Governor vetoes bill curbing his ability to fill Senate seat

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s Democratic governor has vetoed a bill that would empower Republican leaders to influence his choice to temporarily fill a U.S. Senate seat should a vacancy occur. Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday the bill would wrongly give the authority to unelected party bosses. The bill passed by veto-proof margins in the GOP-led legislature. The measure would require a governor to choose from a three-name list provided by party leaders from the same party as the senator who formerly held the seat. With McConnell and fellow Republican Rand Paul holding the Senate seats from Kentucky, that would designate GOP leaders to submit the names.