Kentucky joins 2 lawsuits fighting funding freezes

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Gov. Andy Beshear joined over 20 other states suing the Trump Administration, challenging its decision to freeze funding affecting unemployment assistance and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

On Wednesday, the governor’s office announced that Kentucky was joining the litigation, calling the freeze “unlawful” in a news release.

“This is not about party affiliation—these funds were appropriated by Congress to help Kentuckians get back on their feet after a job loss, and it’s my job to make sure we get every penny,” Gov. Beshear said. “The NEVI program provides critical funding that is helping every state, including Kentucky, build out an EV charging network that everyone can trust and rely upon. Halting the funding sets us all back, and it’s simply wrong.”

According to the electric vehicle lawsuit adopted by 20 states, approximately $69.5 million was allocated to Kentucky over three years. Over $32 million has been frozen.

The freeze reportedly affects several unemployment grants, impacting funding to protect UI from fraud, modernize programs, and promote access to the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program, totaling $3.6 million.

The unemployment lawsuit adopted by 23 states also seeks to protect about $4.2 million in remaining at-risk funding that supports Kentucky’s disaster relief jobs, as well as training services for those affected by severe flooding.