Ky Politics Distilled

This week in Kentucky politics, lawmakers overrode all of Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes and passed dozens of bills during the final days of the legislative session. They also set aside more than a billion for infrastructure projects funded by the federal coronavirus package.

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Andy Beshear signed dozens of bills passed by the legislature, but vetoed several as well. Next week lawmakers will return to consider overriding vetoes on the last two days of this year’s legislative session.

This week in Kentucky politics, lawmakers rushed more than 100 bills through the legislature ahead of Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto period. The last-minute flurry included massive tax breaks, and more attempts to curtail Beshear’s powers during the pandemic. But several high-profile bills didn’t make it across the finish line.

This week in Kentucky politics, the state Senate passed a bill making it a crime to insult a police officer and boosting penalties for protest-related charges. And on the eve of the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death, lawmakers passed a watered-down version of a bill limiting no-knock search warrants.

This week in Kentucky politics, a bill limiting — but not banning — no-knock warrants across the state gained momentum in the legislature. Lawmakers finally unveiled a long-promised election reform bill. And the committee reviewing petitions to impeach the governor and attorney general recommended dismissing the requests.

This week in Kentucky politics, Rand Paul urged state lawmakers to pass a mysterious bill that would change the election system. The debate over historical horse racing machines divided Republicans in the legislature. And criminal justice reform bills have been gaining momentum in the statehouse.

This week in Kentucky politics, impeachment claims against Governor Andy Beshear continued to drag through the legislature, Rand Paul got the entire senate to go on record about Trump’s impeachment ahead of his trial, and Louisville released a scathing audit of its police department, showing over-policing of Black communities.

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed several bills that passed out of the legislature. Three grand jurors from the Breonna Taylor case filed an impeachment petition against Attorney General Daniel Cameron, saying he misled the public. And Mitch McConnell returned to his role as senate minority leader.

This week in Kentucky politics, lawmakers created a committee to review a citizen impeachment petition against Gov. Andy Beshear. The move may have opened the door for more petitions to be filed against state politicians. Plus, officials are worried about a potential attack on the Kentucky capitol. And Mitch McConnell has once again found himself at the center of a presidential impeachment fight.

This week in Kentucky politics, the legislature returned and quickly advanced bills stripping the governor of his powers. All Kentucky members of Congress voted to accept the presidential election results, except for Hal Rogers, who cited unfounded claims of voter fraud. And after Democratic Senate victories in Georgia, Mitch McConnell will return to his role as minority leader.

This week in Kentucky politics, Gov. Beshear issued new coronavirus restrictions, banning indoor services at bars and restaurants and limiting gatherings. Republicans in the legislature quickly criticized the measures. And Kentucky’s GOP elected officials continued to question the outcome of the presidential election.

This week in Kentucky politics, the state Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Andy Beshear’s coronavirus-related restrictions are legal. Leaders of the Republican-led legislature said they still want to strip Beshear of those emergency powers. And Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined a lawsuit challenging mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.

This week in Kentucky politics, Republicans picked up several seats in the state legislature. GOP leaders say they want to clip Gov. Andy Beshear’s emergency powers during the coronavirus pandemic. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell easily won reelection, and later refused to condemn president’s claims of voter fraud.

This week in Kentucky politics, early voting continues as the state enters into a new surge of the coronavirus pandemic. The state treasurer released a report accusing Gov. Beshear of improperly spending money to enforce coronavirus orders. And a new batch of polls came out showing Mitch McConnell ahead of Amy McGrath everywhere in Kentucky except Louisville.

This week in Kentucky politics, Mitch McConnell and Amy McGrath squared off in the only debate of the senate race this year. With less than three weeks until Election Day, both candidates have been crisscrossing the state in an effort to turn out voters. And early voting started this week. Election officials want voters to cast their ballots early.

This week in Kentucky politics, Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced an indictment against one of the officers in the Breonna Taylor case, but many questions remain. Gov. Andy Beshear and Taylor’s family are calling for Cameron to release the full investigation into her death. Meanwhile protests have erupted in Louisville and police response has gotten more intense.

This week in Kentucky politics, as the state surpassed 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths, Republican lawmakers cast doubt on the severity of the virus. Republicans and Democrats have called for a special legislative session on police reform. And Attorney General Daniel Cameron was on a list of potential Supreme Court justices unveiled by President Trump.

This week in Kentucky politics, Republican legislators criticized Gov. Andy Beshear for not condemning racial justice protests in Louisville. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down on his “law and order” strategy, publicizing his endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police. And it’s Derby week, but crowds will be at Churchill Downs -- at least not on the inside.

This week in Kentucky politics, state elected officials rallied around Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention. Democratic senate candidate Amy McGrath released a cartoon campaign ad that had Mitch McConnell’s team crying foul. And state Rep. Charles Booker spoke at the March on Washington.

This week in Kentucky politics, officials finalized the plan for expanding mail-in and early voting during the upcoming election. Gov. Andy Beshear applied for President Trump’s supplement to unemployment benefits. And Mitch McConnell and Amy McGrath argued over what debates should look like in the final months of their race for U.S. Senate.