Kentucky’s Democratic governor has vetoed a GOP-backed criminal justice bill that would impose harsher sentences for a range of crimes. Gov. Andy Beshear says the bill would saddle the state with sharply higher incarceration costs. He says the sweeping measure also would criminalize homelessness by creating an “unlawful camping” offense.
FILE - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks to a joint session of the state Legislature to deliver his State of the Commonwealth address in the House chambers of the state Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Frankfort, Ky. Beshear vetoed a GOP-backed criminal justice bill that would impose harsher sentences for a range of crimes, saying it would saddle the state with sharply higher incarceration costs.
Supporters portrayed the bill as a necessary policy shift that would do more to hold criminals accountable and to make communities safer. Opponents warned the measure would carry a hefty price tag for taxpayers with no assurances that the tougher approach would lower crime.Kentucky governor vetoes nuclear energy legislation due to the method of selecting board members
“Despite the tremendous fiscal impact House Bill 5 would have on the Department of Corrections and county governments, the General Assembly provided no fiscal impact analysis with the bill,” he wrote. The sweeping measure passed by wide margins in the Republican supermajority legislature. In his statement after the veto, Bauman said the measure is aimed at “providing law-abiding citizens a sense of safety, security and protection. These individuals, as well as those who are willing to work for a second chance, are our priority.”
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