FRANKFORT . A judge ruled Thursday that Kentucky lawmakers must end their controversial practice of stopping the clock in a lawmaking session to conduct business past the constitutional deadline of April 15.

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled that a bill Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed earlier this year containing the legislature's six-year road construction plan is invalid because lawmakers failed to give the measure to the governor on time.

Shepherd said the state constitution required the legislature to present the bill to the governor for his consideration before midnight April 15, even if that means they must .nail the legislation to the governor's door..

.Because it is undisputed that House Bill 79 was not presented to the governor until April 16, after the legislature's power to conduct legislative business had terminated, this court holds that provisions of House Bill 79 are null and void,. Shepherd said in a nine-page ruling.

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