Gov. Beshear, legislators supported center with $14.6 million in state budget
PIKEVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 26, 2023) – Today, Gov. Beshear joined state and local leaders to break ground on the Pike County Millard Area Vocational Center. The Governor, along with state legislators, supported the center with $14,661,000 in the 2022-2024 state budget.
“As Governor of an education-first administration, but more importantly as a dad, I understand how important it is that we invest in our students, so that they have every opportunity for a bright future,” Gov. Beshear said. “This new vocational facility is a major investment in keeping our talented young people right here in Kentucky.”
In addition to this $14.6 million line-item allocation, Gov. Beshear and the General Assembly have provided $245 million in grant funding over two budgets to renovate and rebuild career and technical centers all over the state.
“The new Millard Tech Center will prepare students in Pike County for the good-paying jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Superintendent of Pike County Schools Dr. Reed Adkins. “The new facility will also help those battling addiction get back on their feet and into the workforce. When we focus on solutions and work together, days like today are possible.”
This is the third time Gov. Beshear has visited Pike County to present award funding this year. In January, Gov. Beshear presented $3.8 million to support cleaner water projects and nonprofits, and earlier this month, he presented $7.3 million in awards to support health care, law enforcement, tourism, a fire station, recycling, roads and high-speed internet in the county.
The new vocational center building will offer upgraded facilities, as well as new programs focusing on the medical field. It will support students in Pike County and prepare them for the high-quality job opportunities coming to the commonwealth.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 880 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling approximately $27 billion in announced investments, creating 47,600 jobs. This is the highest investment figure for any governor in state history.
This new facility will also be used as a rehabilitation center for Kentuckians battling addiction, providing them a path to recover and re-enter society.
Gov. Beshear has prioritized support for addiction recovery throughout his career, and the state has made significant progress under his leadership. Marking the first decline since 2018, Gov. Beshear announced drug overdose deaths in Kentucky declined in 2022 by 5% compared with 2021, and the commonwealth was one of only eight states to see a decline from the previous year.
The state has also increased the number of treatment beds by 50% since the Governor took office in 2019. The administration is also in the process of seeking support and oversight of mobile crisis intervention service providers across the state, which further supports those facing addiction as well as those in need of suicide and crisis intervention.
In May, Gov. Beshear announced that the Kentucky Counterdrug Program seized 142 pounds of fentanyl, enough to cause almost certain death for more than 28.9 million people. As of August, the team has now seized 171 pounds of fentanyl and more than 153,718 pills that could have made it into the hands of Kentuckians.
In March, Gov. Beshear announced that Kentucky is also leading the way in providing treatment services to Kentuckians through the state’s Treatment Access Program, which allows those without health insurance to enter residential treatment, and by creating Recovery Ready Communities, expanding health care coverage and increasing treatment beds. This month, Gov. Beshear proclaimed September as Recovery Month and announced six more counties have earned the Recovery Ready Community designation, bringing the total now to seven.
Before becoming Governor, Beshear was the most aggressive attorney general in the country in filing lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors. At the end of 2022, Gov. Beshear announced he was taking steps to make sure the settlement funds with pharmaceutical companies that he initially sued would get to communities impacted by the opioid epidemic.
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