LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than 1,000 bills have been filed during the legislative session in Frankfort. Now, groups are weighing in on how those would affect Kentuckians.
The Louisville Branch of the NAACP has concerns about several bills.
Chapter leaders say they worry that some bills, if passed into law, would create an unwelcoming place for people to live.
“We’re not interested in being progressive. We’re not interested in equal rights. We’re looking at going and try to become more insular than we currently already are,” said Raymond Burse, Louisville Branch NAACP Vice-President.
The NAACP says Senate Bill 6 “targets diversity in colleges and universities.”
It would not allow Kentucky universities to ask applicants for specific ideologies or viewpoints that are “divisive concepts”.
Students or employees could take legal action against a university if they feel a “divisive” hiring or admissions process was used.
SB 6 passed the Senate and is now in the House for consideration.
House Bill 9 could eliminate scholarships and funding based on race or sex, religion, color or national origin.
The advocacy group is concerned about what they call an “attack on academic freedom and discourse.”
Public universities across Kentucky award scholarships described as “historically awarded to Black African/American students”.
“If you take the source away, that incurs increases at college-going rate what you’re creating is another population of individuals who may be needed, rely on governmental services and all that,” Burse said.
The group is also concerned about the impacts of Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 18.
The NAACP says both allow ‘source of income discrimination’ regarding government housing assistance programs.
Burse added, “In a state that has a housing crisis in terms of affordable housing for everyone, that what we should be doing is [making] things work. So what the bills do, the two bills to target what we call ‘pay our source discrimination’ is targeting individuals who use government vouchers.”
The NAACP branch president, Raoul Cunningham, urges Kentuckians to take action.
“We would encourage people to call, write, visit their legislators. It’s imperative. And also to make sure they vote,” Cunningham said.
The group is also watching Senate Bill 61, which could eliminate no-excuse in-person absentee voting and Senate Bill 80, which changes the language surrounding I.D. documents used to confirm a voter’s identity.
The Louisville Branch of the NAACP said it also opposes legislation that would increase the hours that teens could work and a House bill that would increase eligibility standards for SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) and the House bill that would change how fluoride is regulated in water systems.
