The coronavirus stimulus bill that President Donald Trump signed Sunday will provide an estimated $2.26 billion in direct payments to Kentuckians who qualify.
Gov. Andy Beshear outlined Kentucky’s share of the $900 billion federal package during his Tuesday’s press briefing.
The direct payments will account for approximately 45% of the $5 billion coming to Kentucky. Beshear said the state’s figures on the relief package were preliminary and subject to change.
Individuals who earned up to $75,000 in 2019 will receive $600, and joint tax filers making up to $150,000 will receive $1,200. Parents in this income bracket will receive an additional $600 per child.
Based on the state’s calculation of the total amount available for direct payments to households, an estimated 3.78 million of the state’s 4.47 million residents — or approximately 85% of Kentuckians — are eligible for the payments.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said some of the payments would begin arriving by direct deposit late Tuesday and would continue flowing into bank accounts next week. On Wednesday, the Treasury will start mailing out paper checks for those not set up for a direct deposit. The payments will be distributed automatically; no one is required to make an application, the federal agency announced.
According to a news release from Beshear, other benefits in the $5 billion package for Kentucky include:
- $490 million for extended employment benefits of $300 a week for 11 weeks.
- $297 million for rental and utility assistance.
- $928 million for elementary and secondary schools.
- $60 million for governor’s education emergency relief fund (two-thirds for private schools).
- $193 million for child care development block grant.
- $1 million promoting safe and stable families.
- $2.26 million for senior meals.
- $5.88 million for Chafee foster care program.
- $900,000 for Chafee education and training vouchers.
- $19.22 million for substance abuse prevention and treatment.
- $21.56 million for mental health block grant.
- $289.65 million for virus testing, tracing and mitigation.
- $56.97 million for vaccine distribution.
- $164.91 million for federal highways-surface transportation block grant.
- $28.25 million for FAA-airport improvement program.
Tuesday night, a debate continued in Washington about whether the Senate would approve House legislation to increase the individual payments from $600 to $2,000.
First District Congressman James Comer was among three Kentucky representatives who voted in favor of the increase the president backs. He joined fellow Republican Rep. Hal Rogers and Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth in supporting the increase that passed 275-134. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie and Brett Guthrie opposed the legislation and GOP Rep. Andy Barr did not vote.
However, the measure was stalled in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a quick vote sought by Democrats. The Associated Press reported the Kentucky Republican wants to link the $2,000 relief payments with a pair of other measures President Trump favors — establishing a bipartisan commission to review the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden and repealing protections for big tech companies, such as Twitter and Facebook, that Trump complains are unfair to conservatives.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
