LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Election Day is less than a month away and voters have consequential choices to make. Not only will Kentucky votes be choosing who the next president will be, an important issue regarding education in the commonwealth will be on the ballot.
Amendment 2 would allow state funding for non-public education. If you vote yes, it would allow public funding to go to private or charter schools. If you vote no, state funds would not go to those schools.
Gov. Andy Beshear says school districts will be "de-funded" through Amendment 2. However, Republican Sen. Rand Paul believes the amendment is a modern-day civil rights issue, saying it must be passed.
"Amendment 2 is not serious in what it will give our children, Coleman Elridge, chair of the state's Democratic party, said Monday in Louisville. "It is serious in what it will take from them and what it will take from every community across the Commonwealth."
While speaking about his personal connection to the amendment, he appeared to strongly believe this will cause hardship to students and teachers. He stood in support with Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, state Rep. Keturah Herron, and Allen Schuler from the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association.
They all agree the GOP and Amendment 2 would leave students and teachers behind.
"When we fail to fund their schools, we fail the programs, the resources and staff, and that's not just failing those kids, that is failing Kentucky's economic future," Coleman said.
Nobody seemed to agree more than Schuler, who was an English teacher for 21 years in Jefferson County. He called out Paul, who is in support of Amendment 2, saying his commercial was paid for by a billionaire from Pittsburgh.
"I would like to have my own political action committee dedicated to me, one that was funded by a Pittsburgh multi-billionaire to the tune of $14 million over the last year," he said. "If I had that kind of PAC, then I could get on TV with my wife, and I could sit there and tell the Kentuckians this: 'Don't let Frankfort politicians who have been bought and paid for by private dollars convince you to allow them to line the private pockets of other institutions with your education tax dollars.'"
Paul believes the amendment would help low- and middle-income families.
"For kids in the poorer side of Louisville it would give them a chance, if some of them want to try a different school, and guess what? Their school would get better to try and keep them there," he said, calling it a modern day "civil rights issue."
That is something which didn't go over well with Herron and Elridge.
"Have their grandchildren and great grandchildren in threat of having to attend schools that are simply going to be separate and unequal. So when they tell us, this is the 'civil rights issue of our time,' it would be laughable if it were not so insulting," he said.
If approved, the constitutional amendment would allow lawmakers to enact a school choice program, like charter schools or school vouchers that would go toward private school tuition.
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