7 Kentucky student newsrooms collaborate on pro-DEI statement, anti-DEI bills likely dead

photo by Jon Cherry for Queer Kentucky

Of the slate of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation this session, it looks like the healthcare discrimination, religious freedom expansion, anti-drag, and anti-DEI bills are all dead. There is always the chance that bills that did not pass will be infused into bills that have passed, like HB 470 was infused into SB 150 last year. We’ll report on the development of all anti-LGBTQ+ bills to ensure that any quiet infusions are covered.

Of the bills named anti-LGBTQ+ this legislative session, the anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) bills were the source of some of the widest statewide controversy. However, it looks like both bills dubbed as anti-DEI, House Bill 9 and Senate Bill 6, are dead.

March 28th was the last day for lawmakers to pass veto-proof bills. Even if the bill is revived after lawmakers return from the veto period, lawmakers would not have time to override Governor Andy Beshear’s likely veto. 

There was a House overhaul of SB 6, where elements of the House’s anti-DEI bill, HB 9, were infused into SB 6. This House’s changes to the bill included more extreme anti-DEI measures, like eliminating DEI programs and offices at public universities and colleges. 

Both the House and the Senate are controlled by the Republican Party, and it is common for a political party with control of the chambers to infuse bills into one another in order to pass as much policy as possible.

However, as originally quoted by the Kentucky Lantern, Senate Republican Floor Leader Damon Thayer said the caucus decided to “not concur with the House changes.” 

Republican Senate President Robert Stivers also provided commentary on the bill not moving out of the Republican-controlled Senate. Also quoted by the Kentucky Lantern, “It has been contentious within our caucus, and that’s about all I can say,” Stivers said.

Further, Republican House Speaker David Osborne provided insight into what happened in the House. Also quoted by Kentucky Lantern, Osborne said in regards to SB 6, “There was just a disagreement in the languages. Neither side (was) willing to give substantively on it.” 

This demonstrates controversy within the Republican Party on measures limiting DEI. 

The controversy around these anti-DEI bills is not limited to just the Republican-controlled House and Senate, however. 

Seven independent, student-run newsrooms at seven of Kentucky’s public universities collaborated on an editorial stand in support of DEI initiatives on campus. 

The editorial was drafted and approved by the student editorial boards at The College Heights Herald at Western Kentucky University, The Eastern Progress at Eastern Kentucky University, The Murray State News at Murray State University, The Louisville Cardinal at the University of Louisville, The Northerner at Northern Kentucky University, Thorobred News at Kentucky State University and The Kentucky Kernel at the University of Kentucky.

To the best of our knowledge, this is unprecedented to have student media coordinating at this level. These student newsrooms are providing commentary that encapsulates perspectives from rural, urban, eastern, and western Kentucky.

Price Wilborn (he/him), Commentary Editor for the College Heights Herald, is a junior from Shelbyville, Kentucky, triple majoring in Political Science, History, and Legal Studies. 

In early 2024, the Kentucky Press Association held its annual meeting in Bowling Green, where the Herald’s Editor-In-Chief, Alexandria Anderson, was introduced to several members of leadership and several different independent, student-run news organizations from across the commonwealth.

There was discussion of a joint DEI editorial, and Wilborn’s role as Commentary Editor at the Herald positioned him to use his specialty to take the idea “and run with it.” He reached out to other news organizations involved and drafted the first draft of the editorial. Wilborn stayed in contact with each news organization, providing progress updates and encouraging edits to ensure comfortability with the final editorial.

Wilborn is from rural Kentucky, and he found WKU’s DEI efforts to be “refreshing” when he first arrived on the Hill. With his appreciation only growing for these efforts over his time at WKU, he says, 

“I have been exposed to new ideas, people and experiences that I never would have been introduced to. Protecting these initiatives, scholarships, programs and more is a no-brainer to me. 

I had the opportunity to make a statement, and I knew I had to take it.”

The editorial reads, “We call on the Kentucky General Assembly to do better. We call on the General Assembly to realize that DEI initiatives and the discussion and acceptance of diversity are in the best interest of every single student, faculty and staff member at each public university campus in the commonwealth.”

Another excerpt from the editorial reads, “Despite what certain lawmakers in Kentucky and around the nation might think, diversity is not going away. The world is moving forward, and Kentucky cannot be left behind.”

The editorial discusses how students would likely be discouraged from attending school in Kentucky, especially if they are of a marginalized identity – namely students of color. It is also discussed how this would limit people from diverse backgrounds from feeling welcome in Kentucky’s public colleges, or even in the state at all. As well, there is commentary made on the intent of schooling, “Classrooms are meant to be safe spaces for discussion and debates with the purpose of education, not political theater.”

In regards to how anti-DEI legislation would impact student newsrooms, Wilborn shares that, “Efforts to ban DEI would impact the college experience for student journalists just like it would every other aspect of our campuses. Our programs thrive on diversity of thoughts and views, and this requires students to desire to attend our universities.”

He continues, “Protecting diversity allows us to continue reporting on the diversity that exists on our campus, working to broaden the views and minds of each person who reads our publication.”

Across the country, state lawmakers have been pushing legislation that would restrict or fully ban diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In early March, there were over 30 bills across the country “targeting DEI funding, practices, and promotion at schools,” according to BestColleges. Kentucky’s HB 9 and SB 6 were among those bills.

There was a coordinated effort to fight the named anti-DEI bills, HB 9 and SB 6. The Fairness Campaign, Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, led the advocacy work fighting these bills and other anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Chris Hartman (he/him), Executive Director of the Fairness Campaign, shared the following statement on HB 9, SB 6, and other anti-LGBTQ+ bills likely being dead,

“While it was another very tough legislative session, we made it out relatively unscathed. After two years of crushing anti-LGBTQ defeats, we were able to ward off the worst attacks during this Kentucky General Assembly. Bills that are effectively dead for the year include anti-Fairness House Bill 47, anti-drag Senate Bill 147, and healthcare discrimination Senate Bill 239. 

These victories have been made possible by the thousands of Kentuckians who joined us to raise their voices in opposition.”

This story is part of a series from Queer Kentucky focused on following the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly from a queer lens. Follow Queer Kentucky on your favorite social media platform to stay up-to-date with our GA24 coverage.