In a ruling handed down Monday, Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas D. Wingate issued a temporary stay on two bills passed by the Republican-led legislature that would have weakened Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s powers.
One of the bills said that no state officer except the Attorney General could use state funds to challenge the constitutionality of legislation passed by the legislature.
The other bill would have given final say over executive-branch contracts to a legislative committee and not to the executive branch.
Since both bills had an “emergency” clause attached, they became law as soon as the governor’s vetoes were overridden and the bills were enrolled.
AG Cameron said that his office planned on defending the laws.
In issuing his ruling, Wingate said that the plaintiffs had “more than sufficiently demonstrated that their rights are being or will be violated.”
“Of particular concern to the court is that plaintiffs have alleged that under HB248 their access to the courts has essentially been blocked,” the judge wrote.
Wingate said he would hear arguments in the case on May 31.
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