Legislative chambers have passed a bill prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies at Kentucky’s public schools and institutions; it now sits at Governor Andy Beshear’s desk.
Sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, House Bill 4 (HB 4) cleared the Senate on Wednesday by a vote of 32-6. The House then approved last Thursday with a 79-17 majority. With Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, the only Democrat in either chamber to vote in support, nearly all Democrats opposed the legislation.
Governor Beshear now has three choices: sign the measure into law, reject it, or let it become law without his signature. Beshear has already supported DEI projects, but any veto is probably going to be overruled by the Republican-run legislature.
“I believe diversity is a strength and never a liability,” Beshear said Thursday in reaction to the bill’s passing. “I will review the bill, but anything that is telling any of our Kentuckians that they are lesser than someone else, we shouldn’t be doing.”
DEI activities are defined in HB 4 as policies, methods, or procedures “designed or implemented to promote or provide differential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, color, sex, or national origin.” The measure forbids mandating staff members or students to engage in DEI training and calls for the closure of all DEI offices and posts in public colleges and universities.
Institutions have to follow the terms of the measure by the end of June, before the next autumn semester. While the measure offers provisions for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title IX, it broadly prohibits DEI-related activities and financing.
Additional provisions of HB 4
- Banning the consideration of personal views on social or political matters in decisions connected to hiring, contract renewal, tenure, promotion, admittance, or graduation.
- Prohibiting scholarship criteria or eligibility limits based on an applicant’s religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.
- Preventing student housing placements based on those factors, save for separate living quarters per gender.
- Limiting investigations and disciplinary measures linked to bias, unless permitted by university counsel.
- Requiring annual certifications from universities certifying no money was spent on DEI activities and establishing rules on “viewpoint neutrality.”
- Instituting annual surveys to examine “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” to provide exposure to conflicting ideas and protect the expression of personal beliefs.
Republicans in Kentucky’s legislature that push for the bill claim that it encourages equal opportunity and prohibits divisive activities. “Every student, regardless of background, deserves a fair shot, and that’s what this body should be committed to,” said Sen. Steven West to The Courier Journal.
Opponents fear that HB 4 undermines attempts to build inclusive environments. “This bill restricts what our pupils can study… It destroys our tools that are supposed to make students welcome and make them safe,” said Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong to The Courier Journal.
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This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2025.
