Williams Says Beshear Needs to 'Tone Down' Rhetoric

Republican Senate President David Williams says Democratic Governor Steve Beshear needs to tone down his rhetoric over the upcoming special session.The two men butted heads yesterday when the Senate didn’t pass two of the session’s critical bills. The Senate adjourned, effectively killing a bill that funded the state’s road plan and one that would place further limitations on prescription drugs.In his call for the special session, Beshear personally blamed Williams for blocking the bills, and at other times called him greedy and selfish.Williams responded today by saying the governor is out of line.“The governor has to calm down a little bit. These sort of personal and vitriolic statements that he continues to make out to me, my wife is here today, we have two small children, and he’s actually putting us at risk if he continues to make these hateful and vitriolic statements he’s making,” Williams says.Williams says that there are people who won’t understand the political rhetoric and could use Beshear’s words as an excuse to act violently.The special session will begin Monday, but Williams says unless the governor quickly signs the road plan template, lawmakers could be in for a long session.Beshear has said he needs time to review the document, but Williams says the Senate won’t act on the road plan’s funding until Beshear signs the template. And neither chamber can decide to end the special session alone.“One chamber of the legislature can not go sine die. Both of them have to adjourn,” Williams says.