FRANKFORT, Ky. — He's moving up the ranks in Kentucky politics.
A once-candidate for lieutenant governor is taking on a more powerful role in Frankfort. Republican State Sen. Max Wise of Campbellsville is the new Majority Floor Leader, one of the most influential positions in crafting policy statewide.
And it appears in 2025, what will be Wise's first legislative session in leadership, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will be a focus once again.
"There will be some anti-DEI legislation," Wise told WHAS11 in a sit-down interview. "It will be filed because I don't think the issue is going away."
In a rare setback for Kentucky Republicans, two bills to effectively ban DEI programs on college campuses failed to pass during the 2024 legislative session.
Now, even after colleges like the University of Kentucky have rolled back their DEI initiatives, the state GOP remains determined to get a bill past the finish line next year.
WHAS11 asked Wise whether K-12 school districts like JCPS are next?
"I do think that some of the things that came out of Jefferson County [Public] Schools – there was a comment made by one of their administrators that dealt with a race issue -- I think when people and constituents hear a lot of that, they go to their legislator and they say, 'What are you all doing about this?'" Wise said. "So, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an anti-DEI bill that is a K-12, but once again, I don't know yet what that is going to look like."
The former running mate to 2023 GOP candidate for Kentucky governor Kelly Craft, Wise has tackled hot-button issues head on for years.
"What comes with that, a lot of times it can be controversial – some people may call it common sense," he said. "But I'm not afraid to really get into that fight."
Wise, who strongly identifies with his Christian values, was the author of the bill that banned gender transition treatment for minors in Kentucky.
WHAS11 asked Wise if as floor leader he'll prioritize Louisville, and how?
"I'm going to prioritize Louisville just like we should prioritize all of the cities and counties in Kentucky of what we can do to lift them up," he answered.
Wise's home city is Campbellsville – an hour and a half south of Louisville. He told WHAS11 that investing further in the Derby City is on his radar.
"I will say Jefferson County and the city of Louisville since 2020 has faced a lot of hardships. Once it was a thriving downtown area – we want to get it back to that," Wise said.
Wise even gave credit to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
"I think the leadership of Mayor Greenberg shows that on the economic fiscal side, he is really wanting Louisville to be the engine that it needs to be," he said.
Republican State Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown has said the Kentucky GOP appears to be shifting to the right a bit on social issues.
Wise agrees, telling WHAS11, "I will say this, I think that the election of President Trump was a statement. When President Trump can win a popular vote across the U.S., I do think there is a trend that is moving in that direction."
Wise continued, "I do think that the people running for office right now, I think that a lot of them run off of the 'Make America Great Again.' I do think it's been very successful."
Wise is also known for his school safety policy, including his role in requiring School Resource Officers (SROs) on every public K-12 campus. In 2024, he created a program that allows former military and federal agents to work alongside SROs in schools to protect students.
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