Gov. Andy Beshear's new mask mandate in all Kentucky schools is already in the crosshairs of the state's Republican attorney general, who argued in a state Supreme Court filing Wednesday that the move disregards recently-approved state laws.
Cameron says he's not disputing the governor's motives in moving to require the COVID-19-related safety measures — rather, he says he's just holding Beshear to state law. The attorney general says a circuit court injunction is in effect mandating that the governor comply with measures passed during the 2021 General Assembly.
"The General Assembly passed a law that simply asked for him to consult with them and work with them to make decisions that are going to impact all 120 counties," Cameron said.
And Cameron says in his eight-page filing with the state's high court that the governor is bypassing that legislation with his latest executive order.
Beshear has maintained throughout that his orders are legal and in the best interest of Kentuckians — in this case, young people who often aren't or can't yet get vaccinated.
"Our kids, they're not a property. They're not our means to have polictical arguments with one another," Beshear said in a video posted just ahead of Cameron's filing.
The current school mask mandate runs for 30 days, but the governor says it could be extended.
