GIVENS: VETO OVERRIDE OF HOUSE BILL 1 OPENS NEW EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR KENTUCKY STUDENTS
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 17, 2026) – The following is a statement from Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens, R-Greensburg, regarding the General Assembly’s override of the governor’s veto of House Bill 1.
“Now that House Bill 1 will become law, Kentucky students will have access to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support to help meet their individual educational needs. That is a significant opportunity, and one we should all be working together to maximize.
“I believe I speak for the majority of the General Assembly, as well as families and educators across the commonwealth, in calling on the Governor to join us in supporting this effort. If we are serious about putting students first, then we should be just as serious about ensuring every available dollar is brought back home to Kentucky.
“This law is designed with students at the center. No public dollars are directed to any particular school. Instead, contributions go to scholarship granting organizations, which then provide scholarships directly to eligible students and families, including those served by our public schools. The focus is not institutions, but rather opportunity
“So I would again encourage the Governor, and anyone who cares about Kentucky’s future, to take part. Write a $1,700 check to a scholarship granting organization of your choice utilizing the $1,700 federal tax credit and help demonstrate that we value investing as many federal dollars inKentucky students as we can.
“This is about expanding opportunity, empowering families and making sure Kentucky is positioned to benefit from every resource available to us. Now is the time to come together and make that happen as successfully as possible.
“If you were an opponent before, there is time to be a proponent now.”