Lawmakers disqualify Fayette County board chair from running again: How we got here
Kentucky legislators overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto to enact a law that effectively prevents Fayette County Board of Education chair Tyler Murphy from running for reelection because he is a full-time teacher in another district.
A months-long battle with the Kentucky General Assembly involved a removal petition, constitutional challenges and multiple legislative maneuvers targeting Murphy amid criticism of the district’s budget problems.
Here are key takeaways:
- What the law does: Senate Bill 4 prohibits school board members in large districts — Fayette and Jefferson counties — from also working more than 100 days each year as employees of another school district. Murphy teaches at Boyle County High School, making him ineligible to run again.
- How it became law: The legislature overrode Beshear’s veto with a 30-8 Senate vote and a 78-19 House vote. Beshear had called the bill “bad policy” and said it violated Kentucky’s Constitution.
- Murphy’s response: Murphy called the legislation “a slap in the face to voters” and said it “raises serious constitutional questions.” He also filed for reelection the same day the veto was overridden, and maintained his intention to run Wednesday in a statement to the Herald-Leader.
- A separate removal effort failed: Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, filed a petition in January to remove Murphy, citing failure to oversee FCPS finances. The House Impeachment Committee ended its work without acting on the petition.
- The backstory: FCPS faced a projected budget deficit of about $16 million, drawing bipartisan criticism of Murphy and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins. A Northern Kentucky University law professor said the removal petition was likely unconstitutional.
- What happens next: Bill sponsor Sen. Steve West, R-Paris, said Murphy can serve out his current term, which ends in 2026, but cannot run again. Murphy has not detailed specific next steps but has noted constitutionality issues with the new law.
The summary points above are based on the reporting of a Herald-Leader journalist but produced with the assistance of AI. A Herald-Leader reporter and editor reviewed this story for accuracy. You can read more about our AI policy here.