House Speaker David Osborne said in a statement that the removal of Kentucky Venues President and CEO David Beck "appears to have been driven more by politics than by any legitimate effort to strengthen agriculture, tourism, commerce, or the Kentucky State Fair."

Beck's ousting came in a special meeting on July 2, less than one week after the Kentucky Supreme Court restored Governor Andy Beshear's authority to appoint a majority of the State Fair Board members. The court, in a 4-3 decision, struck down a 2021 law passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly that had shifted appointment power from the Democratic governor to the Republican agriculture commissioner.

Osborne, a Republican, praised Beck's record, saying that under his leadership "the Kentucky State Fairgrounds and Kentucky Venues experienced remarkable growth and significant improvements." He added that "the reorganization sends a clear message that the governor does not care about a board's record of success, but rather how many political allies he can stack on it."

The Republican House speaker also criticized the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it effectively clears the way for Beshear to unilaterally appoint members to boards intended for oversight and accountability. "The state's Supreme Court continues to act as the governor's chief accomplice," Osborne said in his statement.

Beshear countered that Beck "was not willing to work with me, and made that pretty clear" and had "led a charge to prevent any form of accountability from a governor." He said the fair board is positioned for improvements and expressed commitment to an enhanced operation at the fairgrounds and downtown convention center.

Mike Berry, former Tourism, Arts and Heritage secretary under Beshear and former president of the Kentucky Derby Festival, was named interim president and CEO. The transition comes less than two months before the Kentucky State Fair, one of the state's largest events.