Going against Beshear, Kentucky legislators send some controversial bills on to become law

Yahoo

28-03-2025

Kentucky lawmakers returned to Frankfort this week for the final two days of the 2025 legislative session — where one of the biggest priorities for the Republican supermajority was overriding vetoes from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
Between March 15 and 26, Beshear vetoed 16 House bills, two House Joint Resolutions and eight Senate bills. He also line-item vetoed two House bills and one from the Senate.
The vetoes targeted several controversial bills, including one revising Kentucky's abortion law and another banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at public universities.
However, legislators in the House and Senate can override Beshear's vetoes while still in session. And with Republicans in control of both chambers, they spent Thursday rolling through bills the governor had vetoed and reapproving them to become law.
House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, said he doesn't begrudge Beshear for trying to make a point through vetoes. But legislators have a right to make their own point by overriding those vetoes.
"It's an exercise," Osborne said Thursday night. "There are times when I wonder why we go through it. I'm sure there's times when the governor wonders why he goes through it. But we both do what we feel compelled to do."
On Friday, Osborne said, the chambers are unlikely to take up any more controversial measures, as vetoes of those bills would not be able to be overridden. There are still a few bills that need approval, he said, which will keep legislators busy on the final day of the session.
In the meantime, here's a closer look at several bills lawmakers decided to override.
What is the bill about? HB 2, sponsored by Rep. TJ Roberts, R-Burlington, aims to stop the state from taxing gold, silver and other bullion currency, a provision legislators passed last year but was line-item vetoed by Beshear. It would also grant those who have paid sales taxes on gold and silver since last August — when the exemption was set to take effect — the power to use the courts to seek a refund, along with $1,000 for "each day that the violation occurred," paid by the governor's office, if taxation continues after passage.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said the bill would "punish state officials for carrying out the law," putting executive branch employees at risk of being personally sued for acting "in good faith and in accordance with the law."
What was the vote? The veto was struck down on an 80-20 party-line vote in the House and on a 31-6 vote in the Senate.
What is the bill about? House Bill 4 was filed by Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, and backed by the GOP supermajorities. It cracks down on diversity, equity and inclusion offices and initiatives at public universities across the state, prohibiting schools from spending money on such programs while also prohibiting them from requiring students or staff to attend DEI training sessions, among other things.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said diversity programs 'help us add more voices to the table,' and HB 4 negates that by preventing schools from fully supporting students from diverse backgrounds and from investigating most allegations of bias.
What was the vote? After lengthy discussion in the House, the veto was overridden 78-19 and was overridden in the Senate on a 32-6 vote.
What is the bill about? House Bill 90 was filed by Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown. It initially aimed to remove the certificate of need requirement for freestanding birthing centers but was later expanded with a measure codifying which medical conditions and obstetrical complications are not considered abortion under state law.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear argued the abortion portion of the legislation "actually does the opposite" of what it intends. He said it's not possible to create an exhaustive list of emergency situations that could require an abortion and includes language not used by medical professionals, as well as language that creates barriers to life-saving care. He also criticized the late addition to the bill, arguing the process "lacks transparency and violates the Kentucky Constitution."
What was the vote? The veto was overridden in the House on a 77-20 vote — Reps. Vanessa Grossl, R-Georgetown, and Kim King, R-Harrodsburg, voted with the minority, while Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, D-Martin, voted with Republicans — and in the Senate on 31-7 vote.
What is the bill about? HB 398 was put forward by Rep. Walker Thomas, R-Hopkinsville. It aims to ensure the state does not take up or enforce any occupational safety and health administrative regulations that are tougher than federal standards.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said the bill would weaken workplace safety standards and the state's ability to investigate potential violations, as well as prevent Kentucky from enforcing key regulations related to issues such as high falls, exposure to hazardous materials and high-voltage electrical lines.
What was the vote? The veto was overridden in the House on a 78-22 vote — with Reps. Scott Lewis, R-Hartford, and Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond, joining Democrats in opposition — and was overridden in the Senate on a 29-9 vote.
What is the bill about? HB 424 was sponsored by Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville. It requires state university boards to take part in performance reviews of all presidents and faculty members once every four years and allows boards to remove employees from those positions regardless of status with the school if they fail to meet performance and productivity requirements.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said the bill "threatens academic freedom" and will make it harder for the state to attract and retain talent by limiting employment protections.
What was the vote? The veto was overridden in the House on an 80-20 party-line vote and in the Senate 29-9 vote.
What is the bill about? HB 495, sponsored by Rep. David Hale, R-Wellington, initially aimed to overturn Beshear's executive order banning conversion therapy but was amended in the Senate to also ban Medicaid funds from going toward hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear has been an outspoken critic of conversion therapy, referring to it as "torture" in a social media post announcing the veto.
What was the vote? The override was approved in the House on a 78-20 vote. Rep. Kim Banta, R-Ft. Mitchell, voted with Democrats in favor of the veto, while Tackett Laferty joined Republicans in striking it down. The Senate voted to override the veto 31-6.
What is the bill about? HB 695, filed by Rep. Adam Bowling, R-Middlesboro, creates a Medicaid Oversight and Accountability Board to study the health care system in the state and makes other changes to Kentucky's Medicaid distribution, including introducing work requirements for able-bodied adults.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear argued the bill gives the legislature too much day-to-day control over Medicaid, a massive system with many moving parts, and said the work requirements will cut off coverage for many Kentucky residents and open the state up to litigation.
What was the vote? The veto was overridden in the House on a party-line 80-20 vote and in the Senate on a 29-7 vote.
What is the bill about? The bill requires public K-12 schools to have a moment of silence at the start of each school day. It also allows school boards to let students be excused for up to one hour each week for "moral instruction."
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said he rejected the measures because requiring a 'seated' time of silence does not recognize different faiths, and it would cause students to miss out on important instructional time
What was the vote? The Senate voted to override the veto on a 29-8 vote, where Republican Sens. Chris McDaniel and Michael Nemes crossed party lines. The override was approved 74-17 in the House.
What is the bill about? The bill requires courts to interpret laws without deferring to a state agency's interpretation of them when reviewing disputes between executive branch agencies and the state legislature. The language mirrors last year's Supreme Court decision overruling Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said the bill violates the separation of powers and requires courts to "resolve ambiguous questions against a finding of an increased agency authority."
What was the vote? The Senate voted to override the veto on a 32-6 vote, with Democratic Sen. Robin Webb crossing party lines to vote "aye." The House voted 74-18 to override it.
What is the bill about? The bill reduces pollution protections for some water resources, including groundwater, and would permit coal mines and other industries to align with federal water definitions. In 2023, the federal water definitions were weakened by the Supreme Court.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear said he believes the bill threatens the quality of Kentucky's water by failing to protect its water sources.
"Senate Bill 89 makes Kentucky the only state in the country to cede its regulatory authority to federal government," Beshear said in his veto message.
What was the vote? The Senate voted to override the veto on a 29-8 vote, where Republican Sen. Chris McDaniel crossed party lines and voted "aye." Democratic Sen. Robin Webb also crossed party lines and voted "no." In the House, the override passed 66-23, with Reps. Kim Banta, Daniel Elliott, Ken Fleming, Kevin Jackson and Bobby McCool voting with Democrats to keep the veto in place.
What is the bill about? The bill authorizes public schools to become "schools of innovation." That means schools could seek waivers and exemptions from some state laws and regulations from the Kentucky Department of Education.
Why did Beshear veto it? Beshear vetoed the bill because it 'significantly expands the Kentucky Board of Education's discretion that currently allows it to suspend only its own regulations if requested and will create disproportionate educational standards between local school districts.'
What was the vote? The Senate voted to override the veto on a 31-7 vote. The override was approved 78-16 in the House.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky legislature overrides Beshear's vetoes. What will become law