SB1 states in part that public schools will provide instruction that aligns with certain concepts, such as: “A person, because of the race or gender of the individual, is not responsible for acts committed by other members of the same race or gender.” and “Understanding that the institution of slavery and post-Civil War laws imposing racial segregation and discrimination were contrary to the fundamental American promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as expressed in this Declaration of Independence, but which defines the racial The differences exclusively in the heritage of this institution are catastrophic for the unification of our nation “. In his letter, Beshear said children and adults should be able to exercise their First Amendment rights and have meaningful discussions without government censorship. Although the law does not implicitly use the term critical race theory, the language of the bill bears similarities to other measures passed in Republican-controlled states. Samuel Crankshaw, communications director for the ACLU in Kentucky, said Wednesday that SB 1 is “part of a national strategy to eliminate history, perpetuate white supremacy and eliminate marginalized people – especially people of color and color.” “LGBTQ people will also be denied the right of First Amendment to freedom of speech by teachers and students.” Governor Besiar notes that the bill would require teachers to incorporate “a specific set of historical documents and speeches” into lectures. “These texts were not chosen by historians or scholars, but by a political body.” One of the required texts is Ronald Reagan’s 1964 “A Time For Choosing” political campaign speech, Governor Beshear said. “The fact that this text is included above all else, such as Dwight Eisenhower’s statement to the troops before the invasion of D-Day, suggests that the bill is aimed more at politics than at history.” Parliament approved the current version of the bill with 67-29 votes and the Senate approved the bill 21-15-1. A majority of both houses of parliament can overturn the governor’s veto, according to the Kentucky General Assembly Legislative Process page.
