Candidates for Lt. Governor debate over clean energy, child care and education

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Just over a week out from Election Day, running mates for Governor Andy Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron taking center stage on Monday night to debate key issues.
Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman and State Senator Robby Mills facing off on everything from education to the economy at KET in Lexington.

“The future of Kentucky’s economy is in our classrooms today. So when we look at the progress we’ve made under Governor Beshear’s leadership, Kentucky is number two in the nation in economic development. We are number three in rural job creation, but we cannot stay that way if we continue to have teacher pay in the mid forties,” said Jacqueline Coleman, when talking about the economy.

Current Kentucky Senator Robby Mills focusing on clean energy and the coal industry.

“We have got to have that base load generation for the state of Kentucky to run battery plants to run homes, all of these things, we are gonna be short on power. And I believe Andy Beshear has allowed the federal government to wipe out the energy sector in Kentucky and it’s dangerous for not only for jobs but also for the future in, for industrial development,” said Mills.

There was also conversation regarding Medicaid.

“My opponent was one of the folks in the legislature who actually voted to make it more difficult for coal miners to have doctors that could help diagnose black lung. And so this isn’t just about industry and, energy and money. This is about people, this is about families and making sure that we take care of the people who take care of us,” said Coleman.

“The expansion of Medicaid is encouraging people not to work and stay out of the workforce. We need to solve that, they’ve had four years to solve that, they have not solved that,” added Mills.

Another topic, was the future of childcare in Kentucky.

“You don’t want to have an owner or a manager of a childcare facility spending, 30-40 hours a week on bureaucracy and paperwork and inspections and things of that nature, they have to be safe. Childcare centers need to be safe for the children,” also said Mills.

“We have two-thirds of Kentucky’s kids walking in the door on the first day of kindergarten, ill-prepared, making sure that every child no matter their zip code has access to one year of universal Pre-K as a four- year-old, will vastly improve those numbers,” added Coleman.

Both candidates also tackling the topic of pensions and the proposed education plans both campaigns have.