By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
In the last two days of this 30-day session, the Kentucky legislature overrode nearly all of Governor Andy Beshear’s two-dozen vetoes, including one bill that eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at public institutions like Western Kentucky University or Southcentral Community and Technical College.
Beshear vetoed the bill on March 20 saying Kentuckians “had worked hard to make our commonwealth a welcoming place [and] House Bill 4 takes us away from that.”
“I’ll always believe that diversity is a strength and never a weakness; that we are better with more voices and more seats at our table,” Beshear said in his social media video. “Now, I believe in the golden rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself and there are no exceptions, no asterisks to that. We love and accept everyone. This bill isn’t about love. House Bill 4 is about hate. So I’m going to try a little act of love right now, and I’m going to veto it right now.”
After the 10-day veto period, the legislature voted to overturn his veto on March 27, making the bill the law of the commonwealth. House Bill 4 passed the House of Representatives with a 79 to 17 vote and passed the Senate with 32 “yea” to 6 “nay” votes. Barren County Representative Steve Riley voted to overturn the veto. He had previously voiced his support for the legislation saying it would “basically…put everyone on equal footing.”
House Bill 4 was sponsored by Northern Kentucky Representative Jennifer Decker and 24 other Republican lawmakers. It “prohibit[s] public postsecondary education institutions from providing [, or influencing,] differential treatment or benefits on the basis of an individual’s religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.”
The bill — now law — passed the House on March 5, passed the Senate on March 12 and was delivered to the governor’s office on March 13.
