FRANKFORT, Ky.
(AP) — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear used his line-item veto authority
Monday to strike limited parts of the massive state budget bills passed
by Kentucky’s Republican-led legislature.

The
vetoes did not remove any specific appropriations, the governor’s
office said in a statement. Instead, the new governor struck language
that would “limit his flexibility” to respond to the coronavirus crisis
or would “hamper the normal activities” of state government, his office
said.

Lawmakers passed a slimmed-down budget because of the pandemic.

Beshear’s vetoes came one day before lawmakers reconvene Tuesday at the state Capitol to wrap up this year’s legislative session. The session has to conclude by the end of Wednesday. The coronavirus outbreak curtailed the number of days lawmakers met in March.

During
their wrap-up proceedings, lawmakers will decide whether to try to
override gubernatorial vetoes. They also could vote to pass other bills
awaiting final action.

One
of Beshear’s line-item budget vetoes dealt with the Kentucky Teachers’
Retirement System’s medical insurance fund. He said he struck language
instructing that any excess state General Fund contributions to the
insurance fund be carried forward to the following year.

In
his veto message, Beshear said that provision “fails to live up to” the
state’s commitment to meet its obligation to retired teachers’ health
care.

The
governor said he also vetoed language that would divert $1 million from
the total amount that coal-producing counties receive in coal severance
tax revenue.

Beshear
vetoed other provisions that he said would hamper computer services at a
time when the state faces unprecedented requests for assistance from
Kentuckians as the coronavirus damages the economy. He also vetoed
language establishing a renewable chemical tax credit.

He
also vetoed a provision that would give the state treasurer authority
to approve the use of state aircraft by cabinet secretaries for
out-of-state travel. Beshear said in his veto message that he has
pledged to provide “the most transparent documentation” on use of state
aircraft that will go “above and beyond the statutory requirements.”

Another
veto drew a rebuke from the state’s Republican secretary of state.
Beshear struck provisions stating that the secretary of state would have
to approve any changes to an election made by a governor during a state
of emergency.

In response, Secretary of State Michael Adams said in a statement: “Rather than building a bipartisan ‘Team Kentucky,’ the governor has misused his power to keep a Republican –- the chief elections official and a seasoned election professional –- from participation on the team.”

The
legislature’s wrap-up session comes at a time when the coronavirus
continues to spread across Kentucky. The House and Senate are scheduled
to convene at midday Tuesday.

When
they last met, Kentucky lawmakers took unprecedented steps to change
their way of doing business to keep their distance from each other.

But
the governor said Monday that lawmakers should limit their business to
matters such as veto overrrides and wrap up quickly as possible.

“Anything
else, they shouldn’t be doing and I’m going to have a pretty high bar
for anything else that they pass when just being here puts them at risk,
puts their families when they come home at risk, puts their community
around them at risk,” he said at his daily coronavirus update.

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