Kentucky gov suffers legal defeat in combating COVID surge

By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky governor’s efforts to aggressively combat COVID-19 have suffered a landmark legal defeat. The state’s high court on Saturday cleared the way for laws reining in his emergency powers to take effect. The state Supreme Court ordered a lower court to dissolve an injunction blocking the new Republican-backed laws limiting Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s emergency powers. The ruling revolves around a dispute between Beshear and the GOP-led legislature over the scope of the governor’s executive authority in times of emergencies. It comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging in Kentucky.