anticipated Anti Dei Bill had its first hearing in Frankfort today.

Diversity, equity and inclusion offices at Kentucky's universities are on the chopping block.

This legislative session as proposed and House Bill 4 and tonight's Legislative update.

Our June Lessler has more on what's in the bill and where lawmakers and Kentucky college student side on the debate.

>> University of Louisville students met at the Capitol today to support Dei on their campus.

>> It goes from everything from, you know, helping underrepresented communities to even the classes that we've seen.

Also, we have France is like and African studies Latino studies and we have a look at cultural center.

All of this would be threatened.

We don't know where the line what we can say, what led to freely talk about what we're allowed to handle openly, not even just discussed, but believe it.

>> Voices on both sides of the dei debate say they want protections for free speech and against discrimination.

The sponsor of House Bill 4 says her definition of these terms supported by court decisions on affirmative action.

>> This question about whether the dei that is banned by this bill, which is.

Preferences and prejudicial treatment.

That that is no longer debatable about whether it's a good thing to do a bad thing to do.

Will it help or not?

It is unconstitutional.

Says the Supreme Court of the United States of America House Bill 4 doesn't do away with federal civil rights protections.

It couldn't.

>> But here's what it would do.

Prohibits hiring admissions scholarships and contracts based on religion race.

6 color or national origin, Ban's resources spent to set up or maintain a diversity, equity and inclusion office training and initiatives KET students from having to complete a course and what the bill defines as discriminatory concepts and limits the university's general counsel to investigate bias incidents that meet certain criteria.

The Shelby County Republican pitching the bill says Dei efforts meant to recruit and retain more diverse student body haven't proven their worth.

>> Kentucky taxpayers were promised that dei would benefit Kentucky's historically underrepresented minorities, including low income populations.

While there has been a slight increase in total underrepresented minorities, a slight increase since 2011.

The increase is that increase is due primarily to the enrollment of out of state students who are not from low-income families.

>> Democrats dismiss that stance.

>> When you think about years and years and years, decades, that universities has not been inclusive environments to many populations of people, people of color, women, LGBTQ community, indigenous people.

So many people who haven't been excluded from higher education.

And to say that we've been trying this for, you know, a few years and it's not working what we have many, many, many years that that we have to go back and try to undo a lot of years of damage where we have excluded individuals.

>> The historical indicators of what has occurred, particularly with people who look like me and other and other protected classes in our society.

It's a it's a really serious problem.

And I think what river lasting it and that word with trying to say that this does not matter.

>> The bill does carve out exceptions for free speech and academic coursework.

But definitions of indoctrination and discriminatory concepts leave this student worried.

Here's them.

Okay.

Quote, a society that has done something special against Negroes for hundreds of Staff do something special for him.

>> Is that a discriminatory concept?

>> The House post-secondary Education Committee did vote in favor of House Bill 4 along party lines up House Bill 4 becomes law.

Universities could have to comply by the end of June.

The state auditor of public accounts would have to set up a process to review public colleges, compliance with the new law for Kentucky