Gov. Andy Beshear | The Ohio Star

Parental Rights in Education Bill Becomes Law After Dem Governor Declines to Veto

March 30, 2023 Ohio Star Staff

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear let a bill that allows parents to challenge sexually explicit school materials become law without his signature on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Josh Calloway, lets parents file complaints over school materials that depict sexual acts “in an obscene manner” or are “patently offensive to prevailing standards.” The legislation passed the state Senate in February and then the state House on March 15 before Beshear allowed the bill to become law.

Ohio, Kentucky Officials Again Ask for Funding for Brent Spence Bridge Project

August 16, 2022August 15, 2022 The Center Square

Ohio and Kentucky made a second request to a second federal grant program to cover the $1.66 billion needed to replace an Ohio River bridge that connects the two states at Cincinnati.

The second ask follows a May request for the 8-mile Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project from the Western Hills Viaduct in the Cincinnati area of Ohio to Dixie Highway in Kentucky. The May request is still pending.

Project Updated for Kentucky, Ohio Traffic Across Brent Spence Bridge

July 18, 2022July 17, 2022 The Center Square

The governors of Kentucky and Ohio announced an update on Friday to the proposed Brent Spence Bridge corridor project designed to improve interstate traffic between Cincinnati and its Northern Kentucky suburbs.

Those changes are not expected to impact the cost or timeline of the project, which has been on the wishlist of both states for years.

Three More States Consider Bills Banning Men from Women’s Sports

March 28, 2022March 27, 2022 Admin

Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma are the latest states considering bans on biological males participating in girls’ and women’s sports, with all three states passing legislation Thursday addressing the issue.

The Arizona legislature passed two bills addressing transgender issues that currently await Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature. If enacted, one bill will ban biological males from girls’ sports teams while the other will ban gender reassignment surgeries for minors.

State Lawmakers Strip Four Democrat and Two Republican Governors’ Power After Overreach During COVID-19 Pandemic

August 10, 2021August 18, 2021 Admin

State legislatures in six states limited their governors’ emergency powers wielded during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing executives have overextended their authority.

As of June 2021, lawmakers in 46 states have introduced legislation stripping governors of certain emergency powers, according to USA Today. Legislatures justified their actions as necessary to restore a balance between the branches of state government, pointing to examples of executive overreach and the centralization of power in the hands of governors.

Commentary: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is the Poster Child for School Choice Hypocrisy

March 30, 2021March 29, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

Last week, Kentucky was the first state legislature to pass a new program to fund students instead of systems this year. The proposal, House Bill 563, would allow eligible students to access scholarships to use at approved private education providers of their families’ choosing. But the Bluegrass State’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, blocked educational opportunities for thousands of children by vetoing the bill on Wednesday.

Kentucky requires a constitutional majority in both the House and Senate to override Beshear’s veto, and that vote is expected to happen Monday.

During his press conference announcing the decision, Beshear said that the bill “would greatly harm public education in Kentucky by taking money away from public schools and sending it to unaccountable private organizations with little oversight.”

Kentucky Governor Beshear Participates in Jefferson Davis Statue Removal from State Capitol

June 15, 2020June 14, 2020 The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Kentucky (AP) — Having led the push to take down a statue of Jefferson Davis from the Kentucky Capitol, the state’s governor had a ceremonial role Saturday in its removal from the place it stood for generations. Gov. Andy Beshear pushed the button to a rig that lifted…

Louisville Police Chief Fired in Aftermath of Fatal Shooting

June 2, 2020June 2, 2020 The Associated Press

Louisville’s police chief was fired Monday after the mayor learned that officers involved in a shooting that killed the popular owner of a barbecue spot failed to activate body cameras during the chaotic scene.

David McAtee, known for offering meals to police officers, died early Monday while police officers and National Guard soldiers were enforcing a curfew amid waves of protests over a previous police shooting in Kentucky’s largest city. Police said they were responding to gunfire from a crowd.