FRANKFORT, Ky. — The conversation surrounding Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) mask mandate continues among the General Assembly. 

What You Need To Know


  • Administrative Regulations Committee questions CHFS on mask mandate

  • Hearing impaired are exempt from law, CHFS working with local health departments to inform about exemptions

  • CHFS says it's still working through some issues such as businesses dealing with those who refuse to wear mask

  • CHFS also says renewal, extension of mandate depends on virus

Members of the Administrative Regulations Committee questioned members of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) about the new regulation which went into effect on Friday evening. Many of questions surrounded how the mandate would affect businesses and customers in the commonwealth. 

Sen. Julie Raque Adams (R-Louisville) questioned the cabinet on what type of exemptions were in place for the mask, specifically related to those who are hearing impaired. She said a constituent told her that her family was denied access to two different businesses because she was not wearing a mask. 

“She said, can you please ask what kind of assurances we have that we’re not going to be denied access during this 30 day period because of my husbands hearing impairment,” she said. 

Wesley Duke, general counsel for CHFS, said those who are hearing impaired are exempt from the order and they are working with local health departments to get businesses informed about the exemptions within the law. 

Lawmakers were also concerned with how businesses should respond to employees who refuse to wear a mask. Duke said they are still working through some of these issues. 

“Obviously it’s new, there are some questions about the intricacies of it and how it will be applied,” he said. “We are doing everything we can through from the cabinet perspective and through the Kentucky Department for Public Health to work with our local health departments to educate them to make sure they can provide any business owner that calls or reaches out to them to provide them enough support to reach those decisions” 

For State Sen. Stephen West (R-27), that was not soon enough.

“This is in effect today, so these businesses need to have answers today to what they are doing.” 

There were also questions about the length of the requirement, which is supposed to last 30 days. 

“It says that it could be renewed and extended, my question to you is what basis or what grounds would renewal or continuation of this regulation take place?” questioned Sen. Reggie Thomas (D-Lexington). 

CHFS Secretary Eric Friedlander said that depends. 

“This will be driven the virus, this will be driven by compliance and driven by the extent of spread and the extent of positivity rate of tests,” he said. 

Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack reminded lawmakers why this mandate is necessary. 

“At the end of the day we have to accommodate this virus, the virus will not accommodate us,” he said. "I want you to hear again we are very sensitive to these challenges and we want to try and make it as possible to have everyone be as safe as they are able to and we will take all of these inputs very much to heart.”

The committee did not have the power to approve or deny the mandate.

Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) filed a motion in Scott Circuit Court asking the judge to consider if Beshear's mandate was constitutional. 

A new poll released by the Kentucky Democratic Party shows that 73 percent of Kentuckians are in support of the mask mandate that includes 58 percent of Republicans polled. 

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