FLATWOODS, Ky. — A veto has been issued by Mayor of Flatwoods, Ky. on ordinance passed by the Flatwoods City Council on May 21 with a vote of 5-0. The ordinance proposed deals with the denial of transgender usage of restrooms and showers in government buildings.

Mayor Fields told The Daily Times that issuing a veto was in the best interest of the city of Flatwoods.

“The reason I vetoed it, is that the state of Kentucky picked up the fight with the other states and Federal Government on the executive order put out by President Obama,” Fields said. “Something like this is going to cause a lot of financial ramifications and lawsuits, and I have already been told by several organizations that as soon as they get a copy of the ordinance and it goes into affect they would be notifying me, because they would be starting their legal proceedings.”

Fields said he the ordinance does not make any concessions for emergency situations. He said he knows first hand from being the primary caretaker of his wife, who recently passed away.

“There is also no language in the ordinance for emergencies. For instance, in the last six years I’ve had to go to many women’s restrooms and assist my wife,” he said. “An ordinance like that would cause me to go to jail, or be fined every time I did that. I just think that it would be unfair to anybody who is mentally challenged, or caretakers, anything like that. There is no language in there to make exceptions for that.”