LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Republican-controlled Kentucky General Assembly voted Tuesday to override nearly all of Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes, including those on the judicial branch budget and the two-year state spending plan, in the closing hours of the 2026 legislative session.

The Republican supermajority overrode nearly all of the 32 vetoes Beshear issued over two weeks, clearing bills for final passage despite Democratic resistance and hours of heated debate along party lines. House Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, called one veto "petulant and unconstitutional," while Speaker Pro Tem David Meade, R-Stanford, asserted that Beshear "just chooses not to follow the law because he doesn't want to."

The override of the judicial branch budget, House Bill 504, proved especially contentious. Beshear had vetoed the measure citing warnings from Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert that the budget would create deficits and threaten closure of drug, mental health and veteran courts. Lambert warned the budget would underfund court operations by millions, leaving the judicial branch with few options except eliminating programs. Republican Majority Whip Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, rejected those concerns, calling it "a responsible budget" and questioning whether the courts were truly facing underfunding.

The state budget debate centered on what Democrats called "unfunded mandates" — directing agencies to take action without adequate funding. Beshear cited at least 20 such provisions in his veto message. Senate President Robert Stivers countered that the governor's administration had failed to provide transparency about base spending needs. "Who sets the priority of policy? Not the governor, not the Supreme Court. The General Assembly," Stivers said, accusing the administration of wanting "to spend the way you want to spend."

With just one final day remaining in the session, lawmakers also attempted to resolve differences on a controversial housing bill. Senate Bill 9 was sent to a conference committee, where negotiators must balance provisions supported by housing advocates — such as reducing parking minimums and expunging dismissed eviction records — against a provision preventing local governments from regulating short-term rentals that Lexington and other major Kentucky cities have already enacted. Rep. Lindsey Burke, D-Lexington, said the short-term rental preemption was "just too much," as it would eliminate local control over an issue affecting housing availability. Any veto of the bill would be fatal since lawmakers would lack time to override it.

Meanwhile, the legislature approved funding for Kentucky's kinship care program, which helps relatives raise minor family members outside the foster care system. Lawmakers agreed to provide $12 million over two years for implementation, though Beshear successfully vetoed provisions requiring agencies to maximize federal matching funds, saying the money should directly benefit families rather than serve as matching funds for federal programs. House Speaker David Osborne acknowledged the governor "made a pretty compelling argument."

The 2026 session concludes Wednesday at midnight.