In early July, Beshear had praise for FEMA's work in Kentucky and sounded optimistic that counties recently ravaged by heavy rains were likely to win state and county aid, and possibly individual assistance.
"This ought to be a slam dunk for public assistance, what it's done to roads and bridges and infrastructure," he said while touring damaged regions.
But the relationship with FEMA took a different turn this week.
Beshear is signing on to a multi-state lawsuit claiming that FEMA and Homeland Security have attached conditions to millions in disaster-preparedness grants with the goal of pressuring states into adopting the Trump administration's election and immigration priorities.
According to CBS News, new conditions imposed on the funding would require states to verify voter citizenship through a federal database, move toward hand-marked paper ballots, conduct federally prescribed election audits, and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The plaintiffs say up to 20% of Homeland Security Grant Program awards would be "held hostage" if states don't comply.
In a statement, FEMA said that "this year, states must take critical common sense steps to protect U.S. elections before receiving their full Homeland Security Grant Program awards."
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a federal court decision that blocked the U.S. Department of Justice under President Trump from obtaining Kentucky voter rolls, dealing a setback to the administration's campaign to acquire more state election data.