Kentucky’s House Bill 4, which aims to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in postsecondary education, passed the House almost entirely along party lines with a vote of 81-18 on Wednesday, after leaving committee on Tuesday.
One Democrat, Rep. Ashley Tackett Lafferty, broke rank and voted for the bill.
The bill’s main sponsor, Republican Rep. Jennifer Decker, expressed her reasoning for supporting the bill. She sees the HB 4 as banning preferential and prejudicial treatment. Additionally, she is concerned these initiatives are costing money but having little impact.
“…[It] is no longer debatable about whether it’s a good thing to do, a bad thing to do, will it help, will it not. [DEI] is unconstitutional, says the Supreme Court of the United States of America,” Decker said, referencing the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions.
In response to Decker, Democratic Rep. Sarah Stalker pointed out that DEI initiatives have been in place for a short period of time and need more time to create change.
“We have many, many, many years that we have to undo a lot of years where we have excluded individuals,” said Stalker.
Adding onto Stalker’s concerns, Rep. George Brown Jr. expressed concern that the bill and its implications are trivializing the issues of equity and inclusion, and devaluing them.
It is not seen this way by Republican Rep. Matt Lockett who emphasized the mission behind the bill in his opinion.
“This bill is not about racism. This bill is about equal protection for all,” said Lockett.
Opponents of the bill were given 10 minutes for public comment. The room was then cleared by state police as many expressed their frustration. Kentucky university students were interviewed outside of the room shortly afterward. Many were frustrated, voicing that they felt the rushed hearing process was an intentional move.
HB 4 will now progress to the Kentucky State Senate, where a strong Republican majority is likely to also pass the bill.
If passed by the Senate, the bill will progress to Governor Andy Beshear, who may choose to issue a veto. If this veto is issued, the state legislature would be able to override the veto, using the GOP majority. A two-thirds majority is needed in both the House and Senate for this to successfully occur.