Two controversial Kentucky education bills are now law after the General Assembly voted to override Governor Andy Beshear’s vetoes of the measures.
A House bill known as the school choice bill will allow tax credits to pay for vouchers for students in some of Kentucky’s largest counties to attend private school. The veto was narrowly overridden, receiving the minimum required 51 votes.
Representative Myron Dossett didn’t like everything about the legislation, but supported it because it gives parents more options, including sending students to a public school in another county.
The veto on a measure that will require teachers hired after January 1st, 2022 to work 30 years before drawing from their retirement was also overridden.
Kentucky lawmakers are also moving to limit some executive powers while shifting others. The General Assembly voted to override a line-item veto made on the executive budgets, requiring the governor to get lawmakers’ approval on how to spend the commonwealth’s share of the American Rescue Plan.
Dossett acknowledges Democrats in the House have been critical of the Republican majority for limits on executive powers, but accuses them of not offering many solutions.
The General Assembly also overrode line-item vetoes in the state budget.
Tuesday is the final day of the session.