By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
The House of Representatives approved Republican and Democratic resolutions condemning GOP Gov. Matt Bevin for claiming that school kids were sexually assaulted while their teachers were protesting in Frankfort, but the GOP measure took a swipe at teachers, declaring "...this body may not agree with all that the teachers asserted."
"I could not be more disgusted by the super-majority in the House," said Charlotte Goddard. The GOP enjoys a 63-37 edge in the General Assembly's lower chamber.
Most co-sponsors of the Republican resolution--including Rep. Richard Heath, R-Mayfield, Goddard's opponent in November -- voted for the GOP pension bill that helped trigger the mammoth protests at the Capitol.
"These are the people who have crafted bills that hurt preschool through university education in Kentucky," said Goddard, who is endorsed by the Kentucky State AFL-CIO.
The pension bill passed the House 49 to 46 and the Senate 22-15. No Democrats voted for the legislation.
Republican lawmakers "are making it known that they do not support the efforts that teachers have gone through to protect public school funding and pensions promised through the inviolable -- unbreakable -- contract," Goddard said.
She said the jab at teachers in the GOP resolution shows that the Republicans "are not saying they support teachers. In fact, from their very own statements and actions throughout the session, they do not.
"They are not pro-education. They support privatization. Richard Heath sponsored the charter school bill that will take funding directly from public education, further causing our schools to suffer."
More information about Goddard is available on her website: www.votecharlottegoddard.com