By Charles Wolfe
The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, already a lame duck, also was a sitting duck when the Republican-controlled Senate finished writing its version of a budget bill last week. It would eliminate funding for everything except the lieutenant governor's salary.

That means Henry would be without an office staff, state-provided car or Kentucky State Police protection if that part of the Senate's budget becomes law. His family - wife Heather Renee Henry and daughter Harper - also would be without an official residence and a mansion staff that includes a chef and housekeeper.

Henry chalked it up to "petty politics." But he was a tempting target for Senate Republicans for multiple reasons.

Henry has no real defenders in the Capitol, least of all Gov. Paul Patton, with whom he has never had much of a relationship and who never made him a part of the administration.

Patton said it was wrong to use the budget bill to "emasculate" a constitutional office. But he also said: "We shouldn't have a lieutenant governor."

As for other ranking Democrats, House Speaker Jody Richards said there was "no question ... that office has too many perks," especially the chef and housekeeper, which Richards called "overkill."

Henry did not run for governor, so there was no chance of his being around after December. Nor was he likely to engender much public sympathy, since he is an orthopedic surgeon and his family presumably would not be left on the sidewalk.

But most of all, Senate Republican leaders could capture $1.5 million by cutting the perks. They could then talk about devoting the money to Medicaid, contrasting the perks as fat in state government and reinforcing their ongoing argument that Kentucky does not need higher taxes.

Senate President David Williams said the cost of maintaining the lieutenant governor and his family "is hard to explain to people when we have Medicaid cuts."

The $1.5 million cost of his perks could be matched with federal funding to produce $4.5 million for Medicaid, Williams said.

"That's a lot of money to provide services for people who don't have it," Williams said. "We realize that in this budget there are some tough things we're having to do. That's the spirit. You haven't heard anybody say anything mean-spirited about the lieutenant governor or Heather. It's not meant that way."

Williams also said that, during budget negotiations with the House, some money might be restored for an office staff if Henry "can show any sort of purpose for his existence other than being on a death watch."

"I think it's unfortunate that the lieutenant governor ... hasn't had his talents utilized," Williams said. Henry is "a knowledgeable person in a lot of areas. ... I would think that the governor could have used him in some policy capacity."