After a series of terror attacks in Paris – for which the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL ) claimed responsibility – Bevin announced that , following his inauguration , he would join 25 other U.S. governors in refusing any Syrian refugees seeking to relocate to their respective states " until we can better determine the full extent of any risks to our citizens . " In response , '' Lexington Herald-Leader '' political cartoonist Joel Pett published a cartoon depicting Bevin hiding under his desk , his floor strewn with newspapers featuring stories about the Paris attacks , with an aide telling him , " Sir , they 're not terrorists ... . they 're your own adopted kids ! " , a reference to Bevin 's four children adopted from Ethiopia . Bevin responded via Twitter : " The tone of racial intolerance being struck by the @HeraldLeader has no place in Kentucky and wo n't be tolerated by our administration . " Bevin was sworn into a four-year term as Kentucky Governor on December 8 , 2015 . Observers from both parties praised Bevin 's selection of experienced , relatively moderate individuals for his cabinet , including his former rival , Hal Heiner , as Secretary of the Education and Workforce Cabinet and former University of Kentucky football standout Derrick Ramsey as his Secretary of Labor . The appointments of two Democratic state representatives – John Tilley as Secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and Tanya Pullin to a state judgeship – reduced the party 's majority in the House and set up special elections that gave Republicans a chance to win their seats from Democrats . Bevin set the dates of the special elections to fill the seats of Tilley and Pullin , as well as those formerly held by newly elected Auditor Mike Harmon and newly elected Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles , for March 8 , 2016 . Democratic representatives Denver Butler and Jim Gooch also switched their party affiliation to Republican in December , reducing the Democratic majority to 50 – 46 for the beginning of the first General Assembly of Bevin 's governorship , and giving Republicans a chance to evenly split the chamber 's 100 seats by sweeping the special elections . Republicans held only Harmon 's seat , giving Democrats a 53 – 47 advantage in the House for the remainder of the session
terror attacks in Paris
November 2015 Paris attacks
Matt Bevin