At a Thursday press conference, Beshear rejected the premise on the grounds that it would mean prisoners would be “receiving better coverage and healthcare than a law-abiding citizen.” 

“I recognize that LGBTQ inmates may be at a higher risk for violence than other inmates,” he said. “However, convicted felons do not have the right to have any and all medical surgeries paid for entirely by tax dollars, especially when it would exceed the type of coverage available to law-abiding citizens in the private sector.” 

His remarks come after a week of drama over changes to the Kentucky Department of Corrections, blasted by Republicans on Monday. The department changed its regulations in 2021 and 2023 to address transgender surgeries while in prison, saying that individuals in state custody may have access to the surgeries after “all other avenues to alleviate” their gender dysphoria.

“It’s appalling that the Beshear Administration wants to force Kentucky taxpayers to pay for transgender surgeries for convicted criminals, especially with the litany of issues that Kentuckians are currently facing,” the Kentucky Republican Party said in a statement.

Kentucky is a rare red state run by a Democrat, largely due to the popularity of Beshear’s father. He was a leading contender for Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024 but ultimately lost out to Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN).

Beshear has held his position by stressing his centrist credentials, while Republicans attempt to paint him as within lockstep with the wider Democratic Party.