Government

Republican state lawmakers and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul are rallying around a yet-to-be-revealed bill that would make changes to Kentucky’s election laws, though it’s unclear what exactly the bill would do.

Some family farm groups that have called for federal policies that aggressively address corporate consolidation and concentration in agriculture support the antitrust bill.

Kentucky currently has one of the lowest standards in the nation for what counts as felony theft. House Bill 126 would raise the bar from $500 to $1,000.

Kelli Pendleton, president and CEO of the Christian County Chamber of Commerce, testified in support of the legislation.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Whitney Westerfield of Crofton, would do away with the state’s automatic transfer law, which requires minors age 14 or older to be tried in adult court if they are charged with a crime involving a firearm.

Republican control in statehouses will likely result in rural areas gaining more electoral power.

Unless a court steps in, the new laws will limit the length of Beshear’s emergency orders and allow businesses and schools to open during the pandemic, as long as they follow CDC guidelines.

On Monday, Beshear threatened a lawsuit to try and block bills from going into effect, saying he needs flexibility to respond to the pandemic.

Legislators, who have voiced displeasure with Beshear's emergency orders and his attitude toward them, are all but certain to override his three vetoes, and he made clear what he would do after that.