With the chants of hundreds of teachers ringing in their ears, Kentucky lawmakers voted Friday to override the Republican governor's veto of a two-year state budget that increases public education spending with the help of a more than $480 million tax increase.
Bevin's administration questioned the lawmakers' revenue projections, saying the new taxes wouldn't cover the spending and would lead to at least a $50 million shortfall over the next two years.
"I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today, a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them", Bevin, in the video below, tells reporters.
Several schools in northern Kentucky are closed Friday as teachers rally in Frankfort.
Former House Speaker Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, who spoke on the floor of the House saying that Bevin had promised to call a special session past year, but never did. It's unclear if the House will act on the resolution.
The Senate voted 20-18 Friday to override the GOP governor's veto of House Bill 366. The Kentucky Education Association recently joined a lawsuit filed by Kentucky's Democratic attorney general, Andy Beshear, challenging the pension reform bill.
The country budget that is working consists of listing new spending for instruction, fueled and also a 6 per cent sales tax on certain solutions, for example auto and home fixes.
"The only reason we did not have a special session past year is because Jeff Hoover, a married man, was sexually involved with a very young, single member of his staff and was paying hush money to hide his actions", Bevin responded on Twitter. The state has enough money to operate until June 30.
Stephen Dupree, an elementary school teacher in Fayette County, described teachers' reactions to a budget they see as inadequate but one which they fear is better than any alternative Bevin might support. Both vetoes were overridden on Friday.
Lawmakers rushed through the budget and revenue bills in a matter of hours on April 2.
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Current benefits for teachers will go untouched, but there will be a new pension plan for incoming ones. The vote was 66 to 28 in the House with only four Democrats joining 62 Republicans and 26-12 in the Senate. That the vetoes were desired by them to endure, which would've pressured the Senate to call a special session of the State Legislature to pass a new funding.
"I anticipate we'll have employees taking some personal days to go up and advocate for public education", he said. She said the protest had moved on beyond pensions to the stagnant funding for public education.
Another piece of legislation also raised education funding, providing more than $70 million over the next fiscal year for textbooks, state aid and flex health care benefits.
But some teachers said they were not surveyed before the walkout was called off. "But what they're doing now impacts my students and their students".
The Kentucky Education Association sharply criticized Bevin's vetoes in calling for Friday's "day of action".
Bracken County and Robertson County School Superintendents Jeff Aulick and Sanford Holbrook said the same about their teachers.
"There are protests and rallies going on all across this commonwealth".
As the session comes to an end, many are already looking to November.
This post has been updated.
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