From The Lexington Herald-Leader: Bevin called this judge an ‘incompetent hack.’ This bill lets him bypass that judge.
By JACK BRAMMER
Over objections by Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr., the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Monday that would allow the governor, legislature or state agency being sued to demand a special judge to hear the case against them.
Senate President Robert Stivers sponsored Senate Bill 2 after criticizing how Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd handled a lawsuit last year challenging a controversial public pension bill the Republican-led legislature adopted and Gov. Matt Bevin signed into law. Shepherd ruled against it and the Kentucky Supreme Court later unanimously upheld his ruling.
Minton, who rarely testifies on bills other than the courts system’s budget and his judiciary concerns, said SB 2 would have “a ruinous effect on the court of justice.”