Anyone who isn’t living in one of the caves in southern Kentucky can tell you: our state has some serious, even critical, needs.
We need more funding for education at all levels, and we need that education to be more effective. We need to address an opioid crisis that is rearing its ugly head again. We have rural hospitals that are in dire straits, and our state’s citizens are more unhealthy than those in other states. We have municipal water systems that need improving or even rebuilding. We have vast income inequality across the state, with the top 1% of Kentuckians making 18 times more than the average for the rest of the state. And, over 20% of our Kentucky children live in poverty.
If you are an elected official, these are the problems that you got elected to solve. These are problems that government can have a hand in fixing. These are critical needs in a poor state, and should be at the top of your legislative agenda when you meet in session in 2022.
But never fear – our Kentucky Republicans are on it! Since they have super-majorities in both houses, it’s their legislative agenda that will rule the day.
And in light of all the needs listed above, HERE are the four priorities for Kentucky Republicans in 2022, according to someone who heard them discussed:
- Outlawing the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Kentucky schools. Note that none of the Repub leges can tell you definitively what CRT is – they just know it’s tailor-made for getting people riled up.
- Banning trans-gender children from participating in girls’ athletics. Of course, it’s not like we have this wave of trans girls going out for their school’s teams. In fact, I’m not sure there are any at all. But hey, it plays well with their base – at least until one of their children gets challenged about their sexuality, and a school official has to examine their child’s genitals.
- Abortion. As one Repub lege said, “It’s an election year, so we have to do something about abortion.” Not sure what there is left to try, since Repubs have passed just about every restriction on abortion they can. Perhaps they will make it a misdemeanor just to say the word out loud, or use it in print. (Oops – now I’ve done it.)
- Guns. Believe it or not, letting people own a gun without requiring training or a license was not enough. Making Kentucky an open carry state, so we can have guns everywhere including stores, churches, and the sidewalks, was not enough. Allowing militia members to bypass the metal detectors and bring their guns into the state capitol was not enough. No, now Repubs want to make Kentucky a “gun sanctuary state,” which means that federal gun laws would have no force in Kentucky. (Supposedly.)
So, there you have it: the four key priorities for the 2022 General Assembly. The Republican legislators that run the state have decided that THESE are the critical issues facing the people they serve. Don’t you feel better, knowing the Repubs are in charge?
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