There will be no pension reform passed during the special session after lawmakers adjourned one day after it began.

House Speaker-Designate David Osborne, R - Prospect, announced the end of the special session just after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, less than 24 hours after the session began. The Senate followed minutes later.

Osborne's announcement led to applause from many Democrats and opponents to the proposed reforms, but he would soon criticize Democrats for what happened when their party was in the majority when it came to funding the state's pension system.

Kentucky lawmakers couldn't come to terms on two plans proposed during the special session.

Governor Matt Bevin's office had thrown support behind HB 1 and HB 2, which were both sponsored by Rep. Jerry Miller, R - Louisville, who chairs the state government committee.

Miller explained Tuesday there is a possible committee substitute which would put back a lot of the reforms removed from Senate Bill 151, which was ruled unconstitutional because of how it passed the legislature in 2018. There were legal challenges not addressed in the Kentucky Supreme Court Ruling. One was whether the reforms would have violated the state's inviolable contract, which states the benefits provided cannot be subject to reduction or impairment by alteration, amendment or repeal. Some lawmakers were willing to pass it even with another legal challenge.

"By getting it back to what we passed back in April, we are actually protecting pensioners, people in the system and future employees better than what the governor is recommending in his? That is fair," Rep. Phil Moffett, R - Louisville, said.

Some lawmakers also believe the changes the governor suggested wouldn't be enough to prevent a lawsuit.

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, a Democrat, would have likely spearheaded the legal challenge as he did for Senate Bill 151. He released a statement soon after the special session ended.

“The governor’s attempt in the week before Christmas to cut the promised retirement of every teacher, police officer, firefighter, social worker, EMS and countless more public servants was wrong and cruel. Tonight, our values prevailed and partisanship took a backseat to what is right," Beshear said.

Democratic party leaders criticized the calling of the special session, saying it wasted more than $100,000.

Bevin wanted lawmakers to pass pension reform during the special session, citing potential harm to the state's bond rating.