On Friday, both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly advanced a controversial education bill.
Less than 24 hours after the House passed a stricter version of the bill in committee, the newly amended Senate Bill 6 (Funding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs at Public Universities) (a wide range of prohibitions) have been proposed.
Supporters argue that DEI programs are succumbing to mission creep and retreating from criticism, while opponents of the bill worry that the response to DEI represents a swing of the pendulum in the opposite direction. ing.
Democratic Rep. Sarah Stoker asked, “Who's next?”
“This bill already has so many tentacles around how donors and contributors can provide funding and how universities can distribute it based on scholarships and vendors available to universities. included,” she said. “We are entering a very dangerous area on our own on campus, and it has the potential to spread.”
The House passed the bill by a vote of 68-18, just as the Senate was considering a constitutional amendment that would have given Kentucky voters the power to direct public funds to non-public education.
Sen. Stephen West disputed the argument that the amendment was anti-public education.
“We are committed to our public education system,” West said, reminding the audience of how much money the General Assembly spends to strengthen public education. “But this is just an opportunity to try something different, and this bill just leaves it up to the people to decide.”
Critics said guaranteeing raises for teachers and putting more money toward expanding preschool, as the governor has campaigned, would do more to strengthen education. The amendment received enough support to be placed on the ballot in November.
Passage of the education bill was quickly followed by floor debate and approval of an omnibus crime control bill entitled the Safer Kentucky Act.
The more than 70-page bill passed the Kentucky Senate despite mixed feelings on both sides about many of its provisions.
House Bill 5 is being characterized by supporters as a tougher-on-crime bill, adding a new three-strike clause and toughening penalties. Some see these reforms as reactionary, costly, and lacking when it comes to Kentucky-specific crime data.
“It's time to stop coddling criminals. Enough is enough,” Republican Sen. Philip Wheeler said. “So, how much should decent, hard-working people actually get paid in this society?”
“Don't get me wrong, we should hold people accountable. If they committed a crime, they should pay and get time, but we have to rehabilitate them. Other processes I think over-incarceration without going through that means we're being punished.'' There are many more victims,'' Democratic Sen. David Yates of Louisville said.
One section that has received a lot of attention is making it easier for local governments to clear informal homeless camps.
Sen. Whitney Westerfield, who voted against the bill along with Democrats, said the bill offers no solutions to the underlying problems.
“There's nothing in this bill that addresses the root causes of homelessness. It's not part of it,” he said.
Many expressed support for some provisions, saying the state needs to take a more active role in fighting crime, but were outraged by the bill's broad nature.
But despite those concerns, the bill passed the Senate and made it to the governor's desk.