A judge has temporarily blocked a new Kentucky law that allows businesses and schools to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic as long as they follow CDC guidelines.
The ruling comes a day after Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear sued to block three laws passed by the Republican-led legislature curtailing his powers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The order from Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd only blocks parts of House Bill 1 that affect business and school openings. Other parts of the bill, including easing restrictions on long-term care visits and unemployment insurance taxes, remain in effect.
Shepherd wrote that he was concerned portions of House Bill 1 “could likely wreak havoc with public health.”
“Under the provisions of House Bill 1, it is likely that hundreds, or even thousands, of individual operating plans could be adopted, with no meaningful oversight or review, and with great variations as to the rules that would apply throughout the state,” Shepherd wrote.