WILSONS SENATE BILL 2 DELIVERED WITHOUT GOVERNOR’S TO SECRETARY OF STATE SIGNATURE
FRANKFORT, KY (March 27, 2025)—Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), a priority piece of legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, has officially been delivered to the Secretary of State’s Office without the signature of Governor Andy Beshear. The bill prohibits the Department of Corrections from using taxpayer dollars to fund elective transgender surgeries or hormone replacement therapy for inmates. SB 2 ensures inmates continue receiving necessary medical care for conditions like thyroid or hormonal disorders, while clearly distinguishing between essential health care and elective gender transition procedures.
For nearly three years, an internal memo from the Beshear administration authorized taxpayer-funded gender transition treatments for inmates, bypassing legislative review and avoiding public scrutiny. The administration never filed the policy as an official regulation, which kept it hidden from oversight until it was exposed. Only then did the administration belatedly file an official regulation which triggered the required legislative review process. During a December Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee hearing, Department of Corrections officials refused to answer legislative questions, claiming they had requested a legal opinion from the attorney general. However, records reveal that the request was deliberately delayed until the Friday before the Monday hearing—an apparent attempt to avoid scrutiny and prevent an opinion from being available in time for the meeting. Despite this effort, Attorney General Russell Coleman responded swiftly and said Kentucky has no legal obligation to use taxpayer funds for gender-affirming treatments.
SB 2 codifies into law the administration’s eventual decision to remove these procedures from regulations after the attorney general’s opinion. Despite this, Governor Beshear has now chosen to distance himself from his own administration’s policy rather than reaffirm it in law.
“The Beshear administration has repeatedly failed to uphold the law with transparency and accountability,” said Wilson. “In this case, after being exposed, they finally removed these procedures from their regulations following the attorney general’s opinion. Yet now, the governor refuses to affirm that decision in law. SB 2 ensures taxpayer funds are not used for elective gender transition treatments while guaranteeing necessary medical care for legitimate conditions. The governor’s refusal to sign this bill raises serious concerns about his commitment to consistent and responsible governance.”
The passage of SB 2 underscores the legislature’s dedication to protecting taxpayer dollars, ensuring government transparency, and preventing executive overreach. By refusing to sign, Governor Beshear has chosen to avoid reaffirming a policy his own administration previously put in place and demonstrated a lack of leadership on the matter.
For further updates on SB 2 and other legislative initiatives, visit Legislature.ky.gov.
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Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, represents the 32nd Senate District, including Logan, Simpson, and Todd Counties and southern Warren County. Wilson serves as the Senate majority whip. As a Senate majority leadership member, he serves on the Legislative Research Commission, the Committee on Committees, and the Rules Committee. He is also a member of the Senate Committees on Agriculture; Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor; Education; Transportation; and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection. Additionally, Wilson serves on the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee and the Public Pension Oversight Board.
Please visit https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate132.jpg for a high-resolution .jpeg of Wilson.
