State Auditor Allison Ball filed a court brief on Monday in relation to her ongoing investigation into Gov. Andy Beshear’s implementation of a law offering financial support to kinship caregivers.
In April 2024, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 151, which provided financial relief to kinship caregivers of children who were removed from their homes.
After the bill was signed, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) pointed out the need for $20 million to fund the bill. The legislature did not appropriate funding for the program in the budget, and CHFS and Beshear said the relief couldn’t be provided without designated funding.
In October 2024, Ball launched an inquiry into whether or not the administration could implement the law.
Last May, Ball filed a lawsuit against Beshear and then-CHFS Secretary Eric Friedlander. Ball said in the lawsuit the Beshear administration would not cooperate with her investigation.
The following July, Beshear’s lawyer argued Ball couldn’t push for enforcement. The judge in the case dismissed Ball’s lawsuit in September 2025. Ball appealed the dismissal.
As a part of the ongoing process, Ball’s reply brief provides reasons why the court should rule to make Beshear and CHFS cooperate.
“Senate Bill 151 provided help for Kinship Care homes, and the governor and his cabinet for Health and Family Services are not being transparent into their implementation of this legislation,” Ball said in a statement. “The governor and his cabinet explicitly refused to provide certain facts related to my office’s investigation.”
Ball said the governor should be supporting the investigation, not obstructing it.
