Beshear says '13 session was how it should work

Anybody who heard my State of the Commonwealth address knows I had high hopes for the 2013 legislative session.
Buoyed by months of behind-the-scenes pre-session meetings with leadership and other key legislators, I confidently described a new atmosphere of civility and dignity in Frankfort marked by the willingness to engage in respectful dialogue and seek consensus, even amid philosophical differences.
I also noted a growing awareness that urgent progress was needed on numerous difficult issues.
With the sound of the gavel signaling the end of the session still echoing in the Capitol halls, the impressive list of accomplishments from the session suggests that my confidence was well-placed.
Despite this being a “short” session (30 days instead of 60), despite lingering tension from the bitter presidential election, and despite having a divided legislature, we made tremendous progress on improving Kentucky’s competitive capacity and quality of life.