KyKurmudgeon

Sunday’s column:

FRANKFORT — An incoming governor would have to work hard at messing up to get off to a worse start than Gov. Steve Beshear did.

A Democratic loss in the special election for the 30th District Senate seat reminded everyone that Beshear was elected not because of who he was but because of who his opponent was, thereby eliminating the perception that his big win last November left him with a large stash of political capital.

After that, Beshear stumbled through his first General Assembly session, accomplishing little in the process.

His proposed constitutional amendment on casino gambling went nowhere. But the amendment won’t be lonely there, because Beshear’s proposed 70-cent increase in the tax on a pack of cigarettes went nowhere, too.

Once lawmakers left town in mid-April, though, Beshear started using his gubernatorial authority to effect some changes in state government.

Sure, missteps still occur, most notably the air raid on Pikeville to kick off his “Beshear About Kentucky” tour. But all in all, the governor who stumbled through the first four months of his term has had a decent spring and summer during the last four months.

Lawmakers had just left town when Beshear asserted himself by vetoing a road-projects bill. So far, at least, the veto has withstood Senate President David Williams’ legal challenge.

Using the implied threat of a request for mass resignations or an executive order abolishing and reforming the Council on Postsecondary Education, Beshear finally got members of that panel to conduct the national search for a new president the law requires.

He strengthened ethics for the executive branch by executive order and reorganized a one of the more cumbersome state cabinets into three smaller ones.

Beshear also brought legislative leaders back together to reach agreement on some sensible pension reforms that were enacted during a June special session and take effect Monday.

The Transportation Cabinet’s “practical designs” initiative for eliminating frills from road projects is a positive approach for coping with the cabinet’s lack available revenue. And Secretary Joe Prather appears to be taking a tough stance on potential conflicts of interest in a cabinet with a tradition of being plagued by scandal.

A reorganized Horse Racing Commission has responded to his call for improved drug and safety rules by moving aggressively to ban steroids and toe grabs on horseshoes. The steroid ban sets the standard for the nation.

And when the state’s student agency faced the start for fall college classes with no money in the bank, the administration quickly came up with a $50 million bond issue as a “bridge loan” to the agency.

Beshear also issued an executive order changing the rules of the road in Kentucky to allow low-speed electric vehicles to travel on urban streets. That change brought a commitment from Integrity Manufacturing to build a plant in Simpson County to manufacture ZAP electric cars. Wisely, considering ZAP’s reputation in the auto industry, the administration linked state incentives for the deal to actual performance.

Little things all, but positive little things that help explain a slight uptick in Beshear’s SurveyUSA approval rating. It stood at 38 percent in April, at the end of a disastrous regular session for Beshear. The most recent poll had him with a 44 percent approval rating.

Of course, considering the austerity of the budget lawmakers enacted for the next two years, Beshear’s positive steps in recent months may appear to be little more than the proverbial rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

That’s why the ultimate test for Beshear is proving he can deliver in prime time, by having a successful regular session that results in a new source of revenue. Only then can he lay claim to being a successful governor.