GOP majority continues its agenda of hate, union-busting and attacking the poor by nixing 3 Beshear vetoes

KENTUCKY DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 29, 2023) – Today, Republican legislators overrode Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of anti-public sector worker legislation, Senate Bill 7, continuing their attack on hard-working teachers and school staff.  

“In the words of Senate Bill 7’s sponsor Senator Mills, ‘no one asked for this bill.’ This bill does not fix any problems; it does not address our teacher shortage, it does not fix infrastructure issues in our schools, but it does allow the Republican majority to use their office to attack Kentucky’s educators and support staff who give everything they have to educating and supporting Kentucky’s children,” said Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. “With two days left in session, the extremist GOP majority chooses to spend their time continuing to attack hard-working Kentucky families and our public schools? Our educators, families, and students deserve better.”

This overly-broad bill stifles free speech of educators and public sector employees and jeopardizes millions of dollars in federal transit funds for the 2023 fiscal year. In their rush to stifle collective bargaining, the poorly written bill language risks banning non-union payroll deductions such as vision and dental insurance or retirement accounts. 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 29, 2023) – Today, Republican legislators in the Kentucky General Assembly overrode Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of Senate Bill 65, a bill which undoes the governor’s executive order last year to expand Medicaid coverage to include dental, hearing, and vision benefits in Kentucky. With this override, more Kentuckians will lose dental benefits than the total population of Alaska. 

 “Governor Beshear knows health care is a basic human right and has fought every day to expand access to Kentuckians. The Republican majority just slashed coverage for one in five Kentuckians to stick it to Andy Beshear in an election year,” said Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. “Dental health is intrinsically linked to overall health and in a state that already ranks last in adults over 65 with no natural teeth, the last thing we need to do is roll back access to dental, hearing, and vision care. This kind of coverage ensures folks can get back to work, it should be a no brainer.” 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 29, 2023) – Today, the Republican majority in the Kentucky General Assembly overrode Governor Andy Beshear’s veto of hateful legislation. Instead of taking action to help Kentuckians, Republican legislators prioritized overriding a veto of a bill that takes away parents’ right to make healthcare choices for their children, ignores health care professionals, and hurts vulnerable children.

Senate Bill 150, described as one of the most extreme anti-trans bills in the nation, allows teachers to misgender their students over parental objections and bans all gender-affirming healthcare for people under the age of 18. 

“Kentucky children will die because the Republican majority chose to override this veto. This bill risks the lives and wellbeing of some of our Commonwealth’s most vulnerable children,” said Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. “Contrary to what Republicans claim, this strips away the rights of parents to make choices in the best interests of their child. I find it horrific that the GOP majority is spending limited time and our resources creating a climate of fear for LGBTQ children. This law will cost lives. Republicans should be ashamed of themselves, passing this bill at the last minute with so little transparency and just weeks after one of their colleagues lost her son. Kentuckians deserve better from their elected officials.” 

The Republican majority passed the legislation despite objections from a majority of Kentuckians including parents, medical experts, social workers, the military community, educators, business leaders, and current and former Republican elected officials.