Governor Andy Beshear has a few days left to veto legislation before the final two days of the 2022 session of the Kentucky General Assembly after having already vetoed several controversial bills.
The governor vetoed legislation prohibiting transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports and a bill that would fund pilot projects for charter schools in Jefferson County and northern Kentucky—calling that measure unconstitutional.
Representative Walker Thomas of Hopkinsville says there are sufficient votes to override both vetoes.
The governor has line-item veto power on the biennial budget and he hasn’t chosen to use it thus far, but that could certainly change to some degree.
The final version of House Bill 8 passed both chambers last week and would gradually reduce the state income tax over the period of years as revenue increases with the broadening of the sales tax base—not to include groceries or medicine. Representative Thomas notes it would take at least 10 years to eliminate the income tax similar to a Tennessee model and he’s hopeful the governor won’t veto that bill.
Legislators return to Frankfort Wednesday and Thursday and won’t have an occasion to override vetoes of any new legislation that’s passed before midnight Friday morning.