The Governor reminded Kentuckians on Thursday that in addition to seeking to invalidate the executive orders that keep us safe from COVID-19, the attorney general  also is targeting other measures his administration has put in place to help during this global pandemic. The attorney general’s actions include trying to void:

• Healthy at Work requirements;
• expanded workers’ compensation eligibility for workers – including first responders, active military and grocery store employees – who are ordered to quarantine as a result of exposure; and
• a measure that waives copays, deductibles, cost-sharing and diagnostic testing fees for private insurance.

“Today the attorney general asked a court in Boone County to overturn every single order we have put in place to protect people and to stop my office from putting in any future order to keep us safe,” said Gov. Beshear. “It’s truly frightening. Companies wouldn’t even have to sanitize. In the middle of a worldwide pandemic. It means we would fail. It means people would die. Those are the facts, and that’s the truth.”

In that new motion, Cameron said Gov. Beshear’s orders were given without public comment or notice. It also said health commissioner Dr. Steven Stack’s background is not in epidemiology or virology, but in emergency medicine.

“Dr. Stack has not conducted any studies of the coronavirus himself, but his recommendations to the governor rely upon the work of others who have studied it,” Cameron said.

A hearing took place Thursday morning at Boone County Justice Center, while Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear appeals COVID-19 rulings on Florence Speedway and some other Northern Kentucky businesses.

The appeal came after Boone County Circuit Court Judge Rick Brueggemann issued a restraining order against Beshear’s Public Rules, in turn, allowing the Speedway to open earlier this month.

In the court papers, the attorney general said the governor’s actions are arbitrary and violate Kentuckians’ constitutional rights.

No ruling came in the case Thursday. The Boone Couty judge asked for additional filings, and won’t issue a ruling until next week. When the judge makes a decision, it could have statewide implications.

Another motion hearing was held Thursday afternoon at the Scott Circuit Court. Cameron wants the judge there, Brian Privett, to decide if the governor’s mask mandate violated a temporary restraining order the judge issued last week.

Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles was a party in that lawsuit.

Beshear has called the partiality of Judge Privett into question and requested he be disqualified because of what the governor calls a friendship between Privett and Quarles.

A picture of the two of them posted from Privett’s Twitter a few years ago was shared on social media. Privett said that picture was taken while the two were having an event in the same building.

“I did not disclose any friendship or a relationship with Secretary Quarles because I do not have one,” Privett said. “Other than meeting Mr. Quarles. I’ll probably talk to him five times in my life. No more than two or three minutes at any time.”

Governor Beshear has made it clear he wants these cases to end up at the state Supreme Court. He said he is hoping for a final ruling from them.