State Government

Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack urged all Kentuckians to wear a mask and encouraged those with divergent views to be respectful of each other, asking those who choose to not wear a mask to not ridicule those who do. Those who do wear one to protect themselves should give a wide berth to those who don't, he said.

An employee who refuses to work while still collecting unemployment benefits could be investigated for unemployment insurance fraud.

The governor said the group is attempting to bully everyone else into doing what “they want us to do.” He said the group “didn’t get there alone” and were “embraced and emboldened by elected leaders that rallied with them weeks before.”

Kentucky is bracing for budget cuts after the official estimate for how much money the state is going to bring in by the end of June was revised downward by $457 million, and state officials predict revenue will drop another 10 to 17 percent over the six months after that.

State Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Crofton, was among several lawmakers of both parties who condemned the protesters' actions.

All retail stores can open Wednesday, and restaurants can have limited openings Friday. Also Friday, gatherings of up to 10 people will also be allowed.

Set for openings this week are government offices, retail stores and restaurants.

Lake Barkley State Resort Park will remain closed as it provides housing for first-responders during the coronavirus outbreak.

Sisk Auto Mall is encouraging all visitors to the Hopkinsville dealership to wear a mask, but it will not be a requirement. Masks will be available for customers who want one, owner Wilson Sisk said.

A letter initiated by South Carolina's attorney general was sent May 9 to the leadership of the House and Senate Foreign Relations committees.

The governor said his main disappointment is that two churches that fought the ban on in-person worship took attention away from 7,000 congregations that followed the restriction.

That case was filed by Maryville Baptist Church in Hillview, which Beshear has said is the only church he knows of that has violated his order, and the only one where attendees were given notices to self-quarantine.