Kentucky lawmakers advanced legislation that could trigger a dramatic overhaul of Kentucky State University, the state’s only public historically Black college. Under SB 185, the state could declare financial exigency for up to five years as part of a plan to transform the institution into a polytechnic. During the exigency period, the bill would expand the president’s authority to terminate any university employee—including tenured professors—with 30 days’ notice, while placing additional state controls on budgeting and major purchases. The legislation would also require KSU to review all academic programs to align with polytechnic status, with submissions to the state’s Council on Postsecondary Education by June. The proposal is coupled with potential infrastructure funding—$50 million for a new health sciences building and up to $50 million for campus upgrades—though the bill text reportedly does not include the amounts directly. KSU’s president, Koffi Akakpo, endorsed the bill as positioning the university for “long-term strength, sustainability, and growth,” setting up a high-impact governance and academic mission fight for a major public HBCU.