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Kentucky Supreme Court Blocks Attorney General’s Efforts in a Lower Court to Void Governor Beshear’s COVID-19 Executive Orders

On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, Attorney General Daniel Cameron filed a motion in the Boone County Kentucky Circuit Court seeking to invalidate all executive orders issued to date by Governor Andy Beshear directed at containing the spread of COVID-19, a highly contagious disease that prompted the declaration of a national public health emergency as well as a state of emergency in Kentucky.  In his July 16th update on COVID-19, Governor Beshear said that Cameron’s actions would 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.

Cameron’s motion also would have voided all COVID-19 orders and directives applicable to healthcare providers that had been issued from the Governor and the Secretary for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. On Friday morning, July 17th, the Courier-Journal was reporting that the Boone County judge indicated late Thursday evening that he would side with Cameron.  However, by Friday afternoon, as reported by the Courier-Journal, “The Kentucky Supreme Court has temporarily halted a Boone County judge’s ruling blocking all of Gov. Andy Beshear’s past and future public health orders responding to the COVID-19 emergency.”

For Governor Beshear’s roadmap to safely reopen Kentucky, dubbed “Healthy at Work”, go to https://govstatus.egov.com/ky-healthy-at-work.  To keep up with developments in Kentucky and the efforts of Governor Beshear to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Kentucky, go to www.kycovid19.ky.gov.