It is a good thing that the Christmas season is now behind us, as Governor Bevin and Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer might not be exchanging cards if that were not the case. Well-placed sources tell ITC that the dispute the two men are having publicly through newspaper articles and KET interviews is only the tip of the iceberg.
Following the failed special session at the end of 2018, Governor Bevin penned a newspaper column placing blame on the legislature for not passing pension reforms. Thayer rebutted through an Associated Press article stating that the collective Republican legislative leaders repeatedly urged Bevin not to call the session. Then, this week on Kentucky Tonight, Governor Bevin told host Renee Shaw that Thayer did not support a session, but that other Republican members of legislative leadership did. Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker David Osborne have intimated that Thayer was correct.
Privately, Thayer is said to be fuming that the Governor is publicly calling him a liar, as well as thin-skinned. No one expects either person to back down from their statements, so lines may be being drawn in the sand. We expect this story to unfurl even more as the legislative session progresses.
Inside The Connector 