Why Kentucky Republicans quickly denounced Beshear’s new COVID-19 restrictions
The backlash was immediate.
Minutes after Gov. Andy Beshear unveiled his latest restrictions to stem the third surge of COVID-19 in Kentucky, Republican lawmakers both distanced themselves from the new rules and denounced them.
Some were quick to call the Democratic governor’s executive order “a second shutdown” and decry the effect it will have on businesses.
The restrictions will shut down most in-person learning at schools until January, limit private indoor gatherings to eight people from two households, restrict wedding and funeral venues to 25 people, and forbid indoor seating at bars and restaurants for three weeks. Restaurants and bars can apply for a $10,000 stipend to help cover their losses.
Republican leaders pointed to several perceived inconsistencies in the restrictions. For example, they said its unfair that 25 people can gather at an indoor wedding venue but any private gathering is limited to eight people from two households. They pointed to the fact that big retail and grocery stores can stay open but restaurants can’t have people inside.
“The inconsistencies are not logical and I think it has prevented many industries and Kentuckians from buying in,” said Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.
Beshear attempted to explain some of the apparent inconsistencies Thursday, saying public health experts advised him to be as specific as possible about the number of people who can gather in different settings. He said shopping in a store is fundamentally different than eating in a restaurant without a mask.
“We can sit here and we can try to pick at them,” Beshear said. “But we are doing our best to fight a virus that didn’t exist until the end of the year and has now killed 1,700 people. I’m trying to take action and that action is not going to be perfect, but we’re doing the best we can.”
What’s the Republican plan?
Republican legislative leaders have made it clear they intend to use their super majorities in the state Senate and House of Representatives to limit the executive powers of a governor during an emergency, claiming he has abused his authority while attempting to curb spread of the coronavirus.
When asked Thursday what tangible steps they would take to limit the virus, their answers were murky.
“I don’t know if you can legislate the exact policy because you need data,” said Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester.
There is no formal Republican plan to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Kentucky. Lawmakers have raised ideas like taking a regionalized approach to restrictions rather than a blanket approach. They also have suggested being more transparent about contact tracing data so restrictions could be more targeted.
Mostly, they want the governor to listen to their ideas and concerns.
“That’s not really the point,” said Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, when asked about specific input. “The point is that he needs to stop surrounding himself with a handful of useless sycophants and talk to the people’s branch of government and maybe get some input from us.”
‘There’s no collaboration’
Since the beginning of the pandemic, legislative leaders have been critical that Beshear has not involved them in the process. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized his legislative outreach, from a lack of input during protests over racial inequality to COVID-19 restrictions.
This time, Beshear briefed legislative leaders about an hour before announcing them to the public Wednesday. Lawmakers described the meeting as being told what was going to happen, not the governor asking for input or ideas.
“There’s no collaboration,” Thayer said.
Legislators often talk about how they are “closer to their constituents” than someone who represents the entire state.
Stivers said he’s had to field calls from doctors and landlords asking for explanations on specific policy decisions handed down by the governor. Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Hopkinsville, said he’s been asked by superintendents why all schools have to shut down. Both said they have trouble explaining Beshear’s actions.
“Tell us why,” Stivers said. “So we can stand up and say we understand what the Governor is doing.”
Beshear has stood up at four o’clock four days a week and shown charts and graphs about COVID-19 in Kentucky and across the country. He discusses federal health studies and has Kentucky’s public health commissioner, Dr. Steven Stack, explain the reasoning behind their decisions.
“Every reputable public health expert in the country is saying that we need to stop this spread,” said Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville. “We’re seeing a rising number of cases in Kentucky and across the country.”
Republican lawmakers, though, are quick to point out that the state has not released contact tracing data that would allow them to pinpoint sources of the spread.
“I want to see what the data is that’s supporting these decisions,” Westerfield said. “Maybe there’s data, but I’m not seeing it.”
Public health officials have said the disease is so widespread — and contact tracers are so overwhelmed — that it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact site of various outbreaks. Stivers pointed out that Beshear used $20 million to hire new contact tracers, but seems unable to point to Kentucky-specific data.
Instead, Stack has pointed to the state’s high positivity rate — it has risen to levels similar to the beginning of the pandemic — when testing wasn’t widely available, and to the fact that more than 100 of Kentucky’s 120 counties are seeing a spread of the virus that is deemed “uncontrolled,” where there are more than 25 cases per 100,000 people.
Partisan perceptions
Stivers said bringing a Republican, such as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in front of the cameras with Beshear would have gone a long way in reducing the partisan perception of the restrictions. (McConnell toured the state during his Senate campaign and advised people to wear a mask. Beshear has urged the same during his evening press briefings).
Rep. John Blanton, R-Saylersville, said bringing more people to the table would have let Beshear get more buy-in for his ideas.
“We’ve got this division among ourselves right now,” Blanton said. “The more people you bring to the table, the more you squelch that.”
McGarvey said he believes criticism from Republicans has been fueled by politics.
Beshear is up for reelection in 2023 and many Republicans see an opportunity to pick off the last Democrat standing in statewide office.
“I think it’s really unfortunate that we’re seeing politics come into play so much with this pandemic,” McGarvey said. “Whether it’s at the national level with the White House refusing to fully transition to the next administration or at the state level with leaders not constructively coming together.”
Quarles, who’s been mentioned as a potential challenger, denied there is any political angling.
“This isn’t about politics,” Quarles said. “It’s about getting Kentucky in a better place. Thousands of Kentuckians are going to lose their jobs tomorrow.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 4:35 PM.
