The Kentucky General Assembly has voted to exclude the state's chief executive from selecting a replacement for Sen. Mitch McConnell in the event of a vacancy before his retirement.
Supporters argue that the rule change has nothing to do with McConnell's decision to step down at the end of his term, but they stripped Gov. Andy Beshear (D) of that power regardless. (RELATED: McConnell Calls On Republicans To Reject Term Limits)
As Politico reports:
The Republican-sponsored bill, which would require a special election to choose a senator in the case of an open seat in the unexpired term, passed with bipartisan support as the Legislature nears the end of its session. It passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities.
It's a significant change from how the process currently works. A majority of states — including Kentucky — pick successors in vacant Senate seats by gubernatorial appointment. But there are some notable restrictions in the commonwealth: The governor must choose a nominee from a list of three names the outgoing senator's party submits. Beshear would have to choose a Republican, should either Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell or Sen. Rand Paul's seats become vacant.
McConnell last month announced he will not run for another term as GOP conference leader later this year. But he has vowed to serve out the rest of his term, which runs through 2027. Last year, the 82-year-old faced questions about his future after bouts of freezing in public, although Kentucky Republicans who sponsored the bill have insisted that it was not prompted by McConnell's health.
But with the change, Kentucky Republicans now have a backup plan in case there is an opening for the longtime senator's seat before his term expires.
Beshear has not hidden his disdain for the plan, criticizing it as an unconstitutional infringement of his authority.
Last summer, he declined to commit about complying with it when asked, refusing to “speculate about something that hasn't happened and isn't going to happen.”
Yesterday, the Kentucky Senate sent a bill on the very subject to his desk.
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