GOP demands Beshear appoint Republicans to Kentucky Board of Education

State GOP leaders are demanding Gov. Andy Beshear add more Republicans to the state board of education after The Courier Journal revealed Beshear has left two seats unaddressed for more than a year — at least one of which must go to a Republican.

And they’re giving him less than a week to find someone, according to a Thursday morning press release.

Kentucky law requires the state education board to reflect the gender, racial and political makeup of the state. To satisfy the law, both seats need to be filled by women, one of them needs to be a minority and one needs to be a Republican.

But the Democratic governor, who ran with reorganizing the Kentucky Board of Education as a campaign promise in 2019, hasn’t appointed anyone to fill the spots since they became empty in spring 2022.

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"Governor Beshear, I ask you to set aside partisanship and abide by the law," state GOP chair Mac Brown wrote in a letter to Beshear on Wednesday. "It is crucial that you fulfill your legal obligation to make appointments that align with the voter registration of our state, instead of playing politics with a board that oversees the education of our children."

Brown wants appointments named by May 31, he wrote, and offered to provide a list of Republicans "if you’re having trouble finding one."

Senate President Robert Stivers echoed Brown's call, saying Beshear's "refusal" to fill the spots is "purely political" and an example of "Beshear’s actions not matching his rhetoric."

In his weekly press conference Thursday afternoon, Beshear denied the delay had any political motivation. He said he's focused on finding "qualified individuals," and he believes he has an interview with a potential option in the next week.

"You got to have the right person at a time when public education is under attack each and every day," Beshear said. "We got to make sure that we have people on that board that are willing to do the right thing, even when it's hard, because supporting our educators when they become a political target is absolutely critical."

When previously asked by a Courier Journal reporter about the delay, Beshear spokesperson Crystal Staley said the seats aren’t vacant. A section of the state constitution says the old members should stay on after their expired terms until their successor is named.

State education department staffers were not aware of this until Monday, causing them to invite the two seemingly former board members to rejoin the board after a year away.

One, Alvis Johnson, declined, citing health problems. The other, Claire Batt, accepted.

Beshear said Thursday the constitutional provision reduces the pressure to appoint someone quickly. Historically, it has only taken him a few months at most to fill a vacancy on KBE.

"We want to make sure that we get this right," Beshear continued. "I think people will see us at least fill one of these positions in the short term."

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The delay in appointing their replacements already put Beshear at a disadvantage should he lose his reelection bid. Due to the other board members’ term limits and the appointment and confirmation process, Kentucky’s next governor will be able to pick nine board members next spring rather than seven.

And the disparity in political makeup on the board mixed with the yearlong delay, which Beshear’s office did not explain, adds fuel to a raging fire surrounding state education leaders and Republican discontentment around perceived and alleged “woke” ideologies.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Republican running against Beshear, said the governor "is committed to putting his political agenda in our classrooms.

"As Governor, I will follow the law and appoint a board of education that represents the values of the men, women, and children across all of Kentucky's 120 counties," Cameron said.

Reach Olivia Krauth at okrauth@courierjournal.com and on Twitter at @oliviakrauth.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Republicans demand Beshear appointments to Kentucky Board of Education