During Thursday’s “Team Kentucky” update, addressing hunger drew top billing from Governor Andy Beshear.
That’s because last Friday, officials from the Commonwealth received word from US Department of Agriculture to process and issue full SNAP benefits to more than 600,000 residents, and by last Saturday, many of Kentucky’s eligible recipients had the necessary funds on their EBT cards.
Beshear noted the Trump administration “always had the funding, and the authority, to fully fund SNAP” during the 41-day shutdown, and “he chose not to,” becoming the first-ever President to freeze such appropriations.
Beshear also stated he would “always support SNAP” because it serves as the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, and that government “should be fighting hunger, and not causing it.”
During the shutdown, Kentucky joined the national lawsuit against the Trump administration to force payment of partial SNAP benefits, then followed with a state-wide food drive based in Louisville and Frankfort to help regional food banks meet needs.
An ensuing “state of emergency” allowed for Beshear to move $5 million into Feeding Kentucky’s network, which allowed for 28,000 people to be assisted by 55 National Guard members at eight different food bank locations. Another $12 million went toward Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programming.
Among those who receive key SNAP supports in Kentucky are senior citizens, and Beshear said he was “dismayed” to see quieter voices during the government shutdown — mere days after state legislators quickly clamored for answers on senior home-delivered meals.
Resource fairs have been a big part of the west Kentucky event calendar in recent weeks, and just Thursday night, a different non-profit organization — Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland — spent time in West Cadiz Park delivering food boxes to needy Trigg County families alongside LifeBridge United Methodist Church and other partners.
In other state news:
+ The Kentucky Lottery posted a record $2.1 billion in sales for fiscal year 2025, generating $384 million for scholarships and grants. Lottery President and CEO Mary Harville will retire in February 2026, and Beshear has appointed Maggie Garrison to succeed her.
+ Since 2019, Kentucky has awarded $6.7 billion for nearly 3,500 highway projects, replaced or repaired 660 bridges, and improved 20,000 lane miles.
+ And in the first half of 2025, Kentucky Main Street communities reported $21.2 million in downtown investments, supporting more than 1,200 new jobs and 41 new businesses. Beshear and Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman are urging Kentuckians to shop locally this Shop Small Saturday, with special events planned in Main Street communities statewide.
