In Kentucky, transparency isn’t optional — it’s the law. That’s why we stand with the Lexington Herald-Leader and other advocates who are taking Governor Andy Beshear’s office to court for refusing to release basic public records, like daily schedules for the governor, lieutenant governor, and senior advisers.

These are not private documents. They are records of how elected officials spend their time, who they meet with, and how they conduct the people’s business. Under Kentucky’s Open Records Act — a law that has stood for over 50 years — the public has a clear right to this information. But Governor Beshear is hiding behind a decades-old court decision to claim even completed schedules are “preliminary” and exempt from disclosure — forever. That interpretation makes no logical sense, and worse, it undermines the principle of open government that’s supposed to serve us.

This isn’t about partisanship. From the governor’s office to the University of Kentucky to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, both Democrats and Republicans have increasingly used loopholes and legal maneuvers to keep public business in the dark. If they succeed, our right to know — to hold power accountable — is at risk.

The people of Kentucky deserve better. We deserve to know whether our governor is focused on his duties here or making moves toward a presidential run in 2028. We deserve to understand why nearly $400,000 was paid to silence an open records request. We deserve a government that works for us, not above us.

We call on Governor Andy Beshear and his administration to immediately release the requested schedules and emails, comply fully with the Open Records Act, and commit to real transparency. Let this lawsuit serve as a wake-up call: Kentuckians are watching — and we won’t be shut out of our own government.