Kentucky governor vetoes bill ending DEI in state’s higher ed, calls his veto an ‘act of love’
‘And 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,’ the governor said.
He added: ‘This bill isn’t about love. House Bill 4 is about hate. So I’m going to try a little act of love myself, and I’m going to veto it right now. ’
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed legislation to take down Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the state’s public institutions of higher education.
The Democratic governor vetoed House Bill 4 on Thursday, releasing a video titled “Embracing Diversity, Not Banning It,” in which he signs the veto on camera.
“This bill, House Bill 4, moves us backwards. It makes people feel less welcome, less deserving, less like they are welcomed in the commonwealth. And 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. Now I believe in the Golden Rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself [sic], and there are no exceptions, no asterisks. We love and we accept everyone.”
“This bill isn’t about love. House Bill 4 is about hate,” he continued. “So I’m going to try a little act of love myself, and I’m going to veto it right now. “
[RELATED: Campus Reform’s Anti-DEI Legislation Tracker]
House Bill 4, introduced on Feb. 12 by Republican State Rep. Jennifer Decker, states that the Council on Postsecondary Education may not “[p]rovide any differential treatment or benefits to an individual on the basis of the individual’s religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.”
The legislation also seemingly takes aim at diversity statements, banning public universities from forcing applicants to share their views “on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.”
House Bill 4 passed the Senate by a vote of 32-6 and the House by a vote of 79-17 before being vetoed by the governor, though Republican legislators could override the governor’s block.
Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus Chair Sen. Robby Mills signaled the Republicans’ intention to override the gubernatorial veto on this and other bills in a Saturday X post, writing: “Just a reminder...@GovAndyBeshear can post all the videos he wants and lecture the Legislature on how virtuous his leftist positions are, but when Thursday & Friday comes the Republican Super Majority will override each and every one of his vetoes!”
The governor’s defense of DEI comes amid the Trump administration’s investigations of certain universities across the country for continuing to operate controversial DEI initiatives.
Several states have already banned or curbed DEI or introduced legislation to that effect, including Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Utah.
Some universities have started curbing DEI following the start of President Trump’s campaign against the ideology. The University of California, for example, recently stopped requiring job applicants to write “diversity statements.”
[RELATED: Kentucky activists hold ‘Day of DEI’ at 8 college campuses to oppose possible DEI ban]
Others have chosen to either defy the White House or to seem to comply while keeping the same initiatives and programs in place.
A Notre Dame University official, for example, recently said that DEI is just as important for the school as maintaining its Catholic identity.
A spokesperson from the governor’s office pointed Campus Reform to a copy of the governor’s veto message.
Campus Reform has contacted Kentucky Speaker of the House David Osborne and State Sen. Robby Mills for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
