FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Latest on teacher protests across the nation (all times local):
8:05 p.m.
Kentucky’s Republican governor says he guarantees a child was sexually abused because they were left home alone after teachers forced the closure of more than 30 school districts to come to have a rally at the state Capitol.
Bevin’s comments came shortly after Republican lawmakers voted to override his vetoes of a two-year operating budget that included increased spending for public education with the help of an accompanying $480 million tax increase. Thousands of teachers gathered at the Capitol to ask lawmakers to override the vetoes. More than 30 school districts said they were forced to close because they didn’t have enough teachers.
Bevin told reporters outside the Capitol on Friday night it was “offensive” that so many districts were closed. A spokesman for the Kentucky Education Association declined to comment.
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5:45 p.m.
Kentucky lawmakers have finalized an override of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a state spending plan that increases education funding with the help of a more than $480 million tax increase.
The GOP-controlled Senate voted 26-12 Friday to override Bevin’s veto of House Bill 200. The bill authorizes the state to spend $4,000 for every public school student, the highest level in state history. The increase is possible because of the tax increase approved in a separate bill.
The Senate action followed a 66-28 House vote to override Bevin’s veto of the two-year budget proposal. The House also is controlled by Republicans.
Bevin had vetoed the budget and revenue bills, warning the new taxes would not generate enough money to cover the new spending. Thousands of public school teachers rallied Friday at the Capitol, urging lawmakers to override the vetoes anyway. Lawmakers also overrode Bevin’s veto of the tax bill.
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4:30 p.m.
Kentucky lawmakers have completed an override of Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a more than $480 million tax hike that helps pay for increases in public education spending.
The Senate voted 20-18 Friday to override the GOP governor’s veto of House Bill 366. The final vote followed a 57-40 House vote in favor of the override. Both chambers are controlled by Republicans.
The bill raises revenue for the state over the next two years. It includes a 6 percent sales tax on a variety of services, including auto and home repairs, to pay for higher classroom spending.
Bevin vetoed the increase because he said it would not generate enough money to cover new state spending. Republican legislative leaders disagreed.
Thousands of teachers rallied Friday at the Kentucky Capitol, urging lawmakers to override Bevin’s vetoes.
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3:55 p.m.
Kentucky’s House of Representatives has overridden Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a two-year state spending plan that increases education funding with the help of a $480 million tax increase.
The Republican-controlled House voted 66-28 to override Bevin’s vetoes of House Bill 200. The bill authorizes the state to spend $4,000 for every public school student, the highest level in state history.
The increase is possible because of a more than $480 million tax increase approved in a separate bill.
Bevin had vetoed both bills, warning the new taxes would not generate enough money to cover the new spending. Thousands of public school teachers rallied Friday at the Capitol, urging lawmakers to override the vetoes anyway.
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2:50 p.m.
Kentucky’s House of Representatives has overridden Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a $480 million tax hike that helps pay for increases in public education spending.
The Republican-controlled House voted 57-40 to override the GOP governor’s veto of House Bill 366. The bill raises revenue for the state over the next two years. It includes a 6 percent sales tax on a variety of services, including auto and home repairs, to pay for higher classroom spending.
Bevin vetoed the increase because he said it would not generate enough money to cover new state spending. Republican legislative leaders disagreed.
Thousands of teachers rallied at the Kentucky Capitol on Friday, urging lawmakers to override Bevin’s vetoes.
The Republican-controlled state Senate will take up the veto next.
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2:05 p.m.
Kentucky lawmakers are debating whether to override Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a $480 million tax increase that pays for increases in education spending.
The debate comes as thousands of teachers have gathered at the Capitol to ask lawmakers to override the vetoes. Teachers chanted “We are united, can’t be divided” as lawmakers debated whether to override the veto.
Republican Rep. Jason Nemes said voting not to override the veto is a vote against public education. Democratic Rep. Angie Hatton disagreed, saying the bill raises taxes on the poor to fund a tax break for the wealthy.
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin tweeted the it was “not true” that lawmakers had to vote for the new taxes to fund education. He called the bill “sloppy” and “non-transparent.”
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11 a.m.
An Arizona lawmaker who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee is questioning how Republican Gov. Doug Ducey can get the cash to increase teacher pay 20 percent by 2020.
Republican Rep. David Livingston said Friday that the 9 percent salary boost Ducey proposed for the coming school year would cost more than all other optional spending requests by the governor and lawmakers in ongoing budget negotiations. And Livingston says he see no way to come up with the $650 million needed for raises by 2020 without a tax increase.
Income tax increases are virtually impossible to enact in the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature, and boosting the sales tax would most likely be sent to voters to decide.
Ducey on Thursday proposed the pay increase after weeks of teacher protests and a walkout threat issued early this week.
Teachers groups are cool to the plan because it only addresses teacher pay.
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1:15 p.m.
Thousands of Oklahoma teachers and their supporters descended on the state Capitol again, but crowds were noticeably smaller after the state’s largest teachers union called for the walkout to end.
Some of the state’s largest districts, including Oklahoma City and Tulsa, already had planned to close on Friday for a tenth consecutive day after frustrated teachers walked off their jobs demanding more funding for classrooms.
Many districts plan to reopen on Monday but intend to keep sending delegations of teachers to meet with lawmakers.
Alberto Morejon is a junior high history teacher from Stillwater. He launched a teacher walkout page on Facebook and says the movement will continue. He says some teachers intend to stay off the job until the Legislature approves more funding. Others have announced plans to run for office.
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12:30 p.m.
A sign denoting the “Mitch McConnell Building” at the Republican Party of Kentucky headquarters has been vandalized with red spray paint.
The state party’s headquarters is just down the street from the state Capitol, where thousands of teachers, many of them wearing red T-shirts, marched Friday in support of public education. They are demanding lawmakers override Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s veto of a two-year operating budget and an accompanying tax increase that fuels record education spending.
Party spokesman Tres Watson tweeted a photo of the sign covered in red spray paint. Watson told The Associated Press he assumes the culprit was someone marching with the teachers, since they have been wearing red.
Watson said the party respects and embraces people’s right to demonstrate but said vandalism does nothing but diminish the cause they are fighting for.
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11 a.m.
Kentucky’s budget director says lawmakers could introduce new revenue and spending bills after the governor rejected previous bills and angered teachers, many of whom have gathered at the Capitol to call for more education spending.
But acting House Speaker David Osborne said there are no new bills. He says lawmakers could pass amendments to the bills that have already passed.
Republican lawmakers approved a two-year budget earlier this month that included record increases in public education spending that were to be paid for with an accompanying $480 million tax increase.
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin vetoed both bills, arguing the tax increase was not enough to cover the new spending. The teachers are urging lawmakers to override the governor’s vetoes. Osborne said he did not know if the House would vote to override.
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9:20 a.m.
Thousands of teachers are rallying outside the Kentucky Capitol to call for more state funding for education.
The demonstration Friday morning had a festival-like atmosphere as teachers sat in lawn chairs or sprawled out on blankets. They chanted “vote them out” and “we love our children.”
The teachers are upset with Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s vetoes of budget and revenue bills. The GOP-controlled Legislature is expected to decide Friday whether they will accept or reject the vetoes and the votes are expected to be close.
Stephanie Ikanovic was one of the teachers at the rally. She has been teaching for more than two decades. She says she would rather be in the classroom Friday morning but she is so worried about education spending that she decided to miss work to make sure her voice was heard.
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8:50 a.m.
Kentucky police say they might limit the number of teachers inside the state Capitol as thousands are expected to protest the governor’s vetoes of the state budget.
A news release from the Kentucky State Police says crowd size inside the Capitol and the Annex building “may be limited” for safety reasons. Police officers are checking IDs of state workers and others entering through the Capitol’s alternate entrances.
Hundreds of teachers have gathered on the front steps of the Capitol before a 9 a.m. rally. Most teachers and school staff arrived on school buses, disembarking while the Crosby Stills, Nash and Young song “Teach Your Children” played from some loud speakers.
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12:10 a.m.
Teachers who clogged the halls of Kentucky’s Capitol when lawmakers last met are set to return in force as they loudly demand that the legislature defy a Republican governor and restore increases in education funding.
School was canceled in more than 30 districts statewide - including Kentucky’s two largest in Louisville and Lexington - to accommodate all the teachers and other school workers wanting to attend the latest rally. Other districts sent delegations but kept classes open.
Kentucky lawmakers are reconvening Friday for a scheduled two-day wrap-up of the legislative session. They’re likely to get a boisterous reception from teachers.
Kentucky’s unrest comes as teachers in Oklahoma and Arizona have protested low funding and teacher pay. The demonstrations were inspired by West Virginia teachers, whose nine-day walkout earlier this year led to a 5 percent pay increase.
In Kentucky, teacher anger has boiled over amid changes to their pension system and a battle for more education funding.
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