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Kentucky House GOP, Beshear Clash Over Attorney’s Fees
By: Associated Press
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Republican lawmakers want to limit how much money outside attorneys hired by the state can earn in complex cases, a move Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear says would have the state sending rookies to battle against the pros.
The attorney general’s office will sometimes hire outside attorneys to help with large cases. Those attorneys don’t get paid unless they win the lawsuit. They take a percentage from the settlement or judgment.
House Bill 281 would cap how much those outside attorneys could earn depending on how much money the state recovered, but no fee would exceed $10 million.
Bill sponsor Republican Rep. Jason Nemes said it would save taxpayers money. But Beshear said it would hinder his ability to take on multinational corporations, including drug and oil companies.