The Democratic leadership in both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly issued a statement Monday denouncing Saturday’s protest at the Capitol as a “racist exercise.” They also called out the legislators who participated and spoke at the event, which was held to protest Governor Beshear’s pandemic response and to call for both reopening all parts of the state and its economy, and to ignore the guidance to lessen the further spread of the virus, such as social distancing and wearing masks.
The leadership in the two chambers are:
- House – Caucus Leader Joni Jenkins, Caucus Chair Derrick Graham, and Caucus Whip Angie Hatton
- Senate – Democratic Caucus Leader Morgan McGarvey, Caucus Chair Johnny Ray Turner, and Caucus Whip Dennis Parrett
Here is their statement:
We strongly denounce what took place at the Capitol on Saturday. This wasn’t a ‘Freedom Rally’; it was a racist exercise that cast a dark shadow on the bright example the commonwealth has set nationally over the past two months when it comes to battling the coronavirus.
We also believe those legislators attending should apologize for adding legitimacy to this event and, for an afternoon, allowing our Capitol to be turned into a place of fear and hate. We believe people have a right to peacefully assemble, but we reject both this message and the way it was delivered, because demonstrators put their communities and families at risk by not taking health precautions needed to keep the spread of the coronavirus down. In so many ways, this event does not represent who we are as Kentuckians.
We stand with Governor Andy Beshear and his plans to re-open the economy in a safe and measured manner based on public health experts’ advice.
Lastly, we also want to be clear that we do not recognize Lee Watts as the General Assembly’s chaplain. He was not hired, nor did we vote for him, and to be an organizer of this event is deeply troubling.
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