KY legislature should set a good example in this crisis. It should go home.

We are in a crisis and we are pulling together as #teamkentucky to battle our way through a global pandemic that could change our lives dramatically and forever. We very much want to believe Gov. Andy Beshear when he says there should be no politics right now, only Kentuckians.

Unfortunately, cynicism is winning at the State Capitol, as Republican lawmakers make very clear that COVID-19 —and a locked-down Capitol building — is also a great opportunity to sneak in some legislative victories away from the public eye. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee voted to pass Marsy’s Law, a controversial bill on victims rights, the same day the General Assembly appointed a free conference committee on another much debated proposal, the Voter ID bill.

These bills have already been the subject of protest and discussion, and under normal circumstances, people would come to the Capitol to protest and rally against them. But these are not normal times; they are so abnormal that the General Assembly should obey the recommendations of our federal government to not hold meetings of more than 10 people.

On Tuesday, Gov. Beshear gave the General Assembly two very reasonable choices: pass a budget quickly and go home, and don’t bother with non-essential legislation (such as SB 1). The other? Go home and let him call a special session to pass the budget and any legislation related to COVID-19. “Don’t consider laws that get people fired up,” Beshear said at his Tuesday briefing. “It’s not healthy, it’s not what we should be doing.”

What he won’t do is call an open-ended session where lawmakers can do whatever they want. Beshear also noted he’s done with politics, and he’s right.

If they stay in session, as Senate President Robert Stivers indicated they would, they should discuss only the budget or bills relating to COVID-19 relief, e-commerce or anything that makes telecommuting easier. Lawmakers can parade their favorite causes when the world is no longer falling apart. It’s not just that most lawmakers are in some kind of high risk category of age or ill health and should stay home to avoid enacting some grand Darwinian experiment. It’s that the people’s business must never be conducted in this crisis-filled, closed-door reality in which we are living right now.

Lawmakers should rise to the occasion and show the kind of leadership that we’re seeing in the governor’s office. Be part of #teamkentucky. Go home.

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 2:39 PM.