Kentucky lawmakers reject new mask mandate rule

(The Center Square) – A Kentucky legislative subcommittee responsible for state regulations rejected Tuesday an amendment to Gov. Andy Beshear’s COVID-19 mask mandate out of fear that it could have an impact on businesses.

The measure was to amend an order issued last month, representatives from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services told the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee. In addition, the amendment would likely be just in effect for a couple days as Gov. Andy Beshear had previously announced the state would fully reopen Friday.

From that point on, Beshear is expected to release new guidance on masks that would only pertain to healthcare facilities, Wesley Duke, the cabinet’s general counsel told the committee.

Because a new regulation is planned to take effect Friday, State Sen. Stephen West, R-Paris, asked if the cabinet was in a position to repeal it Tuesday. Duke said he could not answer that immediately and would need to speak with cabinet officials first.

Without that repeal, West said he had to vote against the measure since there’s no guarantee regarding Friday’s announcement.

“Personally, I feel we’re in a really bad place because the administration has not built up a level of trust with the legislature,”

The panel voted 6-0 to reject the amendment as deficient. All six voting yes were Republicans. The two Democrats on the subcommittee did not vote.

Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, have criticized Beshear, a Democrat, for several of his orders they say have stymied businesses during the pandemic. That includes the mask mandate as well as orders related to capacity restrictions and unemployment.

Later in the day, a judge in Boone County granted a permanent injunction to a northern Kentucky business owner who sued Beshear and the state over the COVID orders.

Boone Circuit Judge Richard Brueggemann said the order would take effect at 5 p.m. on Thursday, just hours before the governor has said the state’s full reopening would take place.

That ruling will likely be appealed as Beshear and Legislative Republicans await the state’s Supreme Court to rule on the legality of laws the General Assembly passed earlier this year aimed at curbing the governor’s power during an emergency.

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