Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vetoes House Bill 1, blocking tax credits for private schools

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed House Bill 1 of the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly in its entirety. Beshear signed the veto on Friday, citing the Kentucky Constitution's requirement that public dollars only be used for public education.

In his veto message that was posted on social media, Beshear said the decision of how to spend public education dollars belongs to voters — not the Secretary of State, the office the bill designated to implement the credit.

"Our Kentucky Constitution has a specific provision that requires 'voter approval' for such dollars to be used elsewhere," Beshear said. "In 2024, our General Assembly followed the required process, asking the people of Kentucky if they wanted to spend public dollars on private or charter schools. The answer was a resounding no. The effort was defeated by 30 points. That was the same margin of victory as Donald Trump in Kentucky. It was rejected in all 120 counties, both rural and urban, by significant margins."

Beshear said the message from voters was clear.

"Don't divert public dollars. Fund our public schools," Beshear said.

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The governor argued the Republican supermajority in the Kentucky General Assembly has repeatedly failed to sufficiently fund public schools and has passed bills the Kentucky Supreme Court has struck down as unconstitutional — including, he said, in a unanimous decision on the day House Bill 1 was filed.

Beshear also pushed back on anticipated criticism of his decision.

"I recognize my veto today will be politicized. Some will attack 'teachers' unions,' as if they are malevolent actors when, in reality, they are our neighbors and friends who have taken on critical jobs despite the low pay. They should be appreciated instead of attacked," Beshear said.

Beshear also addressed suggestions that the veto was a partisan move.

"Others will say I refuse to buck my political party, as if some edict has been sent to all Democrats on this or any issue. For those who don't know my record, as Attorney General I sued both Democratic and Republican presidents when they were wrong, and as Governor I have voiced my criticism and given credit to presidents of both parties," Beshear said.

Beshear said his veto reflects a broader conviction about the path forward for Kentucky students.

"I am, quite simply, standing up for my conviction that if we want to ensure every child gets a world-class education, the answer is not diverting students and dollars from public education, but providing sufficient resources to fix public education. If you believe a charter school can do better because it has more flexibility, then provide our public schools with more flexibility. Don't hamstring them with requirements you don't put on other schools and then blame them in direct comparisons," Beshear said.

The governor closed his veto message with a personal note.

"As a product of Kentucky's public schools, I will not lose faith in our system," Beshear said.