Members of the Government Contract Review Committee on Wednesday pressed the Beshear administration for answers about the employment contract of former Kentucky Venues President and CEO David Beck after officials from the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Kentucky State Fair Board declined the committee's request to testify.

Lawmakers added the item to the agenda after receiving conflicting information about Beck's departure and the administration's handling of his contract. They invited representatives from both agencies to explain the situation, but none appeared before the committee.

Sen. Steve Meredith, R-Leitchfield, questioned the administration's decision not to participate. “We're completely at a loss as to what's going on. We need some answers. We deserve some answers, and we're not getting any.”

Meredith said the controversy has drawn widespread public attention and involves one of Kentucky's largest public institutions just weeks before the Kentucky State Fair opens. He also noted that the governor reconstituted the State Fair Board at a time when the Kentucky Supreme Court decision Beshear cited was not final and could still be subject to a motion to reconsider. 

Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, said his primary concern centered on the administration's refusal to appear before a committee created by statute to provide legislative oversight. “We're a statutorily established oversight committee. I've served under two governors, and I've never seen an administration refuse to come before this committee to explain a contract.”

Wednesday's discussion followed last week's leadership changes at Kentucky Venues after Gov. Andy Beshear reconstituted the Kentucky State Fair Board following the Kentucky Supreme Court's decision in Beshear v. Coleman.

Initial reports indicated the newly constituted board removed Beck during a special meeting. Beck later told WDRB News and Kentucky Today that the governor summoned him to Frankfort before the meeting, told him he could either resign or be removed, and informed him his employment contract was no longer valid.

Those public statements raised additional questions about the sequence of events surrounding his departure and prompted lawmakers to seek testimony from the administration.

The Government Contract Review Committee said it did not defer a contract for Mike Berry to serve as interim President and CEO because no such contract exists. Berry is serving as interim President and CEO following action taken by the Kentucky State Fair Board, and a contract is still being drafted. 

Instead, the committee purported to review the renewal contract for Beck. The Finance and Administration Cabinet informed the committee that no such contract exists because, following the Kentucky Supreme Court's ruling that the General Assembly's restructuring of the Kentucky State Fair Board was unconstitutional, the Finance Cabinet determined that Beck's renewal contract, which had not yet become effective, was void. 

The Finance and Administration Cabinet received a request to appear before the Government Contract Review Committee on Monday, July 6, at 2:59 p.m. FAC informed the GCRC that with less than 48 hours notice, no one was available to appear to speak on a contract that does not exist. 

The committee voted to take up the item again at its Aug. 11 meeting.

The State Capitol in Frankfort. (Kentucky Today/Frank Peer)