Veto recess begins after Ky. lawmakers deliver session’s most controversial bills to Gov. Beshear

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — State lawmakers almost ran out the clock Friday, passing legislation late in the night on to Gov. Andy Beshear.

A total of 128 bills have been sent to the governor this year, and as of Monday afternoon, 24 bills and resolutions had been signed into law, such as Senate Bill 3 to modernize Kentucky’s ‘Name, Image, & Likeness’ standards and Senate Bill 73 to create the felony crime of sexual extortion.

When a bill is delivered to the governor, he has 10 calendar days, excluding Sundays, to either sign or veto a bill.

If no action is taken during this period, it becomes law without the governor’s signature. A majority of the General Assembly’s bills were delivered to the governor last week, and lawmakers began a formal “veto recess” on Saturday.

The Friday deadline was crucial for GOP leadership.

“So we can protect our veto override abilities that are guaranteed to us by the Constitution. Some things we think he won’t will be pushed to later and take a little slower pace,” Senate President Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) explained.

As of Monday afternoon, no vetoes had been issued, but the General Assembly did deliver some bills by this deadline with the anticipation that they could.

For example, House Bill 4 ends diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and recruitment initiatives at public college campuses.

“I will review the bill. But anything that is telling any of our Kentuckians that they are lesser than someone else we shouldn’t be doing,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in response to a question on the bill at Thursday’s Team Kentucky briefing.

A handful of controversial proposals were decided just before the midnight deadline Friday when the House passed bills adding work requirements for Medicaid and ending transgender-related healthcare coverage for state inmates or any Kentuckian on Medicaid.

The debate was brief after parliamentary rules were used to end the debate and go straight to a vote within the hour of the midnight deadline Friday. Lawmakers will return for the final two days of session on March 27th.