Kentucky Legislature Overrides Democrat Governor Veto to Change Process of Appointing Senators to Vacant Seats

The Republican-controlled Kentucky legislature overrode the Democrat Governor’s veto Monday to dramatically change the process of appointing Senators to vacant seats.

Senate Bill 228 was filed on February 10, 2021, during the General Assembly’s short session. The bill dramatically changes the way vacancies for a Senate seat are filed. Monday, the Republican-controlled Kentucky legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s (KY) veto.

Previously, Kentucky’s governor has had the authority to appoint any individual of any political party to fill vacant Senate seats, whether the lawmakers are departing by choice, expulsion, or death, according to the Kentucky Courier-Journal.

Now that lthe egislature overrode the bill, and the vacancy would come from a list of three names that have been submitted by an executive committee of the same political party as the senator who held the seat before vacating. Also, that appointee would serve until voters have elected a successor.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) endorsed this bill and worked with the Kentucky legislature to have it passed.

This bill would effectively make it so the Beshear could not appoint a Democrat to a Senate seat. Kentucky has not had a Democratic senator since 1999.

McConnell said in a statement to The Hill:

This bill improves how vacancies are currently filled and guarantee Kentucky would not go without representation in the U.S. Senate for an extended period of time. It would also ensure Kentucky voters have the ability to choose who they think will best represent them in a timely manner, as opposed to leaving that decision to the governor, regardless of party.