The Louisville Bar Association’s Board of Directors thanks Governor Andy Beshear for his leadership in vetoing HB 690 today.

Governor Beshear’s veto of the bill in its entirety upholds the constitutional authority of the Commonwealth’s judicial branch. And importantly, in vetoing the ill-considered amendment allowing attorneys to carry deadly weapons into our Commonwealth’s courtrooms, Governor Beshear listened to the real stakeholders whose lives would be put at risk by this legislation: judges, law enforcement officers, attorneys and courthouse workers, all of whom joined together in opposition. Now, we can only hope the Legislature will follow Governor Beshear’s lead by refusing to overturn the Governor’s veto.

We ask our legislators not to oppose the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the sheriffs who keep our courthouses safe. We ask them not to oppose to Commonwealth’s and County Attorneys who prosecute dangerous criminals. We ask them not to oppose the judges who sit on the bench and make the difficult decisions that often result in tense, emotional situations. And, we ask the Legislature not to oppose their constituents’ wishes by making public courthouses inherently more dangerous for everyone who steps inside.

The amendment allowing attorneys to carry concealed weapons into courthouses was tacked on, with no notice, at the last minute, to a bill that had already been discussed and voted on. It’s these kinds of questionable maneuvers that cause citizens to lose trust in their government. Our legislators can now restore some measure of faith in their leadership by listening to their law enforcement officers, legal community and fellow citizens and by taking no further action on HB 690.