FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky’s state treasurer said some of Gov. Andy Beshear’s pandemic restrictions went too far.
Treasurer Allison Ball is accusing Beshear of violating the constitution when he moved to stop church services early on in the COVID-19 outbreak.
“My job is the watchdog of taxpayers,” Ball told lawmakers during a meeting of the Interim Judicial Committee.
Ball, a Republican, said the Democratic governor illegally spent taxpayer dollars when he ordered Kentucky State Police to monitor churches that were meeting despite his order banning large gatherings. The troopers took down license plate numbers and placed notices of violation on car windshields.
Ball called the effort unconstitutional.
“Kentuckians should never be faced with a misdemeanor when they want to go to church or go to synagogue or go to any place of worship,” she said.
Ball said the troopers were just following the governor’s orders, so she will not seek to have any of their pay reimbursed to the state. But she urged lawmakers to take action during the 2021 session to restrict the governor’s emergency powers.
“I think the free exercise of religion, free speech, freedom of assembly is the kind of thing that should be clearly included in legislation,” Ball said.
Republicans applauded the report, and some went on to accuse the governor of a double-standard for not enforcing the pandemic rules against social justice protestors.
“The First Amendment rights of a certain group were protected whereas those who were wanting to attend a religious service were not,” Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) said.
Democrats accused Ball of playing pandemic politics and pointed out that her reported included no estimate of how much money may have been spent.
“It reads much less like a treasurer’s report than it does like someone who maybe wants to run for a higher office,” House Minority Whip Angie Hatton (D- Whitesburg) said.
In a statement, Beshear's Communications Director Crystal Staley said:
“As a deacon in his church, the Governor believes the treasurer is wrong to use faith to create fear and stoke division between Kentuckians … Gov. Beshear took the same steps as other governors by prohibiting mass gatherings to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect the lives of Kentuckians.”
Earlier this week, Beshear called Ball’s report, “silly political shenanigans.” Ball told reporters her report is not about politics.
“I think this is just a way to distract from the fact that they've done something unconstitutional, and they need to be accountable for it,” she said.
In May, a federal judge did block Beshear from barring in-person church services.
Senate President Robert Stivers said there will be an effort in next year’s session more clearly spell out what a governor can and cannot do during emergencies.
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