Kentucky lawmakers advanced new restrictions on faculty employment protections that would make it easier for public college boards to terminate faculty under broadly defined financial conditions. The Kentucky Senate passed HB 490, clearing it 30-7, despite objections from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The bill would allow terminations tied to financial exigency and to low-enrollment programs and majors, including language aimed at “misalignment of revenue and costs.” AAUP and AFT argued the bill’s undefined standards—such as “low enrollment”—could be used to reorganize departments or suppress faculty speech inconsistent with board preferences. The measure returns to the House for expected minor changes.