Kentucky Republicans overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto to enact House Bill 490, allowing public university and college boards to terminate tenured faculty for “bona fide financial reasons” such as financial exigency, low enrollment, or mismatched revenue and costs. The law limits faculty response time by requiring 30 days’ notice and gives affected professors a month to defend their positions to board members. Beshear warned in his veto message that the standard is “ambiguous and vague” and could be used to target tenured professors, programs, or research for political reasons. Critics including the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers argued the bill could be invoked to silence faculty and eliminate departments. Supporters, including sponsor Rep. Aaron Thompson, said it provides boards an additional tool to steward institutions, students, and taxpayers.