FRANKFORT, Ky. – Knowing the odds of winning were stacked against him, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear nevertheless vetoed bills sent his way by the Republican-dominated Kentucky legislature with by-now familiar themes: abortion, Medicaid and diversity initiatives.
The bills reprised partisan disputes that have become as much a sign of springtime in Kentucky as the tulips blooming at the state Capitol. But they also sent fresh signals to national Democrats about who Beshear is as speculation continues about whether he'll run for president in 2028.
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"His veto pen has been consistent,” said Democratic political strategist Mark Riddle. ”It’s been authentic and it’s within his core value set. And that’s a very easy argument to take to the country.”
The vetoes, Riddle said, signal “who he will fight for and who he will take on and fight against."
In practical terms, Beshear couldn't stop Kentucky Republicans from doing what they wanted. In overriding his vetoes with methodical efficiency on Thursday, they followed the same script that’s played out at the end of legislative sessions throughout Beshear’s two terms as governor.
Still, that didn't stop him from seizing the moment to shed light on his political beliefs, casting his fights with Republicans in ways that could easily shift toward a more national audience.
“By now," Beshear said in a statement Friday, “Kentuckians know that I’ll always do what I believe is right, and the right thing here was to veto these bills.”
Known for an even-keeled, disciplined style, Beshear’s willingness to push back against Republican supermajorities could bolster his political stock in national Democratic circles. Beshear has won three elections in GOP-dominated Kentucky — once as attorney general and twice as governor.
Former Kentucky state Sen. Damon Thayer, a Republican who spent years in Senate leadership, said Beshear’s vetoes show his true colors as a “traditional liberal Democrat.” For years, Thayer made the motions for the Senate to override those vetoes, calling it “one of my favorite parts of the job.”
“It’s just been frustrating to me over the years that the voting public that seems so enamored with him hasn’t really paid attention to the fact that he’s vetoed … bills that the majority of Kentuckians support,” Thayer said.
That's not the whole picture. Each year, stacks of bills signed by Beshear far outnumber his vetoes. And despite a rocky relationship with GOP lawmakers, they’ve teamed up on far-reaching legislation in recent years — legalizing medical marijuana and sports betting and steering federal funding toward such shared priorities as broadband expansion and infrastructure.
But veto battles have exposed the friction in Kentucky’s divided government. That included longstanding culture-war issues — abortion, conversion therapy and diversity, equity and inclusion programs — as GOP lawmakers swept aside Beshear vetoes on Thursday.
Supporters of the abortion measure said it offered clarity to doctors fearful of violating Kentucky law for terminating pregnancies while treating expectant mothers with grave complications. Amid the state’s near-total abortion ban, the bill offers guidelines for doctors in such emergencies, they said.
Beshear said it would have the opposite effect, siding with abortion-rights supporters. The governor said it would undermine the clinical judgment of doctors and put pregnant women at greater risk when faced with medical emergencies.
David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, a socially conservative group, said the veto exposed Beshear as a “mouthpiece” for abortion-rights groups
In rejecting a bill to dismantle DEI efforts at public universities, Beshear cast his veto in terms of his faith. He said diversity should be embraced as a strength and branded the legislation as being “about hate.”
“I believe in the Golden Rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself, and there are no exceptions, no asterisks,” said Beshear, a church deacon. “We love and we accept everyone.”
Republicans sprung a big change for Medicaid — adding a work requirement for able-bodied adult recipients with no dependents — just ahead of the deadline to retain their override power.
Beshear answered with a veto, saying some adults would lose health coverage, and Republicans overrode him. GOP state Sen. Chris McDaniel has said Republicans are committed to supporting vulnerable Kentuckians but added: “This nation demands that those who can put forth effort do.”
Beshear also denounced conversion therapy as “torture” in vetoing legislation that safeguards access to the practice. Conversion therapy is the scientifically discredited practice of trying to “convert” LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations through therapeutic treatment. With their override, Republicans nullified restrictions Beshear has placed on the practice in an executive order last year.
In his veto message, Beshear said policymakers should be protecting kids, not “subjecting them to discredited methods that jeopardize their health, wellbeing and safety.”
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Associated Press Writer Dylan Lovan in Louisville contributed to this report.