In 2021, nearly every Kentucky legislator (all but 14) voted to hand over more than $410 million in cash, free land, training programs, and massive incentives to... well, they had no clue what for.
Governor Beshear met secretly with just House and Senate leadership, had them sign NDAs, and the rest voted blind on a giant "trust me bro" deal.
It turned out to be hundreds of millions for the now-troubled Ford BlueOval SK battery plant (joint with SK On) and the Envision AESC Chinese-linked battery project—both hit with delays, massive layoffs (1,600+ at BlueOval alone recently), and project changes.
The real issue? Republican legislators trusted Beshear too much back then. They shouldn't have.
Now he's pushing to renegotiate these handouts so Ford and AESC might avoid repaying loans despite missing job targets. This isn't about what's best for Kentucky—it's about Beshear's political future as he eyes a 2028 presidential run.
Lesson for Kentucky Republicans: Never again. Demand transparency. Protect taxpayer dollars. No more secret deals.