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Kentucky Politics Distilled: Bevin Goes After Judge; McConnell And Paul At Odds Again

J. Tyler Frankin

Governor Matt Bevin has gone after Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd several times in recent years. Shepherd is one of two trial court judges who hears certain lawsuits brought against the state.

Bevin has repeatedly accused him of being a “political hack” because he worked in Democratic Governor Brereton Jones’ administration back in the late 1980s.

After Shepherd ruled against a procedural motion filed by Bevin’s lawyers earlier this week, Bevin lashed out at the judge again on 55KRC radio in Cincinnati.

“I now have the most incompetent hack of a judge, I don’t know if in Kentucky but certainly one of the worst, who happens to be in Franklin Circuit Court,” Bevin said. “This guy is now legislating from the bench.”

Also this week, state lawmakers continued to weigh in on the potential state takeover of Louisville’s public school system, and Kentucky’s U.S. Senators again find themselves on the opposite side of a debate — this time over the nomination of Gina Haspel to be CIA director.

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Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives. He's covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.

Email Ryland at rbarton@lpm.org.
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