Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) vetoed a bill that would have deconstructed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the state’s universities.
“I’ll always believe that diversity is a strength and never a weakness, that we are better with more voices and more seats at our table,” Beshear said in a statement. “Now, I believe in the golden rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself. And there are no exceptions, no asterisks. We love and we accept everyone.”
“This bill isn’t about love. House Bill 4 is about hate,” he claimed. “So, I’m going to try a little act of love myself, and I’m going to veto it right now.”
House Bill 4 would have prohibited universities from implementing courses designed to “indoctrinate participants with a discriminatory concept,” which is defined as something that “justifies or promotes differential treatment or benefits conferred to individuals on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.”
A DEI initiative is defined in the bill as a “policy, practice, or procedure designed or implemented to promote or provide differential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, including but not limited to any such policy, practice, or procedure related to employment, employee recruitment, employee hiring, employee promotion, contracts, contract renewal, student recruitment, student admission, student housing, financial assistance, and scholarship award.”
The University of Kentucky is one of numerous academic institutions under investigation by the Department of Education for exhibiting race-based preferences.
