Global Courant
Kentucky’s Democratic governor and the Republican secretary of state teamed up Thursday to swiftly introduce a new state law designed to protect victims of domestic violence from their abusers.
In a state plagued by one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the country, the Safe at Home Act bolsters an address confidentiality program for victims. It took effect Thursday, and Governor Andy Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams signed emergency ordinances guiding its implementation.
Their concerted effort comes as partisan resentment is mounting ahead of Kentucky’s national election in November. Both Beshear and Adams are seeking a second term. Adams supports Beshear’s challenger, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, while the governor supports Adams’ Democratic opponent, former State Representative Buddy Wheatley.
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Those partisan connections were brushed aside at the governor’s weekly press conference, when Beshear invited Adams to promote the new law. The secretary of state said his office was working closely with Beshear’s team to implement the measure quickly. Adams called it an example of officials reaching across party lines to “solve pressing issues and protect our most vulnerable.”
“I appreciate that good faith partnership,” Adams said. “It serves the Kentuckians well.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, left, shakes hands with Secretary of State Michael Adams on Dec. 5, 2022. Beshear and Adams teamed up Thursday to swiftly introduce a new state law to protect victims of domestic violence from their abusers. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
It’s not the first time Beshear and Adams have collaborated on public policy. In 2020, they collaborated on election rules designed to keep voters safe during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following year, the governor signed Adams-backed legislation that expanded early voting in Kentucky.
Beshear said Thursday that the new bipartisan law supports the state’s response to an important public safety issue and provides additional protections for victims of “these heinous and cowardly acts.”
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“We cannot and do not want to solve this crisis alone,” said the governor. “Let’s work together, everyone takes care of each other.”
The new law allows people fleeing domestic violence to shield their new home address from public records without having to obtain a court order. It expands an existing program that shielded victims’ addresses from voter rolls. The expansion will mask their addresses from other publicly available government documents. Victims who sign an affidavit have their address shielded from the broader list of documents.
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They can use the Secretary of State’s office as their address on public records instead of their actual address. The program is administered at no cost to the participants.
Republican Senator Julie Raque Adams was the main sponsor of the new law. The measure received overwhelming support from the GOP-dominated legislature and was signed into law by the governor earlier this year.
Applications for the program can be submitted at sos.ky.gov/safe-at-home.
