GOP guilty of 'political shell game' to frustrate protesters
UPDATE FROM WKYT: Lawmakers not in session Wednesday to hold meeting that didn't happen.
By HILLARY THORNTON
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky lawmakers were scheduled to have a 9 a.m. meeting Wednesday to continue budget discussions with days left in the legislative session, but the meeting didn't happen.
The legislature was originally scheduled to be in session Wednesday, Instead, leaders agreed to move day 57 of the 60-day session to tomorrow to allow more time for work on the 2-year spending budget for the state.
The free conference committee made up of both Republican and Democratic House and Senate leadership was scheduled for the morning, but some continued to work behind the scenes to try to figure out how to spend the $70 billion.
House Democrats expressed some impatience on social media as they waited for the bipartisan meeting to begin.
By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
Did the Republicans pull a fast one just to thwart protesters?
On Tuesday, state Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, unexpectedly announced an end-of-session schedule shift, purportedly to give lawmakers more time to hammer out a budget.
Liles Taylor, the Kentucky State AFL-CIO political coordinator, isn’t buying it. “Changing the calendar was a political shell game the Republicans used to stifle the voice of their opponents," he said. "They hoped to have a smaller and more subdued crowd on these previously unscheduled days.”
Thousands of protesters have been thronging the Capitol to denounce GOP legislation, notably bills to slash the budget, public pensions and workers' compensation.
The Republicans enjoy a 27-11 Senate majority. The House GOP edge is 63-37.
Stivers said Wednesday’s legislative day would be postponed to today. With both chambers empty on Wednesday, the Budget Conference Committee could meet to iron out differences between the House and Senate budget bills, he proposed. Stivers hoped a bill would be ready for a vote no later than Monday.
Teachers and other protesters were expected on Wednesday.
“These calendar changes conveniently created an additional barrier for constituents and stakeholders to show up in Frankfort to make their voice heard,” Taylor said.
“If they’re not going to vote on a budget until Monday, they could still have used Wednesday as a scheduled legislative day, rather than moving it to today. There are hundreds of affected teachers, issues advocates, and concerned constituents who made plans to be in Frankfort on Wednesday.
“Teachers lined up substitutes, and spent hours writing lesson plans so that our children didn’t miss out on instruction while they were gone.”