Governor Mulls Particular Session on Pandemic Emergency, COVID Presumption| Staff Compensation Information

Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | 0

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is considering holding a special session to extend a declaration of emergency, saying, among other things, that doing so would help maintain suspicions that COVID-19 would be compensated for frontline workers, according to a report from the CBS subsidiary in Louisville can.

Governor Andy Beshear

Beshear overturned an executive order that established a mask mandate after the state Supreme Court overturned an injunction issued by the Republican-controlled General Assembly designed to curtail the governor’s powers in an emergency. One of the laws passed during the 2021 session limits the duration of the governor’s executive orders to 30 days unless extended by the legislature.

The governor issued an executive order in April 2020 that assumes that COVID-19 can be compensated for a number of frontline workers, including first responders, grocery workers and postal workers.

Some Republican lawmakers are reportedly agreeing to expand executive orders covering workers’ compensation, food aid, and allowing hospitals to hire health workers from other states. However, according to reports, Republicans are gearing up for a debate on so-called personal freedom issues such as wearing a mask or vaccination.

WLKY reports that a special session is likely a few weeks away as the governor has 20 days to ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision.