Kentucky Republicans have dropped their proposal to prohibit the state from purchasing electric vehicles.
The two-year state budget that recently passed the GOP-controlled Legislature would still impose some restrictions on electrifying the state fleet: Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration would not be allowed to limit purchasing bids to electric vehicles only.
But lawmakers did not include a blanket prohibition on electric vehicles that the House had included in its version of the budget. The House-passed plan would have only allowed the state to purchase vehicles with internal combustion engines.
At the time, House Republican leaders said they wanted to ensure state vehicles were reliable. But that policy drew opposition from business groups, including the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers. Under Beshear, Kentucky has become a magnet for companies that make electric vehicle components.
