FRANKFORT, Ky. — Another church has filed a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s ban on in-person church services. 

What You Need To Know


  • Third lawsuit filed against Gov. Andy Beshear's ban on mass gatherings.

  • Lawsuits allege the executive order violates the First Amendment.

  • Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) has asked to join the lawsuit

  • Beshear says he is not worried. 

First Liberty Institute filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Kentucky on behalf of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Nicholasville saying the March 19 executive order banning all mass gatherings, including in-person church services, went against the First Amendment. This is the third lawsuit filed against Beshear because of the ban on in-person church services Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron has asked to join the lawsuit filed on behalf of Tabernacle after threatening to launch his lawsuit against Beshear’s order last week. 

“The Constitution is on our side as a relates to the ability to have in-person church services,” said Cameron. 

U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman from Northern Kentucky issued a ruling on Monday that Beshear’s executive order against mass gatherings did not go against the constitution despite that Cameron says his office may still pursue a lawsuit against the prohibition of in-person church services in part because of a ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals siding with a Louisville church who filed a lawsuit against Mayor Greg Fischer’s ban on drive-in church services. 

“A district court judge has the ability to make a judgment but the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ultimately the final say before the Supreme Court,” Cameron said. “So we certainly feel the constitution allows for the ability for churches, for pastors, for congregations to make a decision, a very deliberate, wise decision on how they want to express their ability to worship a god under the First Amendment.”

If a lawsuit is launched against the prohibition that is set to expire May 20, it would be the second case launched against Beshear from Cameron. A federal judge in the U.S. District Court in Frankfort has approved Cameron’s petition to become a plaintiff on a second lawsuit against Beshear’s executive order banning out-of-state travel. Judge Bertelsman ruled on Monday the travel ban did not pass “constitutional muster” due it’s restrictive nature, Cameron filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief on that case. 

Beshear announced Wednesday he had changed the travel order to model more closely to Ohio’s which Judge Bertelsman said was constitutional. Cameron says he wishes Beshear’s office consulted with his when crafting the new order. 

“In the ideal world the governor would be working with the attorney general to craft these orders,” Cameron said before the announcement on the new order was made. “We can certainly provide a steady hand, in my judgment, on making sure these orders that came out not only were intended on keeping people safe which we need to do but also respect the rights of folks under the constitution.” 

There has been increasing unrest, specifically among those on the right, over the executive orders from the governor’s office despite this Cameron maintains his lawsuits are not political. 

"I imagine people are upset that we've entered into this fray but what we've tried to do is just keep it on the merits of the particular orders,” Cameron said. "I’m not somebody that is here to cast aspersions on anyone. This is a matter of law for us in this office and so the responsibility here is to protect the rights of citizens and so whether that helps me or hurts me, my responsibilities is to the law and to the Constitution.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began Beshear has said he is not concerned with politics and has largely brushed off the lawsuits lodged against him. 

“We want legal, constitutional orders that still protect our people,” Beshear said on Monday, “This has never been about trying to win a fight in court, I’ve been in court plenty, it’s about trying to the right thing to protect our people.” 

Beshear once again said he was not worried about the latest lawsuit launched against on Wednesday.