The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Gov. Paul Patton said Tuesday that he suspects the budget passed by the General Assembly is not balanced, but he has not decided to veto it or any of its parts.

"A veto in Kentucky is very, very weak. If they have enough to pass (a budget), they most assuredly have enough to override a veto," Patton said at a news conference.

The budget was passed Monday night by votes of 36-1 in the Senate and 87-7 in the House. Patton noted that it takes but a 50 percent vote to override a veto.

"At this point, I have not agreed to veto anything. ... Vetoes aren't very effective in Kentucky," he said.

Patton said, without elaborating, that he thinks the $14 billion, no-new-taxes budget is more than $200 million out of balance. He declined to discuss any of its aspects. But in general terms, he said the legislature merely bought some time before having to make further cuts in human services, education and other sensitive areas.

"This budget does not solve the problems. It delays the problems into the term of the next governor," Patton said.

"There will come a time when it can no longer be put off. But they have done exactly what we have done for the last five or six or seven months. We put off the inevitable problems until the legislature would have a chance to address them on their own. Now they have decided to put them off until next year."