Kentucky GOP overrides Beshear's veto on education bill.

Kentucky's Republican-led legislature overrode Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of House Bill 1 to allow the state to opt into a federal tax credit scholarship program, with the Senate voting 31-5 after the House voted 77-14-1.

Republican lawmakers in Kentucky overrode Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of House Bill 1, with the Senate voting 31-5 after the House voted 77-14-1 the day before. The bill would allow Secretary of State Michael Adams to opt the state into a federal tax credit scholarship program. That program would let people receive a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to organizations that grant scholarships to students at private and public schools. Beshear vetoed the bill on March 13 and said it would divert public dollars to private and charter schools, while Republican leaders described it as a federal tax credit to help those in need. Key details: - The Kentucky Senate voted 31-5 to override the governor's veto; the House voted 77-14-1 to override the veto the previous day. - House Bill 1 would let the Secretary of State opt Kentucky into a federal tax credit scholarship program offering up to $1,700 in federal tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations. - Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed the bill on March 13, saying it would divert public dollars to private and charter schools; the article notes voters rejected a related ballot measure in 2024. - The Republican Party of Kentucky defended HB1 as a federal tax credit to assist people in need, and the Kentucky Democratic Party criticized the move as supporting private schools. Summary: The legislative override finalizes the bill's passage at the state level and opens the pathway for an opt-in to the federal tax credit scholarship program. Whether Secretary of State Michael Adams will opt Kentucky into the program, and when that might occur, is undetermined at this time.