Kentucky General Assembly

Many of the laws passed by the Kentucky General Assembly during the 2023 legislative session will go into effect Thursday, but not all of them.

A disagreement over the meaning of “or” in a controversial anti-trans law has ignited the latest conflict between a prominent Republican lawmaker and the Kentucky Department of Education.

“Conversion therapy” is dangerous for LGBTQ youth, and bipartisan support for prohibiting it grew in recent years. But this session, lawmakers passed an anti–LGBTQ law instead.

Debates about what’s ‘obscene’ now shift from legislature to school districts

This week, GOP lawmakers overruled Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's veto and passed a sweeping law limiting the rights of transgender youth across the state, both at school and in their personal lives.

It’s easy to override a governor’s veto in Kentucky – it only takes a majority vote in each legislative chamber. And Republican lawmakers once again flexed their control of the statehouse, where they hold 80% of seats in both the House and the Senate, overriding vetoes with little trouble as Democrats voiced opposition.

Kentucky Senate Bill 150 would require doctors to discontinue gender-affirming hormone therapy for trans patients under 18 years old. Three doctors say that could endanger the kids’ mental health.

Kentucky School Boards Association says it will be watching for increased burden, politicization of nonpartisan school board business

Opponents of the legislation say calls for “parents’ rights” and to “protect children” reveal a modern American belief in childhood ignorance.