FRANKFORT, Ky (WXIX) – A Kentucky state senator is preparing to reintroduce a bill to limit the governor’s pardon power after learning of the case of a Lexington man who was arrested for attacking a woman, causing her brain damage.
State Senator Chris McDaniel, who represents the 23rd District, continues to propose a constitutional amendment in response to former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevins’ pardons and commutations in 2019. Bevins pardoned dozens of convicted felons, many of whom were convicted of violent crimes, in commutations.
McDaniel says many of the pardons issued by former Governor Matt Bevins before he left office were outrageous.
Kurt Smith was found guilty of killing his six-week-old son in 2002 at age 17. Smith was pardoned by Bevins in 2019. He was arrested Thursday in connection with the assault on a woman with a large knife, an incident that has prompted McDaniel to push for legislation to limit the governor’s pardon power.
“That would mean that a governor could not grant pardons 30 days before a gubernatorial election and from the election until a new governor is sworn in,” McDaniel said.
In his view, the idea is to prevent a governor from leaving office without exposing himself to public scrutiny over controversial pardons.
“It would force a governor to stand before voters and justify his pardons,” McDaniel said.
His proposal would require a change to the state constitution.
McDaniel says he originally introduced the bill in 2020 and the Senate passed it by a vote of 34 to 2 to 1 in early 2024. It now needs to be approved by the House of Representatives.
He said he decided to revisit the bill after reading about the parole hearing for Gregory Wilson. Wilson was convicted of the rape and murder of Deborah Pooley in 1988. Thanks to a commutation, Wilson was able to apply for parole despite his life sentence. He was denied parole in January.
“These deficiencies are harder to fix in a government document like the Constitution, but sometimes they need to be fixed,” McDaniel said.
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