With so many real problems to fix, KY GOP goes after imaginary demons of diversity | Opinion
Kentucky’s GOP super-duper majority revealed its signature culture war nonsense for this legislation session, brought to you via the failing presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis, who already passed this in Florida. #BadBillWatch got started early this year.
Yes, in one of the poorest, sickest states in American, Senate Bill 6 takes on the vast moral panic that no one outside of academia knows or cares about: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
These are worthy but hazy concepts that have now been built into the vast wasteland known as upper administration at colleges, where it’s not exactly clear how much good or bad they accomplish.
However, the GOP is convinced that woke progressives are indoctrinating our college youth — as though Instagram and TikTok haven’t already done the job — and the culprit must be classes on implicit bias and the like.
But the mental contortions needed to come up with this legislation — a bizarre compilation of right wing talking points, paranoia and the fever dreams of old white men — tries to control speech and thought, two things that Republicans always swear they’re against.
SB 6 bans “divisive concepts,” which includes such gems as these:
▪ That an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously.
▪ The Commonwealth of Kentucky or the United States of America is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist. (LOL, as the kids say.)
▪ An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.
Also the bill says none of this is supposed to infringe on academic freedom, which would seem to make the whole thing moot?
Someone, please make it make sense.
We can probably expect an even crazier version out of the House, one that tries to root out the plague of Democrats in higher education.
But the children?
It’s all so very dumb. It’s not as sadistic or punitive as targeting transgender children, but an even bigger waste of time and discussion.
Because while it’s fun to go after a population that makes up less than 1 percent of the state, there are lots and lots of children in Kentucky who could use the time and energy legislators have spent on such bogeyman as critical race theory, gay people and “inclusion.”
Back in June, we saw results from the U.S. Kids Count Data Book, which assesses the well-being of kids around the country. Kentucky ranked 40th in the nation, down three slots since the last report.
Indicators that got worse include the number of child deaths, low birth weight babies, obesity and economic well-being.
Luckily, the first day of the General Assembly showed there are some grownups who realize helping children thrive is more important than micromanaging university administrators.
They include the departing Sen. Whitney Westerfield, conscience of the GOP, who introduced an omnibus bill to increase funding in programs that benefit low-income families, most important, a big chunk of general fund money into child care assistance.
Rep. Kim Moser, R-Kenton, will present a maternal health bill to try and improve Kentucky’s ranking as the second-worst in the country for maternal mortality.
Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, wants the state to finally get serious about why we give away so much money in tax breaks.
Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, wants to get rid of our unjust, antiquated, rarely used death penalty.
These are good, substantive ideas. They could produce meaningful discussions to move Kentucky forward. They should get top billing from House and Senate leadership and be assured passage.
As it stands now, the only bill that we can be sure will be passed is the half-witted ideas in Senate Bill 6.
We could rest so much easier if we knew more of our leaders were tilting at real, not imagined windmills, that they cared more about what actually raises up Kentuckians, as opposed to what moves polls.
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 1:00 PM.
