Saying it’s ‘about hate,’ Beshear vetoes ban on DEI in Kentucky public higher education

by McKenna Horsley, Kentucky Lantern
March 20, 2025

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has issued his expected veto of a Republican-backed bill aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) at Kentucky’s public universities. 

However, the GOP-controlled legislature will likely override the veto when it returns to Frankfort. 

Beshear announced his veto of House Bill 4 in a Thursday afternoon social media post. A video of the governor signing the veto showed advocates who opposed the bill, including University of Louisville student Bradley Price, stand behind the governor in his office. 

“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 accept everyone,” Beshear said. “This bill isn’t about love. House Bill 4 is about hate. So I’m going to try a little act of love myself, and I’m going to veto it right now.”

His veto message was not immediately available online in the Executive Journal Thursday afternoon. 

Price, who was among students who discussed their displeasure with the bill with Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, after it was heard in his committee, praised Beshear’s veto in the video.

“By vetoing this bill, Gov. Beshear is telling marginalized people across the state that he stands with us,” Price said. “He will fight to make sure that we have access to education.” 

The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, said during the House debate that her legislation “would allow our universities and colleges to return to their focus away from social engineering to provide Kentucky students with excellent academic instruction in an environment that fosters critical thinking through open, constructive dialog.”

Should the bill become law, HB 4 would increase oversight of public colleges and universities to ensure they do not spend dollars on or have employees devoted to advancing diversity. By June 30, university boards must adopt a policy “on viewpoint neutrality that prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s political or social viewpoint and promotes intellectual diversity within the institution,” the bill says. 

Other measures in the bill include that universities may not have DEI offices or employees and cannot provide DEI training. Also, by October of each year, universities must submit reports to the Legislative Research Commission that include a list of policies and programs that are “Designed or implemented to promote or provide differential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin” and required under federal or state law or a court order. 

Beshear, who in recent months has become seen as a possible candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, has repeatedly defended DEI policies. Before the veto period began, Beshear told reporters “anything that is telling any of our Kentuckians that they are lesser than someone else, we shouldn’t be doing.” Before that, the governor attended the 60th anniversary commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, and told the crowd “diversity is a strength and never a weakness.”

Students say Kentucky lawmakers didn’t hear them out on bill eliminating DEI in colleges

While his veto is likely to be overridden by Republicans in Frankfort, Beshear’s public disagreement with the policy allows him to strike back at what has become a focus of the Trump administration. During his address to Congress last month, President Donald Trump railed against DEI initiatives while waging other culture war issues. The president has also taken other steps to eliminate DEI, including signing an executive order that directed his administration to identify potential civil compliance investigations of corporations, nonprofit organizations, some higher education institutions and more.

Kentucky Republicans attempted to pass similar legislation during the 2024 session, but it failed to gain passage. Months after that, the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University closed their DEI offices.

Days after the Senate gave its approval to the legislation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced UK was among 45 higher education institutions under federal investigation for “allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.”

Lawmakers return to Frankfort on March 27 and 28 to finish the 2025 legislative session. 

This story may be updated.

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