FRANKFORT, Ky. (WHAS11) – Governor Matt Bevin is once again taking to social media to call out legislators he says are treating efforts to save the pension crisis like junk mail.
In a three-minute video released to Facebook Monday afternoon, Bevin called out Louisville Democrat and District 37 Representative Jeff Donohue.
Bevin says he sent a letter to members of the legislature that detailed changes made to the pension plan after he and his team spoke to bipartisan members of the House and Senate.
He says that he received the letter back from Rep. Donohue with “Return to Sender” written on the front of the envelope.
“Maybe he thinks that’s cute – I don’t know, shame on you. Shame on you because I’m willing to bet you probably opened the envelope in which your paycheck comes, your reimbursement check for your mileage back and forth to do your job but you’re not willing to open mail that involves doing the job itself?” he said.
In a telephone call late Monday, Donohue responded to Bevin.
“It’s just unfortunate that he’s doing that. He knows better than that. Those things are sent in the email – those letters and I’ve read that in the email and they always send a hard copy to back it up. So all that information, I’ve already read and to be honest with you, I’ve been down there several occasions with the pension board, which I’m not on that committee, to have discussions or hear or listen to what’s being talked about.”
Debates continued to heat up last week after a committee recently heard testimony about the governor’s plan and opponents of it had different opinions on what it should be called.
House Democrats question whether the plan is an appropriations bill because it restructures some of the pension system for quasi state governmental agencies. Republicans insist that because it doesn't directly allocate money that it's not an appropriations bill.
Bevin believes that he has the votes to get the plan passed and says the Commonwealth deserves better.
“We need men and women to do their jobs – to be adults, sit down at the table [and] have an honest dialogue and figure out how to save this pension system which is quickly becoming bankrupt. We’ve got to save it, we’ve got to right by the men and women who serve us because we are Kentucky.”
In response, Donohue said, "Always look for Jeff Donohue and my record speaks for itself. I will always be standing on the side of teachers, state workers, working families, working women – that’s where I should be, that’s my responsibility.”
Attorney General Andy Beshear's campaign released the following statement in response to the governor's video:
"Once again Matt Bevin has embarrassed both himself and Kentucky."
Beshear and Bevin face off for Kentucky governor in November 2019.
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