FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed several pieces of legislation passed by the GOP-controlled Kentucky General Assembly, including multiple education bills.
Many of the vetoes were expected: Beshear rejected bills dictating how schools teach about the country’s history of racism, banning trans girls from girls sports, and funding charter schools.
The governor criticized lawmakers for wanting to fund privately-run charter schools while ignoring his request to give public school teachers a raise.
“It was right there; the dollars were there,” Beshear said. “It was a refusal, voting against raises for educators, and now voting to take away tax dollars away from our public schools.”
He also said lawmakers want schools to teach a biased version of history.
“We’re not trying to put history forward,” Beshear said. “We’re pushing politics, and I think that’s wrong.”
Republican leaders already plan on overriding the governor’s veto on all three bills, and Senate Majority Flood Leader Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) pushed back on the criticism from Beshear.
“We send billions of dollars—60 percent of our budget—for public education in this commonwealth,” he said. “And to infer that the elected representatives of the people cannot have a say in the policies and the education of our kids, it’s just ridiculous.”
Beshear also vetoed House Bill 314, which allows for the creation of new cities within Jefferson County, and several other measures that limited the power of the governor over various aspects of state government.
Medical marijuana and sports betting
Lawmakers could still take up other bills when they come back for a couple days next week after the veto break, and Beshear said he wants to see them pass sports betting and medical marijuana.
“When 70-plus percent of a state is in favor of something, it’s time for the General Assembly to step up and do something about it,” Beshear said of medical marijuana. “Represent the people.”
Senate President Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) said he doesn’t see a path for medical marijuana this year.
“You want to help these individuals, most definitely,” he said. “I think there is that desire to help individuals who have seen some type of benefit off of it, but with any drug, I think you need to have the full-blown studies.”
Stivers said he hopes to see a bill from the House creating a medical marijuana research program at the University of Kentucky pass in the final two days of session.
Sports betting could be a different story: Stivers said he isn’t sold on it, but Thayer supports it.
“The areas I represent—Northern Kentucky and Central Kentucky—it’s a big deal,” Thayer said. “And it’s the only thing people want to know about right now.”
Lawmakers return to Frankfort on April 13 and 14 for the last two days of the legislative session.
Other bills on the governor’s desk
There are a couple major bills still left for the governor to act on: House Bill 3 limits abortion in several ways, including a ban after 15 weeks; House Bill 7 adds new requirements to get public benefits; and House Bill 1 is the main budget bill.
Beshear can veto specific items in the budget, and he said he’s still going over everything in it.
Beshear has also signed several pieces of legislation, including a bill addressing the nursing shortage (Senate Bill 10) and a bill creating more early voting options for Kentuckians (House Bill 564).