Ky. Supreme Court hears arguments in case about Gov. Beshear’s orders

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - The Kentucky Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case involving Governor Andy Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

The case went go before the court Thursday morning:

The case revolves around the legality of the governor’s COVID-19 orders.

AG Cameron has said his motions aren’t about public safety, but about making sure the governor followed the law when issuing the orders.

“We recognize the public health emergency and public health needs we have here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Cameron told us in a July 17 interview about the hearing. “We just want to make sure the orders that are issued out of his office are consistent with the state law and constitution.”

In July, the Supreme Court blocked temporary injunctions issued by courts in Scott and Boone counties that would have blocked certain executive orders issued by Beshear.

The move kept in place, for the time being, many of the governor’s executive orders involving the coronavirus, including the mask mandate.

The Supreme Court cited in July a need for a clear and consistent statewide public health policy -- thus moving forward with the oral arguments.

During a COVID-19 news conference Wednesday, the governor was asked about his thoughts on the hearing.

“It’s trying to undo the number one, two, three and four steps that we can take to defeat the virus,” said Beshear. “It is just crazy to say ‘let’s just eliminate the authority to respond to an emergency in the middle of the emergency.’”

Meanwhile, as the oral arguments started Thursday morning, protestors gathered on the capitol lawn to rally against the governor’s executive orders. Barriers were placed around the capitol blocking portions of the building in advance of the protest.

A decision by the Supreme Court is not expected Thursday.

The protest organizers said, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, they plan to hold another rally on the capitol steps in October.

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