Gov. Andy Beshear addresses high-profile legislation

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WYMT) - The General Assembly will return next week with some bills still hanging in the balance.

On Thursday, Governor Andy Beshear signed several pieces of legislation, but others are unresolved.

The General Assembly passed two high-profile pieces of legislation in the final days of the session before the veto period. Senate Bills (SB) 5 and 15 both deal with issues in schools and children.

SB 150 deals with parental notification and how schools deal with the use of pronouns. It prevents school personnel from having to use pronouns that do not conform to a student’s biological sex. The state school board cannot keep student information confidential from parents, and it was combined with another bill that said healthcare providers cannot perform surgeries to change a minor’s sex.

Governor Beshear has not said if he will veto SB 150, but he spoke strongly against it Thursday.

“I believe Senate Bill 150 tears away the freedom from parents to make important and difficult medical decisions for their kids,” Beshear said.

Senate leaders are not commenting on the Governor’s planned actions. They said they are waiting on the process.

In response to the education commissioner saying the bill is anti-LGTBQ, Senator Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, said they are pro-child and pro-family. He added the legislation protects children under 18 whose brains are not fully formed from making life-altering decisions.

Lawmakers return next Wednesday and will meet for two days before ending the session. It is possible that both sports wagering and medical marijuana will pass on one of those days.

On SB 5, which deals with a complaint process for school materials, Governor Beshear said most school districts already have a process, but he said he is still looking at it.

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