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2  CAMERON v. EMW WOMEN’S SURGICAL CENTER, P. S. C. 

Opinion of the Court 

named four defendants, and two of these, the attorney gen-
eral and the cabinet secretary for Health and Family Ser-
vices, played pivotal roles in the events that followed.  The 
attorney general is a “[c]onstitutional State office[r]” who is 
independently  elected  and  serves  until  a  successor  is 
elected and qualified.  Ky. Const. §91.  The secretary, on the 
other hand, is appointed by the Governor and serves at his 
pleasure.  See Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§11.065, 12.020, 63.080. 
  The plaintiffs agreed to the dismissal without prejudice 
of the claims against the attorney general (at that time An-
drew Beshear) and one other defendant.1  In agreeing to the 
dismissal of these claims, the attorney general reserved “all 
rights,  claims,  and  defenses  that  [might]  be  available  to 
him” and “specifically reserve[d] all rights, claims, and de-
fenses relating to whether he is a proper party in this action 
and in any appeals arising out of this action.”  App. 28–30 
(emphasis  added).    It  was  also  stipulated  “that  any  final 
judgment in this action concerning the constitutionality of 
HB  454  [would]  be  binding  on  the  Office  of  the  Attorney 
General, subject to any modification, reversal or vacation of 
the judgment on appeal.”  Id., at 29–30 (emphasis added). 
  After  the  dismissal  of  these  parties,  the  secretary  re-
mained in the case and conducted the defense of the chal-
lenged  law.2    Following  a  bench  trial,  the  District  Court 
held  that  HB  454  unconstitutionally  burdens  a  woman’s 
right to an abortion, EMW Women’s Surgical Center, P.S.C. 
v. Meier, 373 F. Supp. 3d 807 (WD Ky. 2019), and it issued 
a permanent injunction against the law’s enforcement.  The 
secretary then filed a notice of appeal.  App. 19. 
  While  the  appeal  was  pending,  Kentucky  held  its  2019 
general elections.  Andrew Beshear won the race for Gover-
nor, and petitioner Daniel Cameron was elected to replace 
—————— 

1 The executive director of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure. 
2 The fourth defendant was the Commonwealth’s attorney for the 30th 
Judicial Circuit.  He did not join the secretary’s appeal.  EMW Women’s 
Surgical Center, P.S.C. v. Friedlander, 960 F. 3d 785, 792 (CA6 2020).