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Petition To Impeach Beshear Loses A Participant, Committee Seeks More Info

Signs, some with personal messages promoting the impeachment of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, line the walkway and lawn of the State Capitol building in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Signs, some with personal messages promoting the impeachment of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, line the walkway and lawn of the State Capitol building in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.

The Kentucky House committee tasked with deciding whether to advance an impeachment petition against Gov. Andy Beshear is awaiting additional information from the governor's office before it proceeds.

Signs, some with personal messages promoting the impeachment of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, line the walkway and lawn of the State Capitol building in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.
Credit AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Signs, some with personal messages promoting the impeachment of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, line the walkway and lawn of the State Capitol building in Frankfort, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.

The impeachment committee met for the first time Wednesday, but only two brief public announcements came out of the meeting. Among them was news that one of the four petitioners, Randall Daniel of Bullitt County, is withdrawing his name from the petition.

The second was that the committee would be seeking more information from the governor, though Rep. Jason Nemes did not specify what the group is requesting.

"We have decided as a committee to send a letter to the governor seeking a little bit of additional information," the Republican said Wednesday. "That letter will be sent hopefully tomorrow and we will ask the governor to turn that information around quickly so we can resolve this matter as expeditiously as possible."

The petition seeks to have the governor removed over his emergency COVID-19 orders, despite a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling reinforcing the executive's authority to take statewide action during an emergency.

Beshear's office has labeled the effort "silly and completely unjustified." Nemes had indicated he believes the governor did overstep his authority with some of his orders and the committee will discuss whether or not the actions are impeachable. 

Copyright 2021 WUKY

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now known as Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and Program Director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.