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Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In wake of new law, EKU swaps ‘diversity,' ‘inclusion' for ‘viewpoint neutrality'
Students walk on Eastern Kentucky University's campus in Richmond, May 14, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) RICHMOND — With approval of its governing board, Eastern Kentucky University became the first in the state to formally adopt policies that bring it into compliance with a Republican-backed state law banning diversity, equity and inclusion practices at Kentucky public universities. In its Wednesday meeting, the EKU Board of Regents passed a policy to uphold viewpoint neutrality and a resolution showing EKU plans to comply with the recently passed House Bill 4. The board also approved removing words such as 'diverse' from its strategic goals. No board members voted against the measures in a voice vote. Kentucky public universities have been reviewing HB 4 since its passage by the Republican-controlled General Assembly earlier this year. GOP caucuses in the House and Senate easily had the votes to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of the law, which he said 'is about hate.' In his veto message, the governor wrote, 'Acting like racism and discrimination no longer exist or that hundreds of years of inequality have been somehow overcome and there is a level playing field is disingenuous.' He also said the law would prevent universities and colleges from investigating allegations of bias except in limited circumstances. EKU's board members had little discussion on the new policies before they cast votes. Regent Laura Babbage asked questions about how the university will still support students from a variety of backgrounds. She added that she hoped as an institution, EKU 'believes that we have responsibility to our brothers and sisters, regardless of their race, creed, beliefs or whatever the case might be.' 'I'm not speaking for the board. I'm speaking for Laura Babbage, but I am just saying that that is an essential part of who I am,' she said. 'And so as we have issues that come before us that perhaps need a voice, I will, in fact, be that voice.' EKU President David McFaddin said in response to Babbage that supporting all students would remain a focus of the administration. 'Student success will continue to be our focus. Supporting students — every student — in every way that we can will continue to be a part of the institution,' he said. The newly adopted university policy — titled 'Institutional Viewpoint Neutrality' — says that EKU 'does not discriminate against individuals or groups based on their social or political viewpoints and values the contributions of all community members to robust dialogue and the free exchange of viewpoints to contribute to an intellectually diverse campus community.' The university may not require anyone to 'endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, promotion, admission or graduation.' Directing the state's public universities to adopt such viewpoint neutrality policies was a tenet of HB 4. The university policy says that the EKU president has the only authority to issue official statements on behalf of the university, and may designate someone else to issue statements as needed. The board chair has a similar authority to issue official statements of the board. The president and board chair are prohibited from issuing official statements 'on political, social or cultural matters that are not directly related to the operations, mission or legal obligations of the University.' The policy says that any violation 'will be handled through the normal University processes.' The board also approved changes to the university's strategic goals, removing a reference to supporting 'EKU's diverse learners' and replacing the word 'inclusivity' with 'respect.' The changes also remove 'Inclusion' as a guiding value of the university, which was defined as 'Community engagement, Diversity of people and perspectives, Professional growth, Hospitality, Celebration' and replaces it with 'Opportunity,' defined as 'Community Engagement, Multiple Perspectives and Lived Experiences, Professional Growth, Hospitality, Celebration.' The resolution approved by the board says EKU will follow the state law. An EKU spokesperson previously told the Kentucky Lantern the university planned to comply with the law. The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, said in a statement after filing the legislation that it sought 'to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, and ensure that our university campuses are free from the failed and misguided DEI policies that have proven only to make higher education less attainable for Kentuckians.' In a statement ahead of Wednesday's board meeting, Decker said the law ended 'discriminatory and wasteful practices on our public postsecondary campuses.' Decker added that the law ensures Kentucky public colleges 'provide equal treatment to all of their students and judge students on their individual merits, not on their race, color, or creed.' 'These are institutions of learning and must focus on improving the quality of education on their campuses and increasing enrollment among all Kentuckians,' Decker said. HB 4 directs the governing boards of Kentucky's public universities to enact a policy by June 30 to meet requirements under the law such as not restricting scholarship eligibility criteria on the basis of religion, race, sex, color or national origin and not requiring or encouraging students to complete courses 'of which the primary purpose is to indoctrinate participants with a discriminatory concept.' Next year on July 1, each institution must begin submitting annual certification to the Council on Postsecondary Education to verify the institution has not spent money to support DEI programs. The law largely had support from Republicans in both the state House and Senate throughout the legislative session earlier this year. It comes on the heels of Republicans nationwide aiming to rollback DEI programs. President Donald Trump has taken actions against such programs, including issuing an executive order early in his second term aimed at curbing DEI in private sector businesses. More recently, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to overhaul university and college accreditation programs to root out DEI standards. Before the General Assembly passed the law, Kentucky college students held protests against the legislation on their campuses, including EKU. Students also voiced opposition in committee hearings and protests at the Capitol. 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Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Politicians jockey for a bit of the spotlight at the Kentucky Derby
A train of people following Team Kentucky signs walk pass the Paddock area of Churchill Downs. Team Kentucky is a Beshear administration slogan. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) LOUISVILLE — While most of Churchill Downs' spectators watched thoroughbreds race the track, jockeying of a different kind unfolded in the stands. The Kentucky Derby — the most famous sporting event annually held in the Bluegrass State on the first Saturday in May — draws a spate of celebrities and business executives. With the amount of influence in attendance, it's no wonder Kentucky politicians come out to the races. Despite Saturday's rainy weather, horse racing fans gathered at the track early to take their seats and place bets in ticket booths. Some high-profile guests, including Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and his family, walked a red carpet to talk with local and national media outlets about the Derby. Others, like Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer shared photos from the red carpet and grandstand online. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said on X he planned to attend the Derby with his wife, Kelley, on Saturday. 'While you're enjoying mint juleps and hot browns like we are, remember to thank all of those working to make the Derby possible!' Paul said, referring to a classic Derby cocktail and a dish that orignated in Louisville. Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky said 'there's so many reasons' a politician may want to be seen at the Kentucky Derby. The event historically attracts many of the state's power brokers, giving candidates and elected officials a chance to network 'in a way that's festive with the people whose support they need.' Beshear, the state's top Democrat, said during his Thursday press conference that the Derby is 'our premier day for talking to businesses that either are looking at Kentucky or could potentially look at Kentucky.' The governor added that the event brings a boost of tourism to the state. 'I typically see about two races on Derby day — one if I'm just lucky enough to be standing next to the window and one, the Derby race itself,' Beshear said. 'But I mean, this is a date where we don't just see celebrities and athletes, which are great, it raises the profile of the event, but we see international CEOs enjoying the best of the best of hospitality.' Beshear himself had a viral moment from during an interview he did at Churchill Downs earlier in the week. He told Louisville TV station WDRB that running for president in 2028 is 'something I would consider' if he could be someone who could bring the U.S. together. That quote was picked up in national media reports. Ahead of the main race, Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman shared on X that the Derby is a 'a tradition that brings the eyes of the world to the Commonwealth.' 'The Derby is more than a race. It's a symbol of our history and culture,' Coleman said. 'From the thundering hooves to the hats and hospitality, this day reminds us—there's no place like the Bluegrass.' Voss said one advantage for politicians who make news at the Derby is that media coverage of the event 'reaches a lot of people who do not like politics and who basically avoid political news.' 'This is a chance for those politicians to get name recognition with people who are usually very difficult or expensive to reach, and they'll be reaching them for free. Well, minus the cost of attending,' Voss said. 'As political ads go, that's cheap. What's not to love, right? They get to go to this event, have a good time and they're probably doing more for their political careers than they accomplished at the average boring or riskier outing.' Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican who is now seeking to replace Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate in 2026, made an appearance at Churchill Downs Thursday — also known as 'Thurby.' While the Kentucky Derby is the last race on Saturday, horses run the track throughout the week at Churchill Downs. Politicians even celebrate the Derby outside of the Bluegrass State. On Thursday, McConnell held his annual Pre-Kentucky Derby Luncheon in the U.S. Capitol with a menu that included Kern's Kitchen Derby-Pie, fried chicken and biscuits, fried okra and corn pudding. President Donald Trump issued a statement Saturday calling the Derby 'an iconic American institution and an elegant celebration of our culture, customs, and unwavering competitive spirit.' The Republican last attended the races in 2022. The Derby also is an opportunity for politicians to be seen in a personable way, Voss said. 'Sometimes we talk about it as the 'Which candidate would you want to have a beer with?' but it's more general than that,' Voss said. 'People trust more the representation they'll get from a politician who seems more like them in certain ways, seems to have common sense, and being seen having fun, doing something like going to the Derby, makes the politician seem like less of a politician. Seems more like someone able to deliver the sort of representation a regular voter would like.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rallying for the Democracy Principle: Why we showed up at the Capitol on KY legislature's last day
The League of Women Voters of Kentucky highlighted the Democracy Principle during a Capitol rally on the last day of the 2025 regular session, March 28, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) The League of Women Voters of Kentucky joined with other advocacy groups at the Capitol Rotunda on March 28 for the Democracy Principle Rally. Why? Because our representative democracy rests on a fundamental principle: We, the people, have a right to participate in decisions that affect us. The League of Women Voters of Kentucky has documented how Kentucky's legislative process, since 1998, has been manipulated in ways that increasingly minimize public input, stifling full and open debate on significant legislation. The 2025 legislative session was no exception, with numerous bills passed and sent to the governor using fast-track maneuvers and undemocratic tactics, often in combination. Legislators used combinations like these: File a 'shell bill' with minor changes to existing law and assign it to a standing committee. Rush a bill by holding bill readings on the chamber floor before the committee even discusses and votes on the bill. Reschedule committee meetings with short notice to the public. In committee, introduce and vote on a substitute bill that some committee members cannot access before the meeting and the public has not seen. Send the bill for a floor vote that same day, giving non-committee legislators and their constituents little time to review the new language. Then, the shenanigans rinse-and-repeat in the next chamber. If such strategies produce a bill different from the originating chamber, specially appointed committees can produce yet another version for a final vote before the public and many legislators have time to review. These strategies not only interfere with public participation, but legislators themselves may have limited access to bill substitutes before a vote, let alone journalists whose job it is to inform the public. Overall, these fast-tracking methods are unnecessarily hasty and may lead to careless mistakes or laws that are out of step with public opinion. Lawmaking should not be reduced to power plays, but be approached with careful consideration of intended and unintended consequences. KY legislature again excluded public via fast-track maneuvers, says League of Women Voters Among the bills that were passed using one or more of these maneuvers were: HB 4, restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and constraining instruction in public postsecondary institutions. HB90, originally focused on free-standing birthing centers, but last-minute additions included abortion-related provisions. HB241, a two-page bill allowing school districts to adjust calendars due to weather-related emergencies had multiple provisions about virtual education programs added on the Senate floor. HB 695, included last-minute changes to the state Medicaid program by adding mandatory work requirements for able-bodied adults. HB 775, a four-page bill on development districts that transformed to a 108-page bill making substantive taxation changes beyond development districts. SB 202, a five-page shell bill making innocuous word changes that became a 60-page bill to regulate the sale of cannabis-infused beverages. Prior to these past two sessions, the League made recommendations to the General Assembly on how to strengthen public participation by respecting the Democracy Principle. We described how Kentucky's Constitution, laws and legislative process rules actually provide opportunities for public participation in the lawmaking process. We urged the legislature to respect these constitutional and statutory requirements alongside its own procedural rules. The 2025 legislative session lacks evidence that the General Assembly has taken these recommendations to heart. That's why we took the message to the Capitol on the last day of the session, to unequivocally affirm that there should be no laws about us, without us. That is the heart of the Democracy Principle, and we will not let the people be ignored.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY legislature again excluded public via fast-track maneuvers, says League of Women Voters
Speaking at the Capitol, Ridhi Penmecha, a high school student and member of the Kentucky Student Voice Team, urged lawmakers to open the process to the public including young people. 'We're not just being excluded from the present, but we are being cut out of shaping the future,' she said. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) FRANKFORT — On the last day of the legislative session, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky renewed its calls for more transparency in how the General Assembly makes laws and sets policies. Gathered in the Capitol Rotunda Friday, speakers highlighted the 'Democracy Principle,' or the idea that citizens have a right to be involved in the legislative process and have their voices heard and considered. Citizens are being shut out of the process, the League contends, because the General Assembly uses fast-track maneuvers to speed bills into law, often counter to its own rules, and with little public notice or participation. The Kentucky chapter of the national organization has been tracking what it says are legislative maneuvers that undermine democracy and in 2023 issued a report,'How Can They Do That? Transparency and Citizen Participation in Kentucky's Legislative Process.' It analyzed seven 60-day legislative sessions between 1998 and 2022 and found many instances when the General Assembly did not follow its established process to give Kentuckians time to review and comment on proposed legislation. Ahead of the 2025 session, the League updated its report and found Kentuckians are still regularly shut out of legislative decisions that affect them. On Friday, the League pointed to six bills in the 2025 session as examples of fast-tracking, including House Bill 4, which eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion at Kentucky's public universities. The League also pointed to Senate Bill 202, which began as a short, insignificant 'shell bill' and quickly changed to ban the sale of hemp-derived beverages in the state until summer of 2026. The bill then was changed into its final form which places a 5 milligram limit on 'intoxicating adult-use cannabinoids' in a 12 ounce beverage. Some of the 'fast-track maneuvers' used to move legislation, the League said, included giving bills floor readings before they were heard in committee, introducing a committee substitute at the last minute, having an irregularly scheduled committee hearing, and giving a bill a floor vote the same day it was heard in committee. Ridhi Penmecha, a high school student and member of the Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT), said during the Friday rally that students advocating in Frankfort have encountered obstacles that make it 'nearly impossible' for them to engage in the legislative process, despite their eagerness to be heard. Shortly after this legislative session began, KSVT filed a lawsuit alleging the state and General Assembly 'have failed to maintain the level of commitment to education required' by Kentucky's Constitution and past court decisions. 'We're not just being excluded from the present, but we are being cut out of shaping the future,' she said. In her closing thoughts Friday, Becky Jones, the LWVKY's first vice president, responded to a comment Republican Senate President Robert Stivers made Thursday on the Senate floor. He said if people 'want to change the policy in this state, then they will change the makeup of this body.' 'On that we agree,' Jones told the crowd, who then applauded. In recent months, the League has faced gripes from Kentucky Republicans who question whether it is truly nonpartisan and who say the group is made up largely of liberal Democrats. The GOP holds a veto-proof supermajority in the House and Senate. When asked if she's concerned the conversation about legislative transparency is becoming hyper-partisan, Jones told reporters 'it could' and said that would be 'an unfortunate circumstance.' She emphasized that the League does not endorse political parties or candidates. 'It's unfortunate when being political gets misconstrued with being partisan,' Jones said. 'There is nothing partisan about protecting the process. That is political, just like fighting for the right to vote was a very political action, and that's the foundation that we stand on.' The national League of Women Voters was founded after the 19th Amendment was ratified to help women navigate their new access to the ballot. In a Thursday press conference, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear echoed complaints by Democratic lawmakers about a lack of transparency in how Republican leaders moved legislation in this session. Republicans have rebuked the notion, saying that time is limited in a short 30-day legislative session, such as the one that adjourned sine die on Friday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY bills ending DEI in public colleges, stirring uncertainty about tenure's future become law
A small group holds a mock funeral for university education on the steps of the Capitol Thursday morning to protest two bills that received final approval from the legislature Thursday evening. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) FRANKFORT — With a veto-proof supermajority, Republican lawmakers overturned Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes on two notable higher education bills Thursday. House Bill 4 eliminates diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) at Kentucky's public universities and was at the center of heated debates in the General Assembly this session. Some Kentucky professors have warned that House Bill 424 erodes academic tenure at the state's public universities and colleges, although its sponsor has said it is about employment contracts at universities. The House and Senate quickly gave both final passage by largely party-line votes. In his veto messages on the bills, Beshear argued they could both hinder higher education in Kentucky. Some advocates agreed with him. Four people — college students Jillian Gabhart, Savannah Dowell and Alice Harkins and Eastern Kentucky University lecturer Carl Root — read eulogies for university education on the steps of the Capitol Thursday morning. Dressed in black, they held a funeral as lawmakers convened for business. 'We may have lost a battle here in Frankfort, and we should absolutely mourn what we've lost here today,' Root said. 'But we must also organize, agitate, educate and fight back against those who would use all the power of government in attempts to force uniformity, inequity and exclusion on all our universities, classrooms and curriculum.' Some House Democrats met with the funeral-goers outside. When HB 424 was called to the floor, Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, said she feared passing the bill would upend recruiting faculty to the state's public universities. She added that protecting tenure gives faculty 'the ability to explore complex, and sometimes controversial topics.' 'Tenure protects the core mission of higher education,' she said. It is the fearless pursuit of knowledge and critical thinking.' Democrats in the Senate raised similar concerns in their chamber. Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, and a law professor at the University of Louisville, said HB 424 has produced 'confusion and fear' among facultyi. She said she was supportive of Beshear's reasoning for the veto, adding that 'these sorts of policies that take away faculty self-governance' and 'put in place these programs with no guardrails' undermine the security tenure establishes. Meanwhile, Republicans easily had the votes to enact their policies. Rep. Vanessa Grossl, R-Georgetown, said she supported the veto override of HB 4 because she believes 'in equality' and 'equal opportunity.' 'Our greatest divide as a commonwealth and as a nation is not based in race, but is rural and urban,' she said. 'I'm voting no today because DEI on our college campuses is not helping poor kids in Kentucky who are seeking to further their educational goals, regardless of their immutable characteristics.' In speaking in support of HBl 4, Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville, looked back to the Civil Rights Movement and said activist Martin Luther King Jr. 'gave us a great start and what happened?' Douglas then asked, 'Should we continue to blame others and hold others accountable for our own personal decisions?' 'This legislation is only a message to those who are unwilling or unable to love others deep enough to allow them to seek their own way or their own level of success,' the senator said. 'We have to love them.' The Kentucky bills are reflective of actions Republicans have taken elsewhere to exert their influence over higher education. On the issue of tenure, Florida recently passed a law requiring post-tenure reviews of professors at public universities and termination should they fail them. This year, a Nebraska Republican lawmaker introduced a bill that would replace academic tenure with annual performance evaluations of faculty members. Though an anti-DEI bill failed to pass in Kentucky last year, the passage of the current law comes as Republican President Donald Trump has made DEI a target of his administration. In addition to issuing an executive order aimed at curbing DEI in the private sector early on in his second term, Trump is facing a lawsuit from fired federal workers who were tasked with implementing DEI policies.
