Kentucky governor vetoes bill aimed at limiting state-specific safety rules

Frankfort, KY — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) has vetoed a bill that would have limited enforcement of any new or existing state workplace safety and health regulations that are more stringent than federal OSHA standards. However, Republicans have a supermajority in the state Legislature and are likely to override the veto, according to news reports.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Walker Thomas (R-Hopkinsville), passed in the House with a 62-33 vote on Feb. 26 and in the Senate with a 70-20 vote on March 13. Republicans hailed the bill as business friendly, with Thomas saying it would “only impact a few existing regulations, and even then, it may only impact part of a rule.”

In his March 24 veto message, Beshear wrote that H.B. 398 would make Kentucky – which operates under federal OSHA’s State Plan program – unable to enforce or create rules specific to workers in the state, and would make Kentuckians “less safe.”

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, a worker advocacy group, said in a press release that the bill “undermines essential protections” by restricting state enforcement of safety rules, disclosing the identity of workers who file workplace complaints, and limiting the time frame for workers to file complaints and the state to issue citations.

Kentucky AFL-CIO President Dustin Reinstedler, meanwhile, said the bill would no longer require fire departments to inspect and maintain vehicles, mandate safety harnesses for steelworkers and crane operators above 10 feet, or ensure employees are paid during workplace inspections.