On behalf of the Louisville Bar Association’s Board of Directors, we join our colleagues from across the legal community in urging Governor Andy Beshear to veto House Bill 690.

Last week, an amendment allowing attorneys to carry guns into our courthouses was quietly added to an unrelated bill that had already passed the Kentucky House of Representatives. In the days since this unexamined amendment was speedily approved, it has drawn opposition from elected officials, members of our judiciary, prosecutors, victim advocates and the very law enforcement representatives charged with keeping our courthouses safe each and every day. Today, we stand alongside them and add our voice to their chorus. 

This amendment poses an unacceptable risk not only to our judges, sheriffs and courthouse workers, but also to our fellow attorneys, witnesses and jurors. It contains no safety measures or restrictions, allowing for the unfettered proliferation of weapons in a place where difficult, life-changing decisions are made and tensions often run high. And as the legal profession continues to grapple with a staggering number of attorney suicides, we cannot support any measure that encourages easier access to deadly weapons in an already stressful workplace atmosphere.

HB 690 serves no one and endangers many. We join with our colleagues and implore Gov. Beshear to veto this hastily approved and ill-considered legislation.

Executive Committee
Louisville Bar Association Board of Directors