It was quite the year for Kentucky politics. Here are 5 of the biggest stories from 2024

Kentucky wasn’t short on political news in 2024.

From the failure of the “school choice” amendment to major changes in Kentucky criminal laws, there was more to watch in the commonwealth than just the presidential election.

Here are five moments to remember from this year.

Mitch McConnell steps down from Senate leadership

In February, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced he would step down from his leadership position after serving as the Republican Party’s leader in the Senate through four presidential administrations.

McConnell’s decision ended his run as the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, though he will remain in office and serve out his term through 2026.

He’ll also step into two new roles starting in January, including serving as chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense and chair of the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Republicans chose South Dakota Sen. John Thune as McConnell’s successor in November, with McConnell calling Thune’s election “a clear endorsement of a consummate leader.”

McConnell, who is 82 years old and the longest-serving senator in Kentucky’s history, has not said whether he plans to seek reelection for an eighth term.

‘Safer Kentucky Act’ makes major changes to Kentucky criminal law

During the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed a wide-ranging bill that made sweeping changes to Kentucky’s criminal laws, which became known as the “Safer Kentucky Act.”

The 72-page piece of legislation — sponsored by Republican Rep. Jared Bauman of Louisville — introduced new mandatory prison sentencing requirements and outlawed street camping, among other measures. The bill sparked heated debate on the House and Senate floors, where supporters said it would improve public safety while critics said it would criminalize poverty and homelessness.

Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed the bill in April. But state lawmakers quickly voted to override his decision.

The bill took effect July 15.

Andy Beshear vetted as potential Kamala Harris running mate

The national spotlight was Gov. Beshear at the end of July when Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign vetted him as a potential running mate. Leading up to Harris’ decision, Beshear made national media appearances, where he criticized Vice President-elect J.D. Vance with the viral phrase “he ain’t from here.”

Even before news broke that he was being vetted, Beshear was already gaining name recognition by traveling to out-of-state Democratic fundraisers and was even floated as a possible presidential candidate after President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance in June.

While Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Beshear continued to act as a surrogate for the campaign, traveling to different states to advocate for the Harris-Walz ticket. He’s continued to make national media appearances and recently wrote an op-ed in The New York Times on how he won two gubernatorial elections as a Democratic governor in a deep-red state.

In early December, Beshear was selected to be vice chairman of the Democratic Governors Association in 2025, as well as chair-elect in 2026.

Democratic lawmaker under investigation for inappropriate behavior

In September, the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission voted to advance a complaint alleging misconduct by Democratic Rep. Daniel Grossberg.

Allegations against Grossberg first came to light in late July, when the Herald-Leader reported the Louisville lawmaker faced a separate investigation from the state’s Legislative Research Commission for behaving inappropriately toward several women with connections to state politics. The Herald-Leader later reported on additional accusations of sexual harassment against Grossberg, including that he was banned from a Louisville strip club.

Both Grossberg and his attorney Anna Whites have repeatedly denied the allegations. However, notable Democrats — including Beshear and U.S. House Rep. Morgan McGarvey — have called for Grossberg’s resignation.

Grossberg has been pulled off interim committee assignments in Frankfort and temporarily suspended from the House Democratic Caucus. While the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission voted to advance the complaint, its members have yet to make a final determination.

‘School choice’ amendment suffers overwhelming defeat

Kentucky Republicans wanted to bring “school choice” to the commonwealth, but voters gave a resounding “no” to the idea.

Amendment 2, a controversial measure on Kentucky’s general election ballot, asked voters if they wanted to let the state legislature spend tax dollars on educational opportunities outside of the public school system, such as charter schools or vouchers.

Campaigns for and against the amendment spent millions of dollars on ads and materials leading up to the vote, with notable politicians including U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman helping spread each side’s message. Rand Paul and his wife, Kelley Paul, were featured in an television ad advocating for the amendment, while Coleman traveled across the state advocating that “public dollars are for public schools.”

On Election Day, not a single county voted “yes” on the proposal, and 65% of Kentuckians voted “no.”

With the amendment’s defeat, Senate President Robert Stivers signaled the legislature will move on from school choice for now.

“The public has spoken,” he said at a press conference following the vote. “They said they don’t like that pathway, so we’re going to look at other pathways.”

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Beshear, McConnell lead big moments in Kentucky politics in 2024