FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — "We don't tolerate bullying in our classroom and we're sure not going to tolerate it from our governor," said Jessica Hiller, the president of the Fayette County Education Association.
Jacqueline Coleman, the democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, stood next to teachers, labor union workers, and others as they spoke out against Governor Matt Bevin.
The next stop on the “Won’t Be Bullied By Bevin” tour is at a library in Lexington.
— Karolina Buczek (@Karolina_Buczek) October 22, 2019
Jacqueline Coleman, the Democratic Lt. Gov candidate, is standing by a sign with Bevin’s photo on it. The quote on there is “I regret nothing that I have ever said about an educator.” pic.twitter.com/HdbkLMlHIA
"For this entire administration, we have been shut out of the Capitol," said Coleman. "We've been called names by the Governor. We've been disrespected personally, and we've been disrespected professionally - every year having budget cuts and being asked to do more with less. And we've reached out breaking point and you saw that when 12,000 teachers showed up at the Capitol last year to protest."
Coleman, who is a teacher, says education is one of the fundamental differences between the democratic ticket and the republican one.
With Polls showing a tight race, each side is trying to make a strong final push. Coleman says she and Andy Beshear will be traveling the state to meet with Kentuckians, including teachers. Governor Bevin and his running mate, Ralph Alvarado, will be getting help from the President, who is making a trip to Lexington the day before election day.
Earlier this month, Alvarado made it clear their side is aligned with President Donald Trump.
"Andy has said he wants to undo President Trump's policies and Andy has the same facts as Nancy Pelosi and the House liberals," said Alvarado at a campaign event.
However, Coleman does not appear worried by the President's visit.
"I don't know that anybody's coat tails are long enough to save Matt Bevin from himself. He has, for the last four years, talked about our families. He's talked about our teachers," said Coleman. "He's insulted our students on snow days. He has taken our rights away from Kentucky's working families and he's fought for the people in his tax bracket. And you're going to see the result of that on November 5th when people go to the polls."
The Republican Party of Kentucky disagrees with the opinion that Governor Bevin is bad for public education in Kentucky. A spokesperson says Kentucky has gone up in rank for teachers under GOP leaders. While pointing to a list from WalletHub, they say Kentucky is now ranked #14 of best states for teachers - up from #42.
