A veteran of the Kentucky National Guard who’s now a state lawmaker is asking why it took Gov. Andy Beshear so long to implement a waiver to help service members transition to civilian employment.
Last month, Gov. Andy Beshear announced an emergency regulation to fast-track commercial driver’s licenses for veterans and active duty military. The action waived the written test requirement for obtaining a CDL.
“This step will help remove barriers and ease access to employment for those who’ve bravely and selflessly served, helping them better support their family who sacrificed alongside them," Beshear said in a Sept. 29 news release. "It’s the right thing to do.”
Scott County Republican State Sen. Matt Nunn questioned why it took Beshear two years to implement the expanded waiver.
Kentucky law previously allowed qualifying military applicants to receive a waiver of the driving skills test. But lawmakers authorized an expanded waiver in 2024 through Senate Bill 199 to include the written knowledge test.
That was before Nunn was elected to the legislature, but he says it’s misleading for Beshear to take credit for what his colleagues already did.
Nunn, a member of the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee, said the inaction impacted not just veterans, but business owners and consumers paying higher prices, due in part, to a lack of truck drivers.
“I think the time it took to implement this is very unfortunate for all those people, and I think the fact the governor announced this without any mention of what the General Assembly did two years, is misleading," Nunn told WKU Public Radio.
In his announcement, the governor said he was fast-tracking the waiver, but Nunn said he "slow-walked" it.
Nunn said some eligible veterans missed the opportunity to skip the test because, to qualify, they must have operated commercial-style vehicles within the past two years.
Beshear's office didn't respond to a request for comment.
