Kentucky's 'anti-DEI' bill appears dead after GOP lawmakers miss veto deadline

FRANKFORT — A three-letter acronym became a target for Kentucky Republicans — but they didn't hit their mark to meet a crucial deadline during this year's legislative session.

Senate Bill 6, also known as the “anti-DEI” bill, failed to pass the General Assembly Thursday night. The 10-day veto period now begins.

Although the bill can still be taken up during the final two days of the legislative session in mid-April, lawmakers wouldn't be able to override a potential veto if they pass it then.

And it's likely a veto would happen, as Gov. Andy Beshear has spoken out in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, also known as DEI, programs.

Other conservative states have passed legislation targeting DEI programs at higher education institutions.

Since 2021, 21 states have introduced proposals that dismantle DEI programs, and nine of those states passed those laws.

It’s been a target for the Republican Party since 2020, after the police killing of George Floyd, when schools and businesses tried to come up with ways to make their environments more racially inclusive.

Florida last year passed a law banning spending money on DEI programs for its public colleges and universities.

Alabama passed a similar measure last week not only banning state funds from being spent on DEI programs and officers in higher education, but also at state agencies and other public entities.

Iowa is on its way to requiring its three public universities terminate all DEI-focused staff positions that aren’t necessary to comply with state or federal law.

So, what happened to Kentucky's bill?

Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, introduced the bill, which is a version of the law passed in Tennessee in 2022.

The Tennessee law states students or employees of public colleges and universities in the state cannot be required to endorse a specific ideology or viewpoint to receive admission, employment, promotions or graduation. Students and employees cannot be penalized or discriminated against if they receive support for what the bill defines as a “divisive concept.”

Wilson's original version of the bill has the exact same provisions.

When the bill was sent to the House, though, the chamber gutted it and replaced it with a committee substitute that transformed the bill into a condensed version of House Bill 9, which comes down harder on DEI policies.

It’s unclear whether Wilson knew about or supported the bill’s changes prior to the House Education Committee meeting where the substitution was introduced.

Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, is the driving force behind HB 9 and presented the House's version of SB 6 at the education committee Meeting on March 14.

Typically, the sponsor of the bill presents it to the committee, but Decker said Wilson couldn't make it to the meeting because of a scheduling conflict.

At the committee meeting, Rep, Kevin, Jackson, R-Bowling Green, said Wilson didn’t know changes had been made to the bill when he passed on voting for or against the bill.

During debate on the House floor the following day, Rep. Al Gentry, D-Louisville, asked Decker if she knew whether Wilson supported the changes. Decker said Gentry would need to ask Wilson himself.

Rep. Josie Raymond, D-Louisville, also asked Decker when the last time she spoke with Wilson about her bill or his bill. Decker said she discussed the differences and hasn’t spoken to him since, but said she couldn’t give the exact date of when that conversation happened.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Anti-DEI bill appears dead in Kentucky legislature