Former Governor Brereton Jones is expected to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda.

The former governor died at the age of 84.

He was governor from 1991 to 1995.

Governor Jones, his funeral has yet to be announced.

We'll bring you more details as we get them.

Today, Governor Andy Beshear announced flags at state buildings will fly at half staff until sundown on the day of interment.

Some of our guests on last night's Kentucky Tonight knew and worked with Governor Jones.

They shared their thoughts about him in the future.

Governor Jones is a wonderful person.

He was an excellent governor and he worked very hard.

He loved the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

He especially loved central Kentucky and horse country.

And he did a lot of good things while he was in office.

And he will be missed.

And our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

And I had the opportunity to work with him very closely for several years.

And not a finer person.

So we're going to we're going to miss Governor Jones.

Richardson Jones was I will consider him a friend.

We interact on many levels.

He did a lot of good things.

He was a positive individual.

It was easy to talk to.

He was very much involved and invested.

And it's shocking to me, you know, it's something they never would have thought would have happened and just found out about it a few hours ago.

But he'll be missed.

Former Kentucky congressman, state attorney general and state auditor Ben Chandler had known Governor Jones since Jones and his wife arrived in Woodford County, Kentucky, in the 1970s.

Chandler, also a Democrat, was elected as state auditor when Jones became governor in 1991.

Chandler reflected on Jones's legacy as a champion of transformative health care that sought to widen access for the state's most vulnerable.

He had a way about him, a sincerity and a genuine this about him, particularly when it came to certain issues that affected the people that that he represented that really were outstanding.

And one of them, of course, was his concern about health.

That's health care.

And he he made that a signature part of his life and he made it that that because he cared deeply.

And it was transformative and perhaps even more progressive than the time would allow or even now.

Well.

I think it's really easy and accurate to say that he was well ahead of his time and I would go so far as to say he's still ahead of his time.

We still haven't caught up with his vision of what health care ought to be in this country.

He wanted to see everybody covered in a sensible way, and he put his career on the line to make that effort and had some early success.

I think, you know, a lot of the industries and the powers that be in the health care industry conspired against what he was trying to do.

But but he cared deeply about it.

And I'll never forget him talking about how unfair it was for a person to have a sickness, you know, often not of their own doing, you know, cancer or diabetes or what have you, some some preexisting condition.

And then because you had it, you also had the opportunity to lose everything that you'd work your life to, to get, you know, it cost you, which caused you to be bankrupt, essentially.

And you couldn't get insurance.

And he just felt very deeply that that was unfair.

And he spent a good part of his life trying to do something about it.

The undoing of that health care reform act.

Do you think that that somehow douses his legacy or contributions to the political landscape?

Well, I mean, ultimately, it was not successful here in Kentucky, But number one, it should have been it was the right thing to do.

And I don't think it harms his legacy at all.

I mean, all you can do, having been in public life most of my life, I can tell you all you can do is give it your best effort and sometimes your best effort in an off.

But he did get it done.

He put his effort forward.

It was a far seeing, thoughtful process that would have helped a whole lot of people, the most vulnerable amongst us.

And in my mind, that's what government ultimately is about.

It's try to help those who are most vulnerable.

And that's what Governor Jones tried to do.

He was involved in the health care thing long before the health care reform.

I don't know if that many people remember, but he was trying to get people insured and put together a coalition, a private coalition of health care providers to provide free care for people in need before he even got into public service.

So he was he really walked the walk when it came to this.

And I know I have a great deal of admiration for that.

Yeah.

Governor Jones was also known for his contributions to the horse racing industry.

We have this statement from Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin.

Quote, He believed in racing and worked tirelessly to improve our sport as a founding member of Breeders Cup and the Kentucky Equine Education Project.

A member of the Board of the Jockey Club and by championing formation of the Kentucky Breeders Incentive Fund and quote and in addition to being a founding member of the Breeders Cup, Governor Jones was treasurer of the Breeders Cup board of Directors in the 1980s.

Here's a statement from Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders Cup Limited.

Quote, Not only did he position Breeders Cup for a long term success as a founding member, but as governor of Kentucky, He tirelessly promoted the thoroughbred industry while simultaneously building a legacy that will live on through aad restored.

End quote.