Beshear calls anti-Critical Race Theory bill ‘government censorship’ in veto message
Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that includes a section aimed at addressing Critical Race Theory in Kentucky schools.
Senate Bill 1 began as a bill shifting certain responsibilities, namely principal hiring and some curriculum decisions, from school-based councils to central office. However, House lawmakers late in the session tucked the language of Senate Bill 138 into it.
Senate Bill 138, ostensibly aimed at addressing the debate over Critical Race Theory in Kentucky schools, lists 24 primary source documents to be included in Kentucky school civics curriculum from elementary to high school. The bill sponsored by Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, also says defining racial disparities solely on the legacy of slavery is “destructive to the unification of our nation,” a provision that some have said would ‘chill’ speech in the classroom.
Wise has emphasized that the bill, though it does have language that mandates teachers provide instruction consistent with concepts like the above, does not stifle teachers’ free speech.
“There’s nothing in this that will tell a teacher ‘you cannot teach on a certain subject matter’... nothing will stifle free speech of a teacher,” Wise said.
Beshear cited many of Senate Bill 1’s provisions in his veto message. For one, he didn’t like how parent and teacher say over things like principal hiring was limited.
“Many in the General Assembly have voiced their support of the vital role of parents in their children’s education. This bill lessens that role and marginalizes parents,” Beshear wrote.
The governor also objected to a part of the bill that limits how many times the Jefferson County Public Schools board can meet.
Beshear spilled the most ink, however, on the provisions included from Senate Bill 138.
He called the list of primary sources, which includes a political speech by former president Ronald Reagan but does not include any works authored by Native Americans, “aimed more at politics than at history.” Beshear also said that it attempts to “dictate” how history is taught in Kentucky schools and that the “policing” of how race is talked about will ultimately lessen such discussions.
Beshear also indicated that the bill was “government censorship.”
“Prescribing a rigid approach to what must be ‘taught’ in those discussions will lessen if not erase them,” Beshear said. “For the future of our country, American children and adults must be able to exercise their First Amendment rights and have important discussions free of government censorship.”
The governor further expressed distaste for the General Assembly setting curriculum for Kentucky students as opposed to local school boards, saying that the bill “supplants and lessens” school boards’ as well as parents’ influence over student education.
The current version of Senate Bill 1 passed the House 67-29 and the Senate 21-15-1. A simple majority vote by both chambers is required to override a governor’s veto.
ACLU-Kentucky spokesman Samuel Crankshaw said that the bill dissuades teachers from presenting a version of history in line with what he called “honest patriotism.”
“Proponents of bills like SB1 say they want to instill patriotic values in our students, but this legislation could not be any less patriotic. There is a lot of good in our history, but there are also the ugly facts of slavery, white supremacy, worker exploitation, homophobia, sexism, and more,” Crankshaw wrote. “Honest patriotism would engage with our past so students could have a legitimate chance to learn from our collective harms and how those harms influence life today.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 6:58 PM.
