FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 4, 2025)—The following is a statement from Senate Majority Floor Leader Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, following Governor Andy Beshear’s line-item veto of a school safety provision in House Bill (HB) 622 on Thursday.
“Governor Beshear’s line-item veto sends an unmistakable and deeply disturbing message to families across the commonwealth: If your child attends a private school, their safety matters less. As the primary sponsor of the 2019 School Safety and Resiliency Act, I’ve spent years working so that every Kentucky student, teacher, and staff member—regardless of ZIP code, income level, or school type—is protected from the threats facing our world today. The Governor’s decision doesn’t just fly in the face of a bipartisan mission—it politicizes it.
“It is especially appalling given that Governor Beshear once personally chose private education over public before conveniently shifting course when it became politically advantageous. That hypocrisy is now laid bare. In his commitment to appeasing special interests and institutions, he has vetoed funding that would go not to private schools, but to law enforcement—to put trained school resource officers in buildings where Kentucky children learn, grow, and deserve to feel safe.
“With the stroke of a pen, the Governor has chosen to punish Kentucky families for making a decision that was right for them. Mind you, these are parents who pay local taxes for services like public school operations, fire protection, and law enforcement. At a time when we should be standing together to protect every student, regardless of where they sit in the classroom, the Governor has once again chosen politics over people.
“The Kentucky General Assembly will not be silent in the face of this reckless decision. And I’ll say it clearly: the safety of all Kentucky kids is not negotiable.”
BACKGROUND
HB 622 included a comprehensive investment in school safety, which directed tens of millions of dollars toward the hiring and reimbursing of school resource officers (SROs) for public and private schools across Kentucky.
Private (Nonpublic) Schools (VETOED): The bill would have allowed the Kentucky Department of Education to assist private schools in paying for school resource officers (SROs) by providing up to $20,000 directly to local law enforcement agencies or the Kentucky State Police for each full-time certified officer. The private school would have needed an agreement with law enforcement to provide SRO services to qualify. Up to $5 million per year could have been used from state surplus or reserve funds to support this effort, and private schools would have been charged the same rate for officer services as public schools, based on 2025 rates.
Public Schools (Section 16a): HB 622 provides $34.5 million over two years to help public school districts cover the cost of hiring full-time school resource officers (SROs). Districts can receive up to $20,000 per officer, with priority given to ensuring one SRO per campus before any additional support is offered.
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Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, represents the 16th Senate District, including Adair, Allen, Metcalfe, Monroe, and Taylor Counties and eastern Warren County. Wise serves as Senate majority floor leader. He is a member of the Senate Committees on Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor; Education; and Families and Children. As part of Senate leadership, Wise also serves on the Legislative Research Commission, the Rules Committee, and the Committee on Committees. He co-chaired the Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force during the 2024 Interim.
Please visit Legislature.ky.gov for more information on Senate Majority Caucus members and the 2025 Legislative Session, including committees, membership, legislation, and more. Access archived footage of legislative meetings and floor proceedings at ket.org/legislature/archives.
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(Dustin R. Isaacs – Office of Senate Majority Floor Leader Max Wise)