Kentucky
What bills has Beshear vetoed? Conversion therapy, DEI measures make the list
Facts About the Kentucky General Assembly
Discover key facts about the Kentucky General Assembly, including its history, structure, and state government functions.
The 2025 Kentucky legislative session is its final stretch — with more than 100 bills sent to Gov. Andy Beshear for approval.
The session entered a veto period on March 15, during which Beshear can sign bills into law, veto them or let them become law without his signature.
Wednesday marks the last day for Beshear to make his decisions. Lawmakers will return to the Capitol on Thursday and Friday for the final two days of the session.
The General Assembly is dominated by Republicans, and state legislators will likely override Beshear’s vetoes — putting their bills into law with or without an OK from the Democratic governor.
Here’s are the bills Beshear has vetoed so far.
House Bill 495: Overturning conversion therapy ban
In a social media post late Saturday, Beshear said he vetoed a measure that would nullify an executive order on conversion therapy that he issued last year.
“Conversion therapy is torture, and that’s why I signed an executive order banning it in Kentucky,” Beshear said in the post on X, formerly Twitter. “Legislators seek to overturn those protections with HB 495, which I vetoed at the Fairness Dinner.”
House Bill 495 was amended just before it received final approval to also prohibit transgender Kentuckians from receiving gender-affirming care through Medicaid.
The bill passed both chambers with widespread support from Republicans and strong opposition from Democrats.
According to HB 495, sponsored by Republican Rep. David Hale, Medicaid funds can not be expended on:
- “Cross-sex hormones in amounts greater than would normally be produced endogenously in a healthy person of the same age and sex.”
- “Gender reassignment surgery to alter or remove physical or anatomical characteristics or features that are typical for and characteristics of a person’s biological sex.”
House Bill 4: DEI ban at colleges and universities
Last week, Beshear vetoed a measure that bans diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Kentucky public colleges and universities.
He said in a social media post that the bill “isn’t about love” but instead “is about hate.”
HB 4, sponsored by Republican Rep. Jennifer Decker, prohibits Kentucky colleges and universities from spending money on DEI programs. The measure also requires schools to eliminate all DEI offices and positions and prohibits them from requiring students or staff to attend DEI training sessions, among other things.
The bill has some exceptions, including for Americans with Disabilities Act and Title IX requirements. It defines DEI initiatives as policies, practices or procedures “designed or implemented to promote or provide differential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin.”
Beshear has defended DEI measures in the past and said Kentucky “should be embracing diversity, not banning it” when he announced his veto.
House Bill 216: Department of Agriculture grants
House Bill 216, sponsored by Republican Rep. Myron Dossett, would let Department of Agriculture employees apply for and receive grants and loans run by the department through the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy’s Agricultural Development Board or Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation.
In Beshear’s veto message, he said the measure allows conduct that “always has been unethical and unlawful under the Executive Branch’s Ethics Code.”
He cited two advisory opinions issued to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, where the Executive Branch Ethics Commission confirmed the state’s laws prohibit executive branch employees from accepting grants from programs “run by the agency they work for.”
“As written, House Bill 216 would even allow employees who work directly on the grant and loan programs to select themselves,” Beshear said. “This puts farmers who are not department employees at an unfair disadvantage when competing with department employees for grants and loans.”
Senate Bill 245: Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission
Under Senate Bill 245, members who are reappointed to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission would not be able to serve unless they receive Senate confirmation.
According to the bill’s language, “a member whose reappointment is not confirmed by the Senate while it is in session shall vacate his or her seat upon the date of sine die adjournment of the session in which the confirmation was declined.”
SB 245 was sponsored by Republican Sen. Brandon Smith.
Under current law, only new appointments from Beshear are subject to Senate confirmation. In his veto message, Beshear said the Senate has “refused to confirm seven members whom the sportsmen and sportswomen have nominated” the past four legislative sessions. He also pointed out the Senate still has to confirm the reappointment of the “first ever Black member of the commission.”
“The bill and the Senate’s refusal to confirm creates a scenario where there could be multiple vacancies on the Commission at one time, while the part-time General Assembly is out of session (most of the year), threatening the Commission’s ability to fill its quorum,” Beshear said in his veto message.
Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.
Kentucky
Ronald Exantus being transported back to Kentucky
OCALA, Fla. (WKYT) – The man convicted in the stabbing death of a 6-year-old who was arrested in Florida while serving mandatory re-entry supervision is headed back to Kentucky.
In a press conference on Tuesday that included Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, officials announced that Ronald Exantus is being transported back to Kentucky.
Ronald Exantus was charged with stabbing and killing Logan Tipton in 2015. While he was found not guilty of the child’s murder by reason of insanity, Exantus was convicted on three assault charges for stabbing other members of Logan’s family.
The court sentenced Exantus to a combined 20 years in prison.
On October 1, The Department of Corrections released Exantus on mandatory re-entry supervision, overriding the parole board’s recommendation that he complete his full sentence behind bars. Exantus chose to service his mandatory re-entry supervision in Florida.
Exantus was arrested in Marion County, Florida on October 9. In a release, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Exantus failed to register as a felon with the sheriff’s office within 48 hours as required by law.
WKYT is working to learn more details about the situation.
This is a developing story.
Copyright 2025 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Andre Woodson, Mike Hartline help Cutter Boley break through at Kentucky
It hasn’t been pretty for the Kentucky Wildcats on the football field this season, but one obvious bright spot comes in the form of a 6’5″ redshirt freshman quarterback out of Hodgenville in Cutter Boley. He entered the game late vs. Ole Miss and has started every outing since with one win and four losses, but steady growth leading to a breakthrough against Tennessee this past weekend.
Boley racked up 330 yards and five touchdowns on 26-35 passing with 31 rushing yards on seven carries, hitting marks matched by only four other SEC quarterbacks in the last 30 years. Tim Couch is the only other Kentucky gunslinger to throw for at least 330 yards and five touchdowns on 74-plus percent passing in a single game.
“He’s really done a phenomenal job with his presence in the pocket, and each and every week, he’s getting more and more confident in that,” Mark Stoops said during his call-in show Monday evening. “The other thing I think he’s really doing at a high level right now is he’s been exceptional at throwing the ball with accuracy on the move. Under duress, he’s gotten way better since the first game of the year this year that he started, and then in trusting that he’s going to have some protection. …
“He’s been hanging in there when he has to hang in the pocket, but he’s escaping at times, and then he’s been remarkably accurate when he’s on the move.”
Seeing so many quarterbacks torch the Kentucky defense this year, along with coming up with game plans for all of the opposing greats to come and go over the years, Stoops is grateful to have an elite one on his sideline that others have to figure out.
“Cutter is a tough young man, and he’s getting bigger and stronger. He has a very good feel for that pocket right now. That’s been fun because, as a defensive guy, to coach a lot of defenses, that’s very aggravating when you feel like you got things matched up really well and pretty decent pressure, and you escape and make something happen.”
What if I told you not one, but two former Wildcats are helping Boley in that ongoing breakthrough?
Andre Woodson, who threw for 9,360 yards and 81 touchdowns as a two-time All-SEC selection in his four-year career in Lexington, has built a relationship with the redshirt freshman as he’s found his footing. From one in-state kid to another, the Radcliff native has been in Boley’s shoes and wants to help him live up to that superstar potential in the blue and white.
“I know Andre reached out to him and talked to him, and I appreciate that. With Andre — you know, these guys care about Kentucky. They care about how we play and want to see a guy like Cutter develop. It’s been good.”
It’s not just Woodson, though. In fact, there is a former player in that building taking Boley under his wing as a hands-on mentor — the guy who actually followed No. 3 in Lexington, suiting up from 2007-2010. Mike Hartline, who threw for 5,680 yards and 38 touchdowns during his time at Kentucky, is now an offensive quality control coach on Stoops’ staff.
What Bush Hamdan doesn’t have time for as offensive coordinator, Hartline steps in to do the heavy lifting with Boley’s development. Without him, we don’t see the current on-field success for the kid from Hodgenville.
“Another one that has made a big difference for him is Michael Hartline,” Stoops said. “I tell you, Michael does a really good job. Bush has a lot on his plate and a lot to work on, and we’re up there all hours, day and night, but a lot of times when Cutter comes in, he spends one-on-one time with Michael. He’s really done a good job, he’s been a great addition to our staff.
“It’s another UK guy that cares about this place, and I’m very impressed with him. He’s a great coach, and he’s really helped us, and he’s helped Cutter.”
Two great Kentucky quarterbacks, but can Boley be better? He’s already up to 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns with five games to go as a redshirt freshman — then three more years of eligibility.
Things are starting to stick for the kid.
Kentucky
LSU fires Brian Kelly, owes $53 million buyout
The dominoes are falling in the SEC, the latest potentially impacting Kentucky in terms of candidates should the Wildcats move on from Mark Stoops. LSU has fired head coach Brian Kelly, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, coming off the Tigers’ 49-25 loss to Texas A&M to fall to 5-3 on the season.
It’s been an all-day back-and-forth leading to the breakup Sunday night, conversations taking place earlier regarding staff changes and a potential parting of ways, Nakos ultimately reporting Kelly’s status was “in limbo” and “in flux” in Baton Rouge. Those “high-level discussions” included officials within the athletic department, executives at the university, and even Gov. Jeff Landry.
Kelly was in his fourth season at LSU after signing a 10-year, $95 million deal back in 2021. With a combined record of 34-14 and 19-10 in the SEC, including 10-win seasons in each of his first two seasons, he will be owed a $53 million buyout — the second-largest in college football history, behind only former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.
He joins James Franklin (Penn State) and Billy Napier (Florida) as Power 4 coaches fired during the 2025 season with 12 total FBS jobs already open.
What does that mean for Kentucky, now 2-5 on the year and 0-5 in conference play coming off an embarrassing 56-34 loss to Tennessee? Lane Kiffin has been a rumored target for not only Florida, but also LSU — the latter potentially more of a threat to reel him in from Oxford. Where would the Gators go from there? Franklin and Kelly are free agents, but Louisville’s Jeff Brohm is a name that has been tossed around. Would Oregon OC Will Stein return home to coach at his alma mater as a former Card? That would take a big-time target for the Wildcats off the table. Where does Jon Sumrall fit into all of this? Does UF go after the Tulane head coach? Does he replace Kiffin at Ole Miss?
Needless to say, the coaching carousel is spinning out of control with Kentucky potentially in the market for a new leader.
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