SOMERSET — Gov. Steve Beshear got perhaps a warmer welcome here Monday night than a Democratic governor may have anticipated at a town hall meeting in the heart of Republican country. But he faced a few adversarial questions and filibustering from opponents of casino gambling and domestic partner insurance benefits at state universities – and he said Kentucky must raise more revenue.



Beshear, who was accompanied by most of his cabinet, was making the second stop on his “Beshear About Kentucky” tour which he characterizes as an opportunity to “listen to the people of Kentucky.” More than 350 people turned out to hear him. Questions ranged from health care for teachers and state retirees to supporting the posting of the Ten Commandments and opposition from some in the audience to allowing universities to extend health care insurance to unmarried domestic partners.



But most questions led back to a central problem facing the state – lack of revenue or at least less revenue than spending wishes. Beshear said he’d offered two proposals to increase state revenue – expanded gambling and an increase in the cigarette tax – but the “legislature wouldn’t go for it and we had to balance the budget on what we had.”



He conceded he’d said during his election campaign that Kentucky needed no new taxes but found not only a bare cupboard when he took office, but found the cupboard gone, too. And so he did something “politicians aren’t supposed to do – I changed my mind” and proposed a 70-cent increase in the cigarette tax. But after taking questions in the Somerset High School auditorium, he told reporters the state needs more money.



He said he will operate government as “efficiently and innovatively as we can. But after we do all of that, I certainly think there are going to be programs that are hurt and the people feel we still need.



“I believe we need more revenue and I really think the people feel that way, too,” Beshear said. “I think there’s a general consensus across the state that we’re going to need more revenue from some source.”



He said he wanted to listen to the people of Kentucky as he conducts the town halls – he has 11 more planned in the next few weeks – “because if they’re satisfied with the way things are, then it’s a little tougher to get that done.”



Even First Lady Jane Beshear, who sat beside the governor on stools before the state and addressed the crowd as the meeting began, chimed in. She told the crowd to tell their lawmakers of the need for more revenue for programs like domestic abuse shelters, education and health care.



Beshear received mostly a warm welcome, even from some Republicans in the crowd like Somerset optometrist David Eads and his wife, Pam, a licensed clinical social worker.



“I think he’s done a pretty good job,” Eads said. “I’m a little disappointed in his lack of assertiveness so far, but he’s probably doing as good a job as he can with the people he has to work with.” Eads, who described himself as “tending a little on the liberal side” of the Republican Party, wouldn’t identify who those people are, saying he is friends with Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, with whom Beshear has thus far had a rocky relationship.



Beshear alluded to his difficulties with the legislature, decrying the “rank partisanship” he found in Frankfort and saying he is tired of it and so are the people of Kentucky. That got a round of applause, and Beshear then said he led the way in a bi-partisan effort to pass state pension reform during the recent special session. That also got applause from a crowd that included a number of teachers and retired teachers as well as some state employees.



But he was also hit with a couple of questions by self-described members of “the Bible Belt,” who criticized him for his positions on expanded gambling and domestic partner benefits. One man who said he is a Baptist minister said his congregation prays for Beshear but asked him to oppose such measures that he said are leading to a moral decline in America.



“I respect your opinion, even if I don’t always agree with it, and I appreciate your prayers,” Beshear responded. “I certainly need your prayers in this job.”



He said he believes The Communities at Oakwood, a residential treatment facility for the mentally disabled, would be re-certified by Medicare.



“We’re hopeful by the end of August we’ll be ready to move forward on that,” Beshear told Don Putnam whose son is a resident of Oakwood. “I’m optimistic we’re going to get there.”



At the end, Beshear took some shots at the press for what he thinks have been unfair shots at him. He said he was criticized for flying three airplanes with cabinet officials to the first town hall meeting last Thursday in Pikeville, saying it saved time and money for state workers and taxpayers. (No planes were used to go to Somerset).



But Jean Bianchi, past president of the Pulaski Democratic Women’s Club, said the three planes were “kind of a bad decision on his part,” but she supports Beshear and thinks the town hall was a good idea.



”I think it was very effective,” she said. “I think it was very fair and I think he listened to all the questions.”



RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.