LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Governor Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that would allow for the creation of smaller cities in Jefferson County.
In his veto message Wednesday, he said the bill "undoes the votes of the citizens of Louisville and Jefferson County to have a consolidated government," since the people voted on the city-county merger that created the Louisville Metro Government.
Other people opposing the bill agree, saying it would take away from the areas that need it most and important services that benefit everyone, like corrections, the health department, and the free Louisville Public Library.
Mayor Greg Fischer also opposed the bill, saying passing HB314 would unwind the progress the Metro government has made and could seriously impact Louisville's tax revenue.
"Beyond the confusion and frustration for businesses looking to locate or grow in Louisville, it potentially could leave a $50 million hole in revenue to cover all the services that every resident of Louisville relies on," Fischer said.
However, many supporting the bill agree they feel Louisville's Metro government doesn't provide services equally across the city, and they weren't receiving the services they felt they paid for, such as public safety.
People for the bill said it would give those unincorporated areas in the county more freedom to run their neighborhoods how they see fit.
Other measures Beshear vetoed Wednesday include a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in school sports, and an education measure that would shift key school governance decisions to superintendents and away from school-based decision-making councils.
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