FRANKFORT, Ky. (WHAS11) -- When Governor Matt Bevin called a special legislative session to address Kentucky’s pension crisis Monday afternoon, the president of the Kentucky Education Association put out a call for teachers to get in their cars and drive to Frankfort.
And they did – several teachers driving hours and packing into the House gallery. They sang altered Christmas carols targeted at Governor Bevin and lawmakers.
But as midnight passed, they left without answers.
Most of these teachers were back in their classrooms Tuesday morning, planning for finals and end-of-year projects. Others packed their bags for a few days – just in case.
Christina Trosper drove two hours from Knox County. She expressed her disapproval of this session and is urging lawmakers to wait until the regularly scheduled legislative session in early January.
“Calling a special session down just before the holidays…is like a slap in the face to everyone who went to the polls in November and spoke to their votes,” Trosper said.
“Let the new session begin in January…There are people who are sitting on the floor tonight here in the House and also in the Senate that do not have their seats come January. And there was a reason why.”
KEA president Stephanie Winkler called Governor Bevin’s special session “nothing but a reactionary public temper tantrum.”
She went on to say that “Our state’s financial future will never improve if we keep wasting taxpayer dollars on governing ‘around’ the people instead of ‘with’ them.”
Teachers are asking everyone with a voice to use it this week and call their legislators.
Senate lawmakers will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and the House will meet at 2 p.m. We will have a team in Frankfort starting at 2 p.m. to follow the deliberations.