Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball has filed a lawsuit against the Beshear administration in an ongoing dispute over access to information about abuse and neglect cases. The lawsuit names Gov. Andy Beshear, Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander, and Ruth Day, the chief information officer of the Commonwealth Office of Technology. Ball claims that the administration has obstructed access and the judiciary needs to step in to resolve the issue.
The dispute stems from Ball’s office assuming oversight of the ombudsman, appointed by Ball, who investigates complaints about agencies in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The ombudsman requires access to the computer system, iTWIST, in order to effectively do their job. The administration believes access to iTWIST is limited to cabinet social service officials, while Ball’s office argues the ombudsman should have full access.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokeswoman for Beshear stated that the administration has tried to work with the auditor’s office to provide maximum access allowed under current law, but they have refused. The auditor’s office maintains that they have not changed their position and that access to iTWIST is necessary to serve vulnerable Kentuckians.
Ball is committed to ensuring the well-being of all Kentuckians and will continue to pursue resolutions to the access dispute. The lawsuit highlights the ongoing legal battle between the auditor’s office and the Beshear administration and the importance of access to information for protecting vulnerable individuals in the state.
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