A former Kentucky state representative has died after being hospitalized for COVID-19.
Democrat Brent Yonts, who represented a Western Kentucky district for nearly two decades, is said to have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine. But media reports say the lawmaker and Greenville attorney still contracted the virus.
A Facebook post from his daughter indicated Yonts received treatment for two weeks, including in intensive care, eventually being placed on a ventilator on Sunday.
Yonts was known for his work on business-related bills. Speaking about the legislature at a Kentucky Chamber meeting in 2016, the policymaker said, "You've got 138 cats in the General Assembly and you can't herd them very well sometimes."
In a statement, Gov. Andy Beshear said Yonts “worked to better the lives of Kentuckians across the commonwealth.”
Yonts passed away early Friday. He was 72.
