KY: Lawmaker: All they have done is awaken a sleeping giant Thousands of protesting teachers maki

These protesters best keep up the momentum for November and #votethemOUT!



http://kentuckytoday.com/stories/all-they-have-done-is-awaken-a-sleeping-giant,12654


Lawmaker: ‘All they have done is awaken a sleeping giant’
Thousands of protesting teachers making voices heard at Capitol



Thousands of protesters gathered in Frankfort on Monday morning to have their voices heard on the pension reform bill passed last week. (Kentucky Today/Tom Latek)

Posted Monday, April 2, 2018 11:19 am
By TOM LATEK, Kentucky Today

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) - Thousands of teachers and retirees converged upon the Capitol on Monday to protest last week’s passage of pension reform legislation.



Most schools across Kentucky were already closed for spring break, but every other district that was open also shut down on Monday. An estimated 5,000 protesters were expected.


The bill narrowly passed the House on Thursday, 49-46, and Rep. Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, a retired history teacher at Frankfort High School who voted against the bill, spoke with protestors on his way into the Capitol on Monday morning.


He said he didn’t like the process of how the pension bill suddenly appeared on wastewater legislation. “This was a deal probably worked out a very long time ago and they waited until the very last minute, thinking it wouldn’t matter.


“All they have done is awaken a sleeping giant, so those who have been impacted by this bill have shown up to demonstrate their contempt for what happened last week.”


Janis Barton, a retired teacher from Middlesboro who now lives in Madison County, said that while she will be impacted by the legislation, “I’m more concerned about the future of education. I think charter schools and hurting the pension of future teachers is going to destroy public education in Kentucky.”..............................................