Summary:
According to the website, federal grants worth $80,482,341, $9,798,986, $9,332,952, $8,633,114, $5,999,019, $5,270,574 and $1,549,589 are slated to be cut from the Kentucky State Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and grants worth $262,367,100, $50,662,718, $14,738,869, $10,882,234, $10,697,915, $10,352,840, $7,126,596, $4,741,123, $4,105,448, $2,994,627 and $1,868,495 are slated to be cut from the Indiana State Department of Health. The website says the cuts were announced on March 23, 2025.
The website says the $14,738,869 grant cancellation at the Indiana State Department of Health comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, although the allocation came to the local health department. This grant is one of two grant cuts listed with information, saying the grant allowed state and territory governments to purchase local, unprocessed foods from local producers, targeting historically “underserved” farmers, producers, fishers and small businesses.
The food purchased would then be distributed to schools and childcare institutions participating in the national school lunch program or child and adult care food programs.
Another similar grant for $7,126,596 that’s now slated to be cut allowed tribal governments to purchase unprocessed food from underserved farmers for distribution to families in need.
No other grant cuts on the website found by WAVE listed any description for what was being cut.
In his Team Kentucky update on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear acknowledged some of the grant cuts.
“We have received notice of grants being cancelled,” Beshear said. “It’s an unlawful cancellation and we’ll challenge it. These are contracts that we have. The contracts can only be terminated for cause, which means somebody did something wrong and they are trying to define cause as the pandemic. That’s not a legal argument.”
Beshear said the grants cancelled could mean the closure of health clinics.
“I am worried about the cuts,” Beshear said. “These are Americans, they have families. They chose to do civil service and now they are being told that their services are no longer needed. Some of them are being told it’s their fault, which is not true.”
Beshear said he was worried that the cuts could have an impact on the state’s response to bird flu as well, especially if the virus begins spreading person to person.
