FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Members of the House have passed a bill that would allow Kentuckians to vote in a special election if either of the commonwealth's U.S. Senate seats becomes vacant.
Under current law, if there is a vacancy, the governor has the power to appoint someone to fill the Senate seat until the next regular election. The appointment must be made from a list of three candidates provided by the outgoing senator's political party.
"HB 622 is based on the fundamental philosophy that a government by the people and for the people should ensure that the people have the authority to choose their elected officials," Rudy said. "We already use this process to fill vacancies in the U.S. House, and the Kentucky General Assembly."
The bill's sponsor, House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, believes that Kentuckians want to have a say if a U.S. Senate seat is left empty.
"People want to elect their United States senator. And should we have a vacancy, I think this is the preferred mechanism, and this is what the people of Kentucky would want," Rudy said.
Rudy explained that he has been against gubernatorial appointments for Senate seats since the situation in Illinois in 2008. Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was accused of trying to sell former president Barack Obama's seat when he left the U.S. Senate for the White House.
Gov. Andy Beshear sees the changes as an attack on executive power.
"The same authority that Paul Patton and Ernie Fletcher and Steve Beshear and Matt Bevin had is the type of authority that they're trying to tear away from me and my time as governor," he said.
The bill now goes to the Kentucky Senate for consideration.
