Commonwealth having a nice tax climate already. Said all voices will be heard and all options considered. You’ll believe it when you see it.
• Unfortunately, he offered ZERO tax reform specifics. Because he has no idea what’s needed.
• Jobs, jobs, jobs are his top priority. Like all those jobs he pretended to create but didn’t.
• No details on anything mentioned. No gambling details, no tax reform details, no budget details, no jobs details. Nothing.
• Papaw said angel investing will save everything.
• Prescription drug abuse is apparently what is ruining Kentucky’s economy, according to Beshear. Remember how he refused to work with Jack Conway on prescription drug abuse until about six months ago?
• “Task furce”
• Work-ready communities. A way to fill the pockets of a few major donors, namely one woman in Owensboro.
• Proposing legislation to move the state career technical education system to the Kentucky Department of Education
• Once again pretended a graduation/drop-out bill will keep more kids in school and have anything to do with truancy and the graduation rate. It could pass if Beshear wasn’t involved.
• “Legis-lay-TOREs”
• Our children deserve a life of promise
• Brags on smoking cessation rates. Didn’t have the guts to propose a statewide smoking ban.
• Proposed the Child Protection Act of 2012 – primary component will be creating an independent review panel to examine child fatalities and near-fatalities where abuse and/or neglect are alleged. Pushed for more openness – an empty promise on transparency, sadly.
• Praised the troops.
• “My friends”
• NASCAR
• Medicaid
• No mention of the pension crisis…  because it’s being caused by his friends like Tommy Elliott.

Click here (Warning: PDF Link) to read the entire speech as prepared.

UPDATE:

Here’s State House Republican Floor Leader Jeff Hoover with a reaction to the SOTC…