LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — In the one and only lieutenant governor debate, the running mates sparred over education issues.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman (D) and State Sen. Robby Mills (R) argued over public school funding, school vouchers and the 2018 sewer bill on Kentucky Educational Television on Monday night.
Coleman was a public school teacher before she became Gov. Andy Beshear's running mate. Mills, a state lawmaker, publicly supported the content in the sewer bill, although he was not the primary sponsor of the measure.
"I was in a classroom when my opponent tried to cut my pension through the sewer bill in the dark of night," said Coleman.
"When we came into office in 2016, the pensions were a mess. The worst in the nation," responded Mills. "They were a mess because of Democrat control."
Discussions over public school funding also led the candidates to argue over school vouchers.
Mills emphasized that although he and Daniel Cameron are primarily focused on public education, he supports choices for students and their families.
"I believe that it's important to offer our kids the best choice that they can have for their education," said Mills. "Whether it's vouchers or open borders, which we have, I think it's important. Kids get trapped in schools that they can't learn in, and they need to have the opportunity to move around and find the education that's best for them."
Coleman argued that plan would harm Kentucky's public school system.
"I don't support charter schools. I don't support school voucher schemes. Because again, you're taking public tax dollars and you're sending them to unaccountable private schools," said Coleman. "That is not just a bad decision for our schools - that would decimate, by the way, rural communities - it is a bad deal for our taxpayers to not know how their taxes are being spent."
