News

"I want to thank the General Assembly for overriding the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 25. This bill helps Kentucky’s most vulnerable by providing more tools for the Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman to hold the Cabinet for Health and Family Services accountable.

 

In his veto message, Governor Beshear once again relied upon fear to bolster his statements. His message revealed that his real concern is that this law will enable the Ombudsman’s Office to finally be free to investigate CHFS without obstruction from CHFS.

 

His veto message did not say that the bill was unconstitutional or unlawful, which are generally acceptable reasons to veto a bill, but instead made a series of politically charged accusations.

 

First, Beshear asserted that the Ombudsman’s Office is “less independent than ever” simply because it has now been fully integrated with the Auditor’s Office. This is a ridiculous statement because the Ombudsman’s Office used to be controlled by the very people that the office was supposed to investigate—the Secretary of Governor Beshear’s CHFS and his employees. This was a clear conflict of interest, which is why the legislature moved the office in a previous session.

 

By vetoing this bill, Beshear appeared to oppose more effective investigations that would bring real change for Kentuckians. Integrating the Ombudsman’s Office with the Auditor’s Office enhances its ability to uncover real issues and spark change for the benefit of all Kentuckians. Instead, Beshear is questioning the integrity of our auditors, experienced professionals who have served both Republican and Democratic administrations.

 

Second, Beshear accused the Ombudsman of “micromanagement” for requiring CHFS to inform Kentuckians how to contact the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman’s Office has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of calls, complaints, and tips it has received, largely due to CHFS’s obstruction. SB 25 requires CHFS to inform Kentuckians that the Ombudsman’s Office is here to help.

 

Third, Beshear opposed the fact that the Auditor and Ombudsman can keep complaints from whistleblowers confidential—protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. This was necessary because days after two investigations were announced, Beshear’s Finance and Administration Cabinet attempted to obtain the identity of whistleblowers and their complaints from the Auditor and Ombudsman through an Open Records Act request.

Now that the General Assembly has recognized the importance of this bill and overridden the Governor’s veto, maybe Governor Beshear will focus less on partisan politics and more on working with the Auditor to protect vulnerable Kentuckians."