Five Things to Know Today
The election is six days away!
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Grimes issues turnout prediction: 31%
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says turnout for the upcoming statewide election will be 31% of registered voters, with over two-thirds of Kentucky voters failing to vote. But she encourages Kentuckians to prove her wrong. (Forward Kentucky)
Matt Bevin says he’s out-hustling other states for jobs. What do the numbers show?
The governor is claiming that his efforts at bringing in jobs have led to a Kentucky job resurgence. Is that actually true, or just a talking point? Dan Desrochers does some research to check. (Forward Kentucky)
Teacher shortage crisis should be priority for Ky. lawmakers, superintendents say.
Kentucky superintendents said Tuesday they need lawmakers’ help in 2020 to attract and retain teachers in the midst of a critical shortage. Superintendents fanned out across the state at news conferences to bring up the shortage, the need for more money, and other issues facing their districts. This article includes the issues they listed, and the help superintendents want from our electeds to deal with those issues. (Herald-Leader)
Fact-checking the KET debate
In the KET debate, Matt Bevin and Andy Beshear exchanged assertions for an hour, often accusing the other of being wrong, or lying. Here’s an analysis by The State Journal of what they said and how accurate it was. (Forward Kentucky)
Amid pension debate, corporate tax breaks remain untouched
Funding for Kentucky’s pension system continues to be a fiercely debated topic, and some experts say putting an end to corporate tax breaks could help boost the revenue stream for public-employee retirement plans. (Forward Kentucky)
Did you miss any of these?
Featured Content on Forward Kentucky
([new] indicates new since last Forward Five; 🔥 indicates lots of reads)
News
[new] Matt Bevin and Andy Beshear bicker, battle, and belittle during KET debate – Here’s a short summary of the KET gubernatorial debate. Beshear and Bevin stuck to their scripts, but Renee Shaw pushed them to get specific. (read)
[new] Repubs go further into the gutter in AG race – Republicans are apparently so worried about the race for attorney general that they have gone further into the gutter with their attacks – including sending a slime piece to a candidate’s wife. 🔥(read)
[new] Beshear outraises Bevin again – The Beshear campaign issued a press release on Monday noting that Democratic challenger Andy Beshear had out-raised incumbent Governor Matt Bevin in the final fund-raising report before the election. (read)
At debate, Gov. Bevin denies saying people commit suicide in casinos. He did. – When challenged by Andy Beshear, the gov stated he never said any such thing. Unfortunately for him, there is a recording of him saying just that. (read)
Commentary
[new] Who loses if Matt Bevin wins on November 5th? – If only 16% of Kentuckians re-elect Matt Bevin on Nov. 5, who are the real losers? Matt Kaufmann lays it out clearly, and tells us what to do about it. (read)
[new] We’re infected with Bevinism-Trumpism. Here’s the cure. – Our state is infected with Bevinism (a local version of Trumpism). Symptoms include lying, pandering, and fear-mongering. Here’s the cure. (read)
Four reasons Matt Bevin should not be governor – Matt Bevin has been governor of Kentucky for almost four years. We have watched him govern, we have heard his speeches and his answers to questions, and we have seen the policies he pushes. We have a good sense of what a governorship by Matt Bevin looks like, even as he asks us to vote for him again. Having lived through Matt Bevin’s first term, we have four reasons he should not get a second. (read)
Cartoon
Bevin’s Misdeeds #8 – Turnout Matters! – Aaron Smith concludes his “Bevin’s (Mis)Deeds” series with a reminder that only 16% of eligible voters elected Matt Bevin last time. Turnout matters! (view)
Media
[podcast] Councilwoman Angela Evans, Marshall County, ALG catchup, & more – This week, we spoke to Lexington Councilwoman Angela Evans. She told us about her reasons for running for office, serving as one of two African Americans on the LFUCG council, her future, and several other topics. We were excited to speak to her, and we are excited to bring this interview to you! Jazmin and Robert talked about two stories involving Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the insertion of the Marshall County shooting into the Governor’s race, and a few other smaller stories. (listen)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
( 🔥indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- Matt Jones on what is at stake in this election (2,000 shares)
- Four reasons Matt Bevin should not be governor (2,000 shares)
- 🔥The Lexington Herald-Leader endorses Andy Beshear for governor (1,000 shares)
- Bevin has spent 80% more on plane trips than last governor (691 shares)
- Senate confirms Louisville’s Justin Walker as federal judge despite unqualified rating (657 shares)
The Forward 5 is published Monday to Friday by Forward Kentucky, an independent media organization focused on progressive news and issues in Kentucky, and is re-posted with permission. You can sign up for the email version of the newsletter on their website.
