Politics

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has picked up endorsements from nearly all state-level Republican lawmakers in Kentucky.

The McConnell campaign announced the endorsements on Monday from 64 of Kentucky's 68 Republicans serving in the Legislature.

McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton said the lawmakers will help establish a campaign operation covering all 120 Kentucky counties. Their endorsements, Benton said, shows that the Kentucky GOP is unified heading into next year's Senate election.

Among the lawmakers making endorsements was Senate President Robert Stivers who said McConnell's leadership is needed to "fight against big government and get our fiscal house in order." House Republican Leader Jeff Hoover also endorsed, calling McConnell "a tireless advocate for our conservative values."

McConnell doesn't yet have a major challenger to his re-election. The filing deadline is next January.

Many of the bills Kentucky lawmakers passed in the final hours of this year's legislative session are still awaiting action by Governor Steve Beshear.

Beshear has not yet signed or vetoed high-profile bills that would prepare Kentucky to grow industrial hemp, allow alcohol sales on election day and simplify voting for military service members stationed overseas.

Supporters of industrial hemp have questioned whether Beshear intends to sign the hemp bill. If he vetoes it, he won't be at any risk of having his veto overridden, since the legislature has adjourned for the year.

Beshear has until Saturday to either sign the bills or veto them outright. However, state law says that if Beshear doesn't act, the bills become law anyway.