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Kentucky Politics Distilled: Bevin Goes After Judge; McConnell And Paul At Odds Again

J. Tyler Franklin
/
WFPL

  Gov. Matt Bevin has gone after Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd several times in recent years. Shepherd is one of two trial court judges who hears certain lawsuits brought against the state.

  Bevin has repeatedly accused him of being a “political hack” because he worked in Democratic Gov. Brereton Jones’ administration back in the late 1980s.

After Shepherd ruled against a procedural motion filed by Bevin’s lawyers earlier this week, Bevin lashed out at the judge again on 55KRC radio in Cincinnati.

“I now have the most incompetent hack of a judge, I don’t know if in Kentucky but certainly one of the worst, who happens to be in Franklin Circuit Court,” Bevin said. “This guy is now legislating from the bench.”

Also this week, state lawmakers continued to weigh in on the potential state takeover of Louisville’s public school system, and Kentucky’s U.S. Senators again find themselves on the opposite side of a debate — this time over the nomination of Gina Haspel to be CIA director.

Listen to this week’s edition of Kentucky Politics Distilled in the player above.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives for Kentucky Public Radio, a group of public radio stations including WKMS, WFPL in Louisville, WEKU in Richmond and WKYU in Bowling Green. A native of Lexington, Ryland most recently served as the Capitol Reporter for Kentucky Public Radio. He has covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin.
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