Kentucky lawmakers have brushed aside the objections of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to enact a new law that could protect global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer from state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn customers that a commonly used weedkiller could cause cancer.
The veto override Wednesday by Kentucky's Republican-led General Assembly comes just weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is to hear arguments in a case that could erect a nationwide shield against such liability lawsuits. It also comes as Bayer is asking a Missouri court to approve a $7.25 billion settlement that could resolve tens of thousands of claims that its Roundup weedkiller caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
