Last week, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin announced his decision to join 11 other states in challenging the Obama administration’s new school guidelines for transgender student accommodations – and criticized Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear for not taking action.
In a statement Friday, Bevin charged that Beshear, a Democrat and son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, is "unwilling to protect Kentucky's control over local issues." But Tuesday, the top law enforcement official offered a rebuttal, telling media outlets his staff was reviewing the Texas-led case.
"At no point did the governor ever consult with us, email us, or ask us for a meeting," he said. "Claiming that I refused to do something he never asked me to do, and was reviewing, is entirely and totally false."
The lawsuit, now backed by a dozen states, argues the Obama administration overstepped its authority in issuing the non-binding guidance directing schools to recognize students' gender identities regardless of their birth sex. Beshear said the suit makes claims dealing with the history and intent of Title IX and the 10th Amendment.
Now that the governor is moving ahead on his own, the attorney general indicated he’s moving employees tasked with analyzing the case back to other core missions of the office.
