All about Kay Ivey as Alabama Governor signs bill to restrict DEI programs in schools, universities, and state agencies

On March 20, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed the controversial Senate Bill 129 (SB129) into law. This bill prohibits the use of state funds for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education institutions and other state agencies. The bill also mandates public universities to assign restrooms based on a person's biological sex and not according to the gender a person identifies with.

The law is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2024. Kay Ivey, serving as the 54th Governor of Alabama, was elected for a full term as Governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. She also served as the state's Lieutenant Governor in 2010, becoming the first-ever Republican woman in the state's history to be endowed with the position.

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Kay Ivey signs Senate Bill 129 into law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 129 into law on Wednesday. The bill grants certain public entities the authority to discipline or even terminate employees or contractors who violate this act.

Furthermore, SB 129 also restricts certain public entities from endorsing, promoting, or requiring affirmation of "certain divisive concepts" related to race, sex, or religion. The bill further states that race or color cannot be used as the only requisite condition for training, orientation, or employment.

However, it is important to note that students and staff are still allowed to host DEI programs, provided that no state funds are used to do so.

In a statement to all media outlets, Governor Kay Ivey stated:

"My administration has and will continue to value Alabama's rich diversity, however, I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses – or wherever else for that matter – to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe."

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Kay Ivey has had an overwhelmingly successful political career

Kay Ivey, the 54th Governor of Alabama, was born in 1944 in Camden, Alabama. She graduated from Auburn University in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following her graduation, Ivey worked for a while as a high school teacher and a bank officer.

From 1980 to 1982, Ivey worked as a reading clerk for the Alabama House of Representatives. Following this role, she became the Assistant Director of the Alabama Development Office and held that post until 1985. Later, she served as the director of government affairs for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

According to the official Alabama website, Ivey became the State Treasurer in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006, making her the first Republican to hold that position since Reconstruction. In 2010, Ivey became the first Republican woman to be elected as the Lieutenant Governor of the state and was re-elected in 2014.

When a vacancy arose in the Alabama Governor's office in 2017, Ivey took over as the 54th Governor of the state of Alabama. Subsequently, she was elected into the position for a full term in 2018, a feat she repeated in November 2022 after a landslide victory. Ivey's profile on the official Governor of Alabama website states:

"She is committed to offering economic development opportunities to rural Alabama and the metro regions alike. With the same level of passion, she is leading Alabama toward a more prosperous future through infrastructure investments and an improved education system."

The Governor of Alabama website claims that Kay Ivey's term at the helm brought about the lowest unemployment in state history, along with the record for most people employed in state history with over 2 million. The website claims that Ivey oversaw the creation of over 78,000 good-paying jobs and attracted over $42 billion in new capital investments.

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Kay Ivey has kept her personal life away from the spotlight. She has been married and divorced twice and does not have any children.