Beshear blasts Bevin for 'alternative facts' on ultrasound law
Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear blasted Gov. Matt Bevin for pushing "alternative facts" during a Facebook Live commentary Wednesday that falsely claimed Beshear is no longer going to defend the state's recently passed anti-abortion ultrasound law.
Bevin took to social media to urge Kentuckians to reach out to Beshear and demand that he defend the new abortion law. Bevin called Beshear's position "absolutely unconscionable" but provided no support for his contention.
Beshear rebutted Bevin's claim, saying his office "is actively defending agencies sued over House Bill 2. In doing so, we have taken the most aggressive action possible, moving to have the entire case dismissed as to those agencies.
"I would suggest in the future that if the governor has any questions on the hard work of my office that he walk across the hallway and ask to meet with me, and not hide behind Facebook.”
The law, enacted this month, requires medical professionals to perform pre-abortion ultrasounds and describe the images to their patients. The law allows the patient to look away from the image. Bevin said significant majorities of Kentucky lawmakers and voters support anti-abortion measures.
"We are a pro-life state," he said.
Though Beshear was firm that he will defend the ultrasound law, he has said he would not defend another new abortion law that imposes a ban on the procedure after the 20th week of a pregnancy if that law ends up being challenged in court, too.
In the Facebook Live video, Bevin bashed media coverage of Beshear and singled out a Courier-Journal story that correctly reported Beshear would defend the ultrasound law.
In support of his claim, Bevin focused on a single line from a routine motion Beshear filed related to his request for a dismissal of a challenge to the ultrasound law. The ACLU sought a restraining order to stop enforcement of the law, and Beshear said he has no position on that request because he already had asked for the case to be thrown out.
Courier-Journal Executive Editor Joel Christopher said it's wrong for the governor to try to score political points by attacking journalists, particularly a reporter like Debby Yetter who has a long record of hard-hitting, nonpartisan and accurate watchdog reporting.
"Kentucky is a pro-truth state," Christopher said.
Reporter Morgan Watkins can be reached at 502-875-5136 or mwatkins@courier-journal.com.
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