Mitch McConnell

A Republican-sponsored bill in the Kentucky legislature would require the governor to replace a departing U.S. senator with someone from the same political party.

The proposal is supported by Kentucky’s 78-year-old U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and comes as state lawmakers continue to try and chip away at Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s powers.

Senate Bill 228 would be a big change from how Kentucky governors currently fill senate vacancies — picking whomever they want.

Instead, the governor would have to pick a replacement from a list of three nominees selected by the state party of the departing senator.

  Both of Kentucky’s U.S. senators voted to acquit Donald Trump on charges that he incited the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Yet Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell capped off his vote with a winding explanation of why the former president should be blamed for the insurrection, but shouldn’t be convicted for it.

“President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day, no question about it,” McConnell said during a speech on the Senate floor.

“The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”

The Republican Party of Kentucky voted down a resolution calling on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to oppose impeachment charges against former President Donald Trump.

The longshot petition shows that the vast majority of the state’s GOP leadership isn’t willing to force McConnell’s hand on the impeachment issue, though a large number of Republicans are worried he will move to convict the former president.

Over the weekend, members of the Republican State Central Committee held a special meeting to consider the proposal submitted by several local party leaders calling for McConnell to “stand with President Trump and publicly condemn this divisive and unnecessary second impeachment.”

There were calls for unity and predictions of division among Kentucky’s congressional members as Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.

Kentucky’s Republican senior Sen. Mitch McConnell took part in one of the official festivities—presenting a flag that flew over the inaugural ceremony to new Vice President Kamala Harris.

“The star-spangled banner is the greatest symbol of the endurance of the American idea. It flies over this building on triumphant days and tragic ones. For all factions and all parties,” McConnell said during the ritual.

The Louisville home of Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was vandalized following his blocking of a push for larger stimulus payments to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Messages like “Mitch kills poor” and “Where’s my money” were spray painted across the front façade of McConnell’s house in the Highlands neighborhood Saturday morning.

Earlier in the week, McConnell blocked a bill passed by the Democratic-led House that would have boosted stimulus checks in the latest COVID-19 relief package from $600 to $2,000.

Gov. Andy Beshear says the $2,000 stimulus checks that President Donald Trump and Democrats are pushing for would bring billions in additional direct support to Kentucky families.  

President Trump, Democrats and an increasing number of Republicans have also voiced support for the payments. But on Tuesday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked Democrats efforts to hold an immediate vote to increase stimulus checks to $2,000. 

“The House has already voted for it, the president wants to sign it, the Senate is the only thing standing in the way of $5 billion going to our families, or not,” Beshear said during Tuesday’s Coronavirus briefing.