10 Times Andy Beshear Made Us Proud to Be Kentuckians

By LEO Weekly Staff on Wed, Jul 24, 2024 at 11:46 am

Governor Andy Beshear has consistently shown his commitment to the well-being and progress of Kentucky.

From championing the legalization of medical marijuana to skillfully countering political opponents like JD Vance, Beshear's leadership has been both impactful and inspiring. His advocacy extends to all corners of the state, whether he’s standing up for trans Kentuckians or incorporating sign language into his addresses, a skill he honed alongside Virginia Moore during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beshear’s actions reflect a deep dedication to inclusivity and justice, making him a figure that continually makes us proud to call ourselves Kentuckians (and why we think he's the perfect pick for our country's next Vice President).

Here are ten moments that highlight why Governor Beshear’s tenure has been a source of pride and hope for the Bluegrass State.

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7. When He Remained Calm And Collected Despite Provacation

After a militia group crossed barriers to the KY Governor’s mansion lawn, they hung a dummy from a tree with Beshear’s face. Beshear was noticeably angry but stayed calm and delivered a strong and defiant message about the violent act.

10. When He JD Vance’s VP Candidacy

Beshear made JD Vance *more lame in a few simple sentences. Vance might need some “childless cat ladies” on his side instead of dismissing them.

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9. When He Showed Deep and Admirable Compassion

Through his own tears over a mass shooting at Louisville bank, Beshear showed compassion for the families of the victims, and for the spirits of people who have witnessed this type of killing.

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8. When He And His Wife Laughed Off Mean Tweets

In what has become an annual tradition for Gov. Beshear and his wife Britainy read some of the comments sent in by readers on Twitter and otherwise. In typical Beshear fashion, he keeps it classy.

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6. When He Got Medical Marijuana Passed

Remember when Joe Biden told all the Millennials and Gen Zers that he would get federal marijuana legislation passed? You know who actually got marijuana legislation passed since then? Exactly. Starting in 2025, those with a medical condition can get what they need. It’s not recreational, but think about where we are and how we got here, and you’ll see the difficulty in getting this legislation passed. If it wasn’t for Beshear putting together a task force to show the benefits of medical marijuana, then using that basis in science to put together legislation that the majority of Kentuckians support is exactly what makes Beshear such a great governor and an even better leader.

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Andrew Hamik

5. When He Put His Constituents First

This may sound insane, but there are governors right now who deliberately do not accept help from the United States government (*cough cough* the richest nation in the world) due to political differences with the current party in power. For example, when Texas was trounced by a category five hurricane, Governor Greg Abbott decided he wouldn’t be in Texas to help his constituents, instead he was over in Asia on an “official trip.” The Biden administration literally could not give the man money because they couldn’t get ahold of him amid the earliest category five hurricane on record. He finally did nearly a week after the storm hit, but by then thousands of families were struggling to live since a heat wave swept through the same areas the hurricane hit a week prior. Now let’s talk about Beshear, who in just one year, from Dec. 2021 to Dec. 2022 had to deal with tornadoes ripping through the west, floods streaming across the east and a blizzard that covered the state in ice. Through it all, Beshear worked closely with state and federal agencies, no matter their political differences, to make sure Kentuckians were safe. Reaching across the aisle isn’t always so bad.

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4. When He Showed Up For Trans Kentuckians

A white Christian man is usually not the first person you think of when Transgender rights are at the center of the conversation, but Beshear continuously puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to his faith. Many right-wingers will use Christianity to propagate hate speech against minorities, like in 2020 when State Senator Phillip Wheeler (R) used a photo Beshear took with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an activist drag group with a chapter in Louisville, to disparage Beshear, stating on social media: “This is what our Democrat governor is about today,” Wheeler said. “These are the values that the Democratic party of today is out there trying to convince our children’s the right way to live.” But Beshear didn’t back down. Instead, he doubled down. "I believe (he) owe(s) an apology to every single person in that picture and I think he should do it personally," said Beshear. "As your governor, my door is always open to you, and as long as I'm the governor, these doors will always be open to anybody."

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3. When He Proved Himself During A Crazy First Term As Governor

This sort of goes hand-and-hand with his disaster relief funds acceptance, but also dealing with COVID-19 in a state where a good chunk of the electorate doesn’t believe it’s real or lab-created is also its own challenge on top of saving their lives from once-in-a-lifetime weather events back-to-back-to-back.

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2. When He (And Kenneth) Provided The Comic Relief We All Needed

Bless his heart, Kenneth was never on the right slide when Beshear needed it. The phrase, along with “We Can’t Be Doing That,” and a few others were made into merch. “Kenneth, Next Slide, Please.”

OMG, they did a “Next Slide, Kenneth” sticker. https://t.co/FyTjsNptnV pic.twitter.com/QoOKwT6YUl
— 𝙱𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 🏡 (@notbencarter) March 27, 2020

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1. When He Continues To Show Up For All Kentuckian

Whether he's advocating for trans Kentuckians or including sign language learned from Virginia Moore-- who offered her services during the COVID pandemic updates-- Beshear has proven again and again that he's here to fight for all Kentuckians.