#KyGa22: Bluegrass Institute responds to veto-override of charter school funding bill

The Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions issued the following statement regarding today’s vote by the Kentucky General Assembly to override Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of House Bill 9, which provides funding for public charter schools and will result in the opening of at least two of these schools in the commonwealth – one in Jefferson County and the other in Northern Kentucky.

We appreciate the legislators who, with their vote finalizing the funding of public charter schools in the commonwealth, rejected the fearmongering displayed throughout this debate by opponents of school choice.

Most states have been unsuccessful in attempts to pass public charter school legislation without gubernatorial leadership. Today’s vote is a result of the hard work and commitment of House and Senate leaders who stepped up and expanded educational opportunity in our commonwealth despite the lack of support from the governor’s office. Kentucky’s parents will now have access to these innovative public schools just like families in 44 other states – including all our neighboring states – and the District of Columbia.

House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, and Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, and their fellow legislative leaders deserve the appreciation of all Kentuckians who care about policies which will give some of our most at-risk children more educational opportunity and help bring improvement to our underperforming public education system.

For more information or comment, please contact Bluegrass Institute president and CEO Jim Waters at (270) 320-4376 or jwaters@freedomkentucky.com.