>> The first the equity inclusion is a great idea.

When it's voluntary.

>> Forget the pass goes to pass the past.

But guess what?

The past is what we are now.

>> Is dei now on Kentucky college campuses here from state lawmakers and the governor about the passage of House Bill.

4.

A somber remembrance for the Louisville woman shot to death by police 5 years ago today.

>> It was like, yeah, and I was like, let's do it.

>> And community theater gets the star treatment.

Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Thursday, March, the 13th, I'm Renee Shaw and we thank you for spending some of your Thursday night with U.S. diversity, equity and inclusion or dei initiatives and policies at Kentucky's public colleges and universities would be outlawed under a bill headed to the governor's desk after nearly a 2 hour debate on the Senate floor last night, the bill passed largely along party lines.

Our McKenzie spank sorts out the bill for us as we begin tonight's Legislative update.

Republican lawmakers have leveled the playing field for college students, according to supporters of House Bill 4.

>> If enacted into law House Bill 4 would prohibit religion.

>> Race sex, color or national origin to be considered in the hiring admissions scholarships at public universities.

It would also hope the use of school resources to create or maintain a dei office, prevent institutions from requiring students to complete courses on discriminatory concepts and Ban Dei training for students, faculty or staff Senator Stephen West clarified that House Bill 4 does not take the place of or infringe on the Americans with Disabilities Act title 9 or the Civil Rights Act of 1964, senator West brought up his high school aged son who will soon be applying to university saying that he deserves the same chances as any other student.

>> I want to know that he won't enter on a level playing field.

He is not responsible for the sins of my past.

The sense of this country's past, the sense of this state's past or anyone else has passed.

He's responsible for himself and should not be a be made to feel less than.

>> Senator Gerald Neal disputed the idea that without dei the world is a level playing field.

>> Even today you hear the language says there's nothing systemic.

There's nothing structural.

And then we say, well, you know.

Forget the pass goes to pass the past.

But guess what, the past is what we are now.

We didn't come out will puff of air.

We would develop.

And we've all and we have strengths and weaknesses that grew out of those frameworks and behaviors.

Some of which still persist today.

And yet it.

As we.

Profess to lift everyone.

We want to acknowledge that.

We say just do your thing.

You catch up, call us.

The field.

Is level.

>> Senator Karen Berg said that people of color will not be the only ones impacted by the spill.

She says pregnant women in the state will also be negatively impacted.

>> The chance of a woman finishing her education in this state.

One, she gets pregnant.

>> Drops precipitously.

I don't know the exact numbers.

Something like 8%.

It's because we have a system that has this stark Lee big controlled guys by White met.

They didn't make.

>> Room for the women they haven't made for the people they don't want in their world.

Republican Senator Donald Douglas spoke up in support of the bill saying Dei isn't a hand up.

>> But a handout.

It sets people up for failure.

>> But it sets them up for failure without blame because it is in your fall.

It's someone else's fall.

It creates a false environment.

Creates a false sense of accomplishment.

You know, there's an old saying that the best way from all the dirty water to clear.

This is a top story at all.

>> Dirt.

Dirt does not go away.

But, you know, those who had no involvement.

They'll become soiled.

Diversity, equity inclusion.

It's a great idea.

When it's voluntary.

It's a terrible idea.

>> When it's forced House Bill 4 becomes law.

Kentucky's public universities and colleges would have to be in compliance with the measure by June 30th of this year.

Many of them have already taken steps to do so if a school does not comply, they risk temporarily losing funding for Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie spank.

>> Thank you.

McKenzie is Senator Stephen West also made clear on the Senate floor that while students cannot be required to complete courses on discriminatory concepts instruction and discussion in classrooms is not restricted by House Bill.

4.

Today a reporter asked Governor Andy Beshear about that bill and whether he would veto it.

Here's his response.

>> I believe diversity is a strength and never a liability.

I will review the bill, but anything that is telling any of our Kentuckyian that they are lesser than someone else we shouldn't be doing.

We should be welcoming people of all different backgrounds into our commonwealth.

Encouraging making more room at the table for more voices that doesn't kick someone else out being at the table.

It just adds another chair that I think makes us a better common.

Well, I'm also going to look very closely because I don't want to undo gains.

We've made and post-secondary enrollment.

We've had some of the biggest jumps in the country and the way that we've done that is the universities of set.

As we look out at our Kentucky populations, where do we see that?

Not enough?

People are going to college and then in areas and in places where they see not enough, people are going to college.

They do extra work.

Well, that can just be smart business.

We're smart recruiting.

And we certainly don't want to impact the flexibility of our universities to do what they need to do to have strong campuses that again, have those diverse voices and individuals that I think make us all better.

>> During his weekly presser, Governor Beshear also criticized the proposal to overturn the state ban on conversion therapy.

House Bill 495, the governor says every major medical group has condemned the process of, quote, converting people from the LGBTQ+ community to heterosexual.

And the governor criticized Republican lawmakers from making big changes to bills at the last minute and not giving the public the chance to react to or even comment on the changes.

Now, what began as a bill to deal with freestanding.

Birthing centers also became a vehicle to clarify medical emergencies.

Exempt from Kentucky's near total ban on abortion.

Supporters of the revised House Bill 9 D say it eases doctors concerns about their judgments and treating women with crisis pregnancies.

The bill defines those medical exceptions which include instances of life-saving miscarriage, management removal of an ectopic pregnancy or net are abnormally implanted.

Embryo, a medical procedure necessary to prevent death or substantial risk of death of the pregnant woman due to a physical condition or to prevent serious permanent impairment of a life-sustaining, Oregon and medical treatment of the mother by a doctor which results an accidental or unintentional injury or death of the unborn child.

House majority weapon.

Louisville Republican Jason may miss carried the bill on the floor today.

>> We're listening to the people, the people, the argument largely was there are a bunch against that.

But largely it was what they're not allowing you to address that topic pregnancies.

They're not allowing you to dress miscarriages.

That wasn't true.

But we want to clarify within the law, but it wasn't true.

And that's one of the things that this amendment does.

So back to the question of the problem or dressing is trying to save women's lives and this was brought to us by Dr Goldberg who speaks on behalf of Kentucky, a car.

>> Planned Parenthood advocates alliance blasted the measure and they say in part, quote, Make no mistake, Kentucky's existing ban will remain firmly in place.

And these called exceptions do nothing to mitigate the chilling effect that drives providers out of the state or forces them into fear of prosecution for delivering what should be basic health care and quote, now several House Democrats feel the same.

>> If I thought this bill was going to protect physicians, if I thought this bill was going to protect pregnant women, I would so happily vote for it.

Despite some of my other misgivings.

But I'm just concerned that we're codifying that yes, will give you metal.

Could medical care once you're actively dying?

And at that point, it may be too late.

What this is really about is Republicans are not wanting to ever use the word abortion.

So you're going to dance around this and call it anything and everything you can except for what it is.

>> And that creates confusion with an our medical industry.

And that does not set women up for success in for safety.

If they find themselves in this got ridging situation.

>> The body is the reason these women are in danger.

You know, we don't give credit the firemen.

They put out a fire that they start.

This terrible part of this bill.

We're expecting women to get sick or be on the brink of death before they are allowed to make choices on them.

>> I am and I am more devastated about this.

Then.

Almost anything that we've gotten.

We've done a lot of bad things here.

We could do better.

Kentucky mothers deserve better.

Kentucky families deserve better.

And our doctors who are trying to help people deserve better.

>> The amended House Bill 90 was sent to the governor's desk on a House floor vote of 74 to 17 a bill that would make it a felony to repeatedly disrupted legislative proceedings is also headed to the governor's desk House bill.

399 makes interfering with a legislative proceeding, a crime.

The first offense would be a misdemeanor and a 3rd offense would be a Class D felony which carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years behind bars.

Today the bill passed the full Senate along a party line.

Vote.

It passed the House last week.

Opponents say the bill infringes on First Amendment rights.

Supporters say it's needed to ensure lawmakers are able to get their work done.

>> I think we can handle.

What happens.

And even with the culture of disruption, perhaps that we might be a little worse now than it has been.

We have adequate laws in place to deal with incidents.

>> I vote no.

This bill has absolutely nothing to do with protest.

You can still protest all you want in this building or outside or on any government grouse what this does have to do.

Is with impeding the people's process which occurs in this building.

>> Pants a white knight.

>> The bill does stem from the 2020 protests during the House's deliberation on a bill banning gender affirming care for minors.

And that case, several people were arrested.

This bill does not prohibit prohibit assembly in the House or Senate chambers.

The Capitol Rotunda or on Capitol grounds.

Diminishing distractions in the classroom to get kids minds on school work and not coming away at their devices.

Is the goal of a school cell phone ban that lawmakers are debating while students might groan.

At first state lawmakers expect big results and learning our June Leffler has more.

Lawmakers explored a statewide cell phone ban during last year's in term session.

>> Positive testimony from school administrators and outside of Kentucky convince them to pursue this policy.

It's Common Santa.

It's hard enough to teach kids to day, particularly when they're distracted by a cell phone or technology, even if they're not on it.

I mean, as we speak here, you know, it's difficult because I'm aware that my phone is vibrating as we speak and so even though I'm not currently interacting with it, it is occupying space with in my mind House Bill 208, and struck school districts to adopt a policy that ban cell phone use during instruction time unless the teacher allows it.

>> It also mandates that schools use an Internet firewall to block social media on school devices just as schools are required to do with sexually explicit material.

There's this.

>> Next and I'll give the school district the ability to.

Confiscate the lack of better term.

The the instrument for a period of time that they're not supposed to be using it with notwithstanding the exceptions.

So what I can say is we have purposely drafted this in such a way that the district shall have a policy, but we don't tell them what the policy has to be well, it's a very important policy matter overall, but a lot of these.

Very nuanced issues need to be handled at the most local level because what may work at one particular elementary school, for instance, may not work in the Haas school.

>> Districts and individual schools can already banned cell phones setting.

The statewide rule is a good cop, bad cop approach.

Some lawmakers suggested teachers don't have to set their own rules at the state says it's the law.

A Republican senator wishes that force was apparent in House Bill 208, were giving the teachers again.

The authority 2 allow phones in their classroom at their discretion, which I feel like.

That's the problem that we have right now.

>> And we had a lot of teachers who want to have a firm answer on this in.

I wish we would have compromised on that.

Their attention or yes, I've been here long enough to understand that sometimes us about what you can get.

>> Now what you want.

>> Lawmakers from both parties say this will transform classrooms.

>> As I look at the bills that I voted on this year, I would say he's probably most him packed full and positive bill that will come out of the legislature.

>> To look at the testimony in the interim committee.

It was it was life changing for me and clarified exactly why we need this piece.

Legislation.

And once again, I thank Representative Rayner Representative Tipton for work and working h*** o* this.

>> House bill 208, did pass out of the Senate Education Committee unanimously for Kentucky edition.

I'm to LaFleur.

>> Thank you, June.

And at the time we prepared tonight's broadcast House bill to avoid was still waiting for a vote on the Senate floor.

♪ ♪ >> 5 years ago, young Louisville woman was killed in the middle of the night by police officers who forced entry into her home without warning.

>> Her name was Breonna Taylor.

While we will never forget how Breonna Taylor died, we get to choose to remember how she lived.

And Brianna was a sister, a daughter, a girlfriend.

Brianna, was a caregiver working u of l's emergency room to save lives.

Brianna was a 26 year-old with her whole life in front of her.

She had dreams, including of becoming a mom.

Someday the breonna loved her family, her community and more than anything she loved life.

In the face of injustice.

We cannot be silent.

We must speak up.

We must say her name.

Breonna Taylor.

>> That was Kentucky Congressman Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat from Louisville commenting on today's 5 year anniversary of the shooting death of Breonna Taylor police raided her apartment on March 13th 2020 in a botched drug raid today in Louisville, demonstrators reflected on the night Breonna Taylor died.

>> We got that.

In fact, it die on March 13.

He expected a quiet night at home.

>> As a result of a bogus war.

She lost her life.

>> I remember talking to to make a Palmer.

And she told me when she got to the scene, she kept asking about her daughter.

And she was met with more questions.

♪ >> This was one of many demonstrations taking place and many American cities all at the same time.

Turning now to national politics.

President Donald Trump is upping the ante and a new trade fight with Europe Kentucky product is in the middle of all of it yesterday the European Union announced it would retaliate against President Trump's tariff plans by putting its own tariffs on some U.S. goods, including bourbon, beef, other farm products, motorcycles and appliances are also on the list.

The EU says the tariffs will affect about 28 billion dollars worth of goods.

And the EU's says it's targeting products made in Republican leaning states.

In response to this, the president posted this, quote, if the European tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place.

A 200% tariff on all wines, champagnes and alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU representative countries.

This will be great for the wine and champagne businesses in the U.S. unquote.

Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky's 4th congressional district.

He wants America to get rid of the Federal Reserve Board, the Republican from Kentucky's 4th congressional district has introduced the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act along with Senator Mike Lee of Utah.

If passed, the bill would abolish the Fed's board of Governors and Federal Reserve Banks.

Massey says the board is the cause of high inflation.

He says during COVID the board created trillions of dollars of out of thin air and loaned it to the treasury Bark department.

He says that devalue the dollar and caused inflation.

♪ A professional actor with numerous television and film credits to his name.

>> Performs on stage here in Kentucky.

This weekend.

Ian Rodger Mitchell based in Atlanta, Georgia appears in a community theater production of a raisin in the sun.

Our Laura Rogers has more with Mitchell from Bowling Green.

>> There's magic that happens and you cannot find anywhere else.

He Roger Michell referring to the experience of live theater as he appears in this weekend's Fountain Square players production of a raisin in the sun rays of the sun is.

>> Like other than being a great piece of American literature.

To me personally, it means a lot.

>> That stems from high school in Summerville, South Carolina to get bit by the bug when he performed at dramatic representation of the story and speech and debate class.

>> Sell-offs by that.

And that's why was like really it's like to be a part of the if I can be like, come on up to 4 hours of the road.

I was like, yeah, and I was like, let's do it.

That's my boy.

In 1961 film stars acting legends who Mitchell calls and history icon Sidney Poitier got Blais in the movie, be it living in Buckingham Palace.

Some of our great return, Lou Gossett.

I hope result.

I mean, shows us thinking about that.

Mitchell has had an impressive career of his own during alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Tom Cruise in American made.

>> Really, really great guy.

And everyone for super duper.

Awesome.

Awesome.

One of the hardest working man I've ever met.

>> And Kentucky native Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games catching fire.

Catching fire is just it's just the best book.

And as the best movie too, the role is likely best known for these days.

That of Hayward on the Netflix show Outer Banks.

This is the first job out of the hat and the state of South Carolina job.

>> And it took 30 years to get there.

Employees really cool is kind of like a homecoming.

>> Mitchell says he's enjoyed the more relaxed setting of the television series second oysters and on like, dude, I'm I'm I'm a fisherman who lives just like.

Thank you guys that you just kind of Taylor this opportunity for me is also excited about the opportunity to do a production.

He hopes and believes will enlighten audiences continue to KET his literature alive.

>> Because these stories need to be told and let's all laugh, maybe crowd a little bit together to and come out and be a little bit better individuals when it's done.

>> We're Kentucky Edition, Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura Iraq or Mitchell plays the role of Bobo and the show a raisin in the Sun opens tonight and runs through Sunday at the Capitol in Bowling Green.

♪ >> We the right age to be an artist is any age?

Just ask some Fayette County students who showed off their art work at the winter showcase here in Lexington.

We take a look in tonight's Arts and Culture segment.

We call Tapestry.

So this showcase.

>> Born from the request of all of the art teachers K to 12 to have a beautiful space to exhibit their work.

That was not necessarily about winning prizes but just showcasing what their students were capable of doing all together.

I believe that their voices need to be heard.

And this is a great space.

Allows them to exhibit virtually anything that they create to express themselves.

I really love our because it's such a find a way to express like what you're feeling like a certain experiences.

It's really exciting own eye.

>> Only been doing this painting thing for like just this year and it's really nice being able to like how my painting displayed up somewhere like other people can see and like the kind of like boost your confidence in a way being young doesn't diminish like what we're able to do.

And it's really fun to see.

>> Like how far everyone has grown and just seeing up in a place that everyone else can see as well.

I believe that's important for everyone, especially children to feel valued as an artist and to have the public see their magnificent work, makes them more willing to take risks as an artist.

So when we start to get more confident, then we start to be willing to take more risks and try new things.

And that's where the real growth occurs.

We did an art project on who we're doing.

Recreation Ys of are expecting this artists and I chose Georgia O'Keeffe and this is Herman Davis painting.

And it's actually funny because I chose to do her because when I was in 5th grade, we did like a wax museum project and >> it has to do her.

And I just have to turn everything because I've always loved art.

And so this is super special.

That is this.

I've always loved her.

Our work has my mom.

She used to have this like little book like this, like a postcard book of her paintings.

And I used to love looking at that when I was younger.

And so that's kind of like how my like infatuation with her started.

>> For our water cooler piece, we were supposed to center around like an object or a scene.

Our scene that meant something to us.

And that's where I got that.

Like idea of home from.

It's really just about the feeling of home.

I love Christmas and I just love being home with my family.

So it just means a lot to me to get to paint something that just feels so warm and so welcoming to me.

I thought Edward Hopper was interesting.

I replicate it is Hobbs cabin?

>> A piece.

The thing I find most interesting bizarre is that it's very mundane and like there's a lot of empty space.

But the at the same time, there's a lot like bright colors and like soft booms and like.

I just want to like, it's really peaceful.

And so I think it's important for young people's arts to be displayed to the public it really like boost the confidence in that younger kids who get to come in here because my brother, he's in elementary and he loves visiting like the art centers and stuff.

And he's like one day.

My is going to be on those walls and he just loves getting to see like all these new maintains and stuff.

The other kids in his cars that are doing this offers a moment for the parents and the families to come in and really celebrate their educational journey and have a positive moment and get to kind of >> discuss and experience what's happening at school.

So it really kind of ties in this special moment and a great bonding moment.

>> Indeed, the show concluded March 8th basketball fans, you have hit the jackpot.

Kentuckyian Louisville played today.

The NCAA tournaments are around the corner and we have the high school sweet 16.

We'll talk about all things basketball with sportscaster D*** Gabriel tomorrow on Kentucky edition and a special birthday shout out to our director for director Christopher Brakefield.

Happy birthday, Chris, thank you so much for doing what you do each week night on Kentucky edition, which you know is at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, Central Re inform connect and inspire.

We hope to see you right back here again tomorrow night for more news from the capital and we'll go inside Kentucky sports.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thanks for watching.

>> And have a good night.

♪ ♪ ♪