Kentucky's Republican state lawmakers took advantage of their supermajority in both the House and Senate on Tuesday and voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes of five bills.They're also expected to vote to override his line-item vetoes of the budget either Tuesday night or Wednesday.By far, the most high-profile of the bills Beshear vetoed in its entirety was Senate Bill 2, which requires voters to present a photo ID at their polling location.The bill’s supporters have noted that a photo ID already is required for many other transactions, including opening a bank account, cashing a check or picking up sports tickets at will-call.Republican Sen. Robby Mills, the bill’s lead sponsor, said Tuesday that it would add “guardrails in our voting procedures that will help cure vulnerabilities that exist.”The bill’s opponents pointed to the absence of voter impersonation cases in Kentucky. They said the photo ID requirement will reduce turnout among minorities, the poor, the elderly and disabled voters. Currently, Kentucky voters are asked to show identification but it doesn’t have to be a photo ID.In trying to block the measure, the governor said it would create an obstacle to voting, resulting in fewer people casting ballots and “undermining our democracy.”State lawmakers also voted on some bills that needed just one final vote to pass, including Senate Bill 15, known as Marsy's Law. The bill's passage means voters will decide in a referendum in November whether to add a crime victims' bill of rights to Kentucky's Constitution.State lawmakers are also working on additional coronavirus relief legislation, said Speaker of the House David Osborne. A version in the House would give licensing bodies some authority to decide when currently closed businesses are safe to open. Gov. Andy Beshear bristled at the idea at his daily briefing Tuesday evening, suggesting the decision should be left to him and public health officials.

Kentucky's Republican state lawmakers took advantage of their supermajority in both the House and Senate on Tuesday and voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes of five bills.

They're also expected to vote to override his line-item vetoes of the budget either Tuesday night or Wednesday.


By far, the most high-profile of the bills Beshear vetoed in its entirety was Senate Bill 2, which requires voters to present a photo ID at their polling location.

The bill’s supporters have noted that a photo ID already is required for many other transactions, including opening a bank account, cashing a check or picking up sports tickets at will-call.

Republican Sen. Robby Mills, the bill’s lead sponsor, said Tuesday that it would add “guardrails in our voting procedures that will help cure vulnerabilities that exist.”

The bill’s opponents pointed to the absence of voter impersonation cases in Kentucky. They said the photo ID requirement will reduce turnout among minorities, the poor, the elderly and disabled voters. Currently, Kentucky voters are asked to show identification but it doesn’t have to be a photo ID.

In trying to block the measure, the governor said it would create an obstacle to voting, resulting in fewer people casting ballots and “undermining our democracy.”

State lawmakers also voted on some bills that needed just one final vote to pass, including Senate Bill 15, known as Marsy's Law. The bill's passage means voters will decide in a referendum in November whether to add a crime victims' bill of rights to Kentucky's Constitution.

State lawmakers are also working on additional coronavirus relief legislation, said Speaker of the House David Osborne. A version in the House would give licensing bodies some authority to decide when currently closed businesses are safe to open.

Gov. Andy Beshear bristled at the idea at his daily briefing Tuesday evening, suggesting the decision should be left to him and public health officials.