Judge: Kentucky Pension law is unconstitutional

The state’s new pension law has been struck down by a circuit court judge.

Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled the law unconstitutional because the process to pass the legislation was expedited.

Attorney General Andy Beshear had sued Governor Matt Bevin, arguing, the law illegally cuts pension benefits and violated the Kentucky Constitution due to the process in which it was passed. 

The case will now likely head to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Longtime Democratic lawmaker, Jody Richards, told WNKY he isn’t surprised by the judge’s ruling. 

"It’s not the best way to do a bill and that’s an understatement," said Richards. "Overall, I’m glad. It gives the legislature directions going forward."

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, who filed the lawsuit against Governor Matt Bevin, is celebrating today’s ruling.

"Today’s ruling is about 200,000 active and hundreds of thousands of retired public servants including teachers, police officers, firefighters, social workers, bus drivers and every other state, county, city and school system employees," said Beshear.

"These public servants have been disrespected. These public servants have been called names. They’ve been accused of causing harm to our children and they were betrayed by their government that acted behind closed doors and in the dark of night. But we fought back and Kentucky’s public servants won. Today’s ruling hold the general assembly violated Kentucky constitution when it turned an 11-page sewer bill into a 291-page pension bill and passed it in just six hours with no public comment or participation. The public simply cannot be shut out of the legislative process."