Kentucky legislature approves bill stripping governor of power to fill Senate vacancy

The Republican-led Kentucky Senate on Thursday approved legislation that would mandate a special election to fill a vacant Senate seat and strip the governor of the power to appoint a temporarily replacement to finish a term.

The Senate approved the measure 34-3, sending it to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's desk, the Associated Press reported. The state previously approved a plan restricting the governor's choice of replacement to three candidates selected by leaders of the same party as the senator who held the vacant seat. Both chambers passed the law with veto-proof majorities, Politico noted.

The measure comes after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced in February that he would step down as party conference leader following the November elections. He does, however, plan to complete his Senate term, which is set to expire in 2027.

But the 82-year-old's health has been the subject of scrutiny ever since multiple on-camera freeze-ups last year and a fall in March 2023 that inflicted a concussion.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.