The 2017 legislative session concluded last night, and a bevy of bills now await Gov. Matt Bevin’s signature or veto. A bill that would have limited the attorney general’s powers did not pass.
Despite a flurry of activity on a bill limiting the attorney general’s powers this week, House Speaker Jeff Hoover said his chamber just didn’t have time to take it up.
“We made the decision that to get into a lengthy debate on that because of the situation between the governor and the attorney general, that we just didn’t have time to do it if we were going to do these other bills," Hoover said. "And that’s the decision that we made.”
The legislation would have given the governor sole authority to file amicus curiae—or “friend of the court”—briefs where the state weighs in on lawsuits that it’s not involved in.
Republicans have criticized Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear for filing briefs they don’t agree with. They also don’t like that Beshear has repeatedly challenged Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in court.
The newly-Republican General Assembly passed a right-to-work law, anti-abortion bills and a sweeping charter schools bill earlier in the session. The next legislative session begins in January 2018, unless the governor calls a special session before then.
