As we head into the last two days of this year’s session, there are 21 bills that Governor Beshear has vetoed. All vetoes require a “veto message” to accompany the veto, explaining why the bill was vetoed.
Below we have listed all the bills vetoed by Governor Beshear (as of this writing), and why he said he was issuing the veto. Since all of these can be overridden by the Republican super-majorities, it will be worth watching to see if any of the vetoes are upheld in either chamber.
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“Ag-Gag”
bill – outlaws video and audio recording of industrial ag operations |
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Attempts
to overturn regulations that are already expired. “Stunt legislation” |
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Creates
a nuclear energy board in the Executive Branch whose members are primarily
appointed by private industry. |
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Allows
the West End Opportunity Partnership board to remove any institution, even
one included by statute, and replace it will one they choose |
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Creates
a new Horse Racing and Gaming Commission. “An unnecessary and unworkable bill.”
Forces current Horse Racing Commission to move all its functions and
employees in less than three months. (More reasons in the veto message) |
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The “Coal
Forever” bill, which makes it much more difficult for utilities to retire
aging and unnecessary plants |
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The “Incarcerate
Kentucky” bill. Beshear notes that the bill has “some good parts,” then goes
on to say that instead of passing those parts as stand-alone bills, the Lege
decided to “include those good policies with dozens of other measures in one
unwieldy bill that would criminalize homelessness and significantly increase
incarceration costs without any additional appropriation.” |
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Autonomous
vehicles bill. Governor says the bill “doesn’t fully address questions about the
safety and security of autonomous vehicles, nor does it implement a testing
period …” |
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The “let
landlords discriminate against Section 8 renters” bill. Vetoed because it
removes local control, as local governments try to deal with discrimination
in housing. (Specifically, the bill would throw out the anti-discrimination laws
in Louisville and Lexington.) This veto has already been overridden. |
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Requires
CHFS to provide “lifetime death records” to the State Board of Elections,
when CHFS already provides monthly death records to the BOE. |
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Says
that polluters who “self-audit” can avoid civil penalties. Obviously directed
at the Air Pollution Control Board in Louisville. Veto message is
straightforward: “House Bill 136 is another attack by the General Assembly on
Jefferson County, and another attempt to eliminate local control.” |
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The “Mess
with Louisville” bill, including making mayor and council elections
non-partisan. The veto message is clear: “The structure of the Louisville
Metro Government was democratically created by the people of Jefferson County
through the popular vote of the people of Jefferson County. The General
Assembly is attempting to overturn this previous election through House Bill
388. Letting people decide their form of government is a basic tenet of
democracy. The legislature claiming that it knows better than the people is
antidemocratic. If the basis for House Bill 388 is truly good government in
making Louisville elections ‘nonpartisan,’ then the General Assembly should
make all elections in the Commonwealth nonpartisan.” |
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Bill
to separate the KY Real Estate Commission from the three other property
boards, which will greatly weaken those boards. Also sets up KREC as an
entity without any outside controls. |
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Bill
saying can’t make changes to the Rotunda w/o General Assembly approval. “House
Bill 513 is an encroachment on the authority of the Executive Branch … Such
encroachment has taken many forms, from claiming ownership and management of
parking spaces to the General Assembly now assuming the role of curator.” |
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A
bill that weakens the Legislative Ethics Commission. |
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Prevents
local government from using a zoning process to approve or disapprove a
filling station. “… another instance of the General Assembly interfering with
local government decisions on local matters.” |
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Change
to the process for filling a vacant U.S. Senate seat. “In House Bill 622, the
General Assembly changes its mind for the second time in three years on how
vacancies in the United States Senate are filled. Prior to these maneuvers,
the same system had been in place since 1942. The administration deserves the
same authority as previous administrations.” |
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Bill
creating a new commission to administer grants to local communities. “House
Bill 723 attempts to put an important grant program that houses $200 million
for local communities in the hands of an unconstitutionally-structured
commission that does not give the Governor a majority of appointments. …
Sections 69 and 81 of the Kentucky Constitution require that the Governor
play a significant role in the appointment and, if needed, removal of board
members that carry out the duties assigned to the executive branch. |
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A
bill changing spendthrift trusts. “House Bill 771 would repeal an entire
statutory chapter governing spendthrift trusts. … Parties and individuals
involved in estate planning could be significantly harmed.” |
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Bill
to allow a change of venue for certain legal actions. “I am vetoing House
Bill 804 because it is an unconstitutional power grab. Like Senate Bill 126
passed over my veto a year ago and unanimously struck down by the Supreme
Court of Kentucky last Octover, House Bill 804 violates the separation of
powers in the Kentucky Constitution, creates an arbitrary process for
selecting the venue of civil actions, and blocks Kentuckians’ access to
courts. The bill is also unconstitutional special legislation.” (More in the
veto message) |
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The “study
JCPS so we can break it up” bill. “… It is unconstitutional special
legislation that is aimed at one public school district in Kentucky:
Jefferson County Public Schools. … (It) is the General Assembly’s latest
attempt to set the framework for the legislature to divide the Jefferson
County Public Schools district. That should be a local decision by citizens
of Jefferson County, not by legislators from non-Jefferson County school
districts.” |
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