(LEX 18) — Gov. Andy Beshear said this week that returning Kentucky's driver's license process to individual counties could create years of new challenges, pushing back against a state lawmaker's proposal to eliminate regional licensing centers.

State Rep. Savannah Maddox told LEX 18 last week that she wants Kentucky to abandon its regional driver's licensing centers and return the process to circuit clerks in each of the state's 120 counties.

"We need to go back to issuing those drivers licenses in each 120 counties," Maddox said.

But Beshear said the regional centers were created because circuit clerks didn't want to handle Real ID requirements.

"The Real ID is so expensive to institute that you can't do it without having driver's licensing," Beshear said.

The governor said the stat

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