Kentucky Attorney General Asks FBI to Investigate Former Governor’s Pardons

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has requested the FBI investigate the pardons that former Gov. Matt Bevin made before leaving office. Bevin issued more than 400 pardons between the time he lost the November election and when he left office in December. Some of the pardons, including those of a man convicted in a burglary-murder case whose family later hosted a fundraiser for Bevin, and a man convicted of child rape, have drawn scrutiny. Cameron, a Republican who recently took office, wrote to state lawmakers about the need to investigate the pardons. “While Kentucky's constitution gives the governor the power to pardon a person convicted of a crime, I believe the pardon power should be used sparingly and only after great deliberation with due concern for public safety,” he wrote. Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat, thanked Cameron for involving the FBI. "I think there are probably some good pardons and commutations in there, but some of the things [Bevin] did, there's no logical or rational explanation for it," he said. The pardons have also drawn the attention of Russell Coleman, the U.S. attorney for Kentucky's western district, who said he would review them if state prosecutors asked. “I am particularly concerned about the risk to the public by those previously convicted of sex offenses, who by virtue of the state pardon, will not fall under any post-release supervision or be required to register as sex offenders," Coleman said. Bevin has defended his pardons, and in a series of tweets in December, the former governor, a Republican, denied that he had political motivations and stood by his pardons of people convicted of sex offenses. "The myriad statements and suggestions that financial or political considerations played a part in the decision making process, are both highly offensive and entirely false. To repeat such uncorroborated rumors and lies is reprehensible … Not one person receiving a pardon would I not welcome as a co-worker, neighbor, or to sit beside me or any member of my family in a church pew or at a public event," he tweeted. [WUKY; Associated Press; CNN]

PROTECTING TEACHERS | The Nebraska State Education Association is pushing the state legislature to pass a bill that would allow school personnel to use “physical intervention” with students who threaten the safety of students or teachers. The bill would protect school personnel from criminal penalties or civil liability for “reasonable” use of force to constrain a student. NSEA President Jenni Benson shared testimony of teachers who had been assaulted by students. “We are done being assaulted. We are done being hurt. We are done with students being assaulted. We are urging state lawmakers to work with us to address this crisis of violent student behavior,” Benson said. The proposal is opposed by disability rights activists, who point to data showing that 80% of students who have been physically restrained in the past were in special education programs. Mike Dulaney, executive director of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, said the state should focus on de-escalation training. “The current law already permits teachers and administrators to take reasonable steps necessary in discipline matters. A more productive legislative pursuit would be for the state to provide funding to train certificated staff, including training to defuse difficult situations in the classroom,” he said. [Omaha World-Herald; Lincoln Star-Journal]

LEE STATUE | Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam filed a request to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol. Each state is allowed to choose two statues to place in the National Sanctuary Hall Collection in the Capitol building, and Northam moved to have Virginia’s statue of Lee replaced after urging from two Democratic members of Congress. Reps. Jennifer Wexton and A. Donald McEachin, who both represent Virginia, wrote a letter to Northam encouraging him to take action. “These statutes aimed to rewrite Lee’s reputation from that of a cruel slave owner and Confederate General to portraying him as a kind man and reluctant war hero who selflessly served his home state of Virginia. As Virginians, we have a responsibility to not only learn from but also confront our history. As part of this responsibility, we must strive for a more complete telling of history by raising up the voices, stories, and memories of minorities and people of color,” the lawmakers wrote. More states are taking an interest in swapping out their Capitol statues In 2019, for example, Nebraska legislators voted to replace their statue choices from 1937 of William Jennings Bryan and Arbor Day founder Julius Sterling Morton with civil rights activist Chief Standing Bear and author Willa Cather. Northam, a Democrat, has not said whose image would replace Lee. The Washington Post reported in December that state legislative action is necessary to swap out a statue. Democrats will take control of both chambers of the statehouse in Virginia this week. [The Hill; Independent Journal Review]

PARENTAL LEAVE | An executive order signed by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will give state employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the first time. Lujan Grisham said the new program, which will cost roughly $5 million, will improve morale, productivity, and physical and mental health. “Providing paid parental leave can reduce the likelihood that working parents apply for government assistance within their new child’s first year or leave their jobs in state government. Our state must support working families by making it easier for them to fulfill their caregiving responsibilities without risking financial insecurity,” the executive order reads. Employees will be eligible after their first year of work, and the leave must be taken within six months of adoption or birth. [ABC 7]

YOUTH HOMES | South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is pushing proposals to strengthen state oversight of private youth facilities, including conducting surprise inspections. Noem’s focus on the issue was sparked by a June investigation that described abusive conditions at a youth treatment facility by South Dakota News Watch. Along with creating an independent monitor and increasing inspections, Noem wants to require unannounced inspections. The website’s investigation found that all state inspections were announced ahead of time. Some of the changes Noem, a Republican, is proposing will require approval from the state legislature. “I’ve tasked my Department of Social Services with improving the well-being of kids and youth placed in treatment facilities across the state. In the 2020 [legislative] session, I will bring legislation that prioritizes the safety of at-risk kids,” Noem said. [South Dakota News Watch] 

Managing Editor Laura Maggi contributed to this report.