State Government

The Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 151 with bipartisan support. More than a year later, it still hasn’t been implemented. While the state says they don’t have the funds to implement, lawmakers say their spending proves otherwise.

The Executive Branch Ethics Commission will not appeal last month’s unanimous decision by the Kentucky Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court order that cleared Alison Lundergan Grimes of any wrongdoing.

Most bills the Kentucky General passed into law this year will go into effect 90 days after the end of the session, but 27 of them have “emergency clauses” attached.

Kentucky previously started SAFE funds after floods in Eastern Kentucky and tornadoes in Western Kentucky.

Gov. Andy Beshear joined Democratic lawmakers in calling for more transparency in the legislative process.

The Kentucky General Assembly's Republican supermajority sped more than 100 bills to passage ahead of the governor’s veto period. Some of the most contentious measures were heavily amended before the public could give their input, or even read them.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly can override Democrat Beshear’s veto when lawmakers return to Frankfort Thursday and Friday following the veto period. 

Lawmakers can override the vetoes when they return to Frankfort next week.

The House on Friday also killed an unrelated bill sought by the state’s largest treatment program and sponsored by freshman Sen. Craig Richardson, R-Hopkinsville.

In a week of head spinning alterations to legislation, surprises continued Thursday, the 27th day of the 30-day session.