A Quick Run Down on the Candidates

By Lia Anderson

We present to you the 2020 candidates of KYA HS 4…

This year, we only have one Bluegrass candidate, Cross Dutton!

Cross Dutton
Cross Dutton is from South Oldham High School. His platforms are infrastructure, college affordability, and police reform. He believes that increasing infrastructure will have multiple benefits, including lowering unemployment rates while also benefiting future generations. He also recognizes that affording college is extremely difficult and thinks that college should be more accessible to everyone. Finally, he thinks that change needs to happen for the police. His goal is to create a safe environment with integrity for everyone.

This year, we have 9 Commonwealth candidates running!

Cal Wagers
Cal Wagers attends North Laurel High School. Her platforms are rehabilitation, public transportation, and mental health. She thinks that victims should get the help they need by opening more local rehabilitation centers. To help the public, she also supports more local transportation options. She thinks schools should take more responsibility for helping students with their mental health. For example, the staff should be trained to handle trauma, and support groups should be available to students.

Clint Chambliss
Clint Chambliss is from Elizabethtown High School. Clint’s platforms are elderly isolation, tax reform, and police funding. He knows that the elderly feel isolated right now, especially because of COVID-19, and wants them to know they are not alone. He also thinks that tax dollars are going to the wrong places. He thinks that tax money should go to schools to improve education. Clint doesn’t think that the police need to change their funding. Finally, he thinks that police officers need more training so they can be educated on how to react to stressful situations.

Jalen Wellman
Jalen Wellman attends Oldham County High School. Jalen’s platforms are food and security, mental health, and special education. Jalen wants to give people easy access to food banks and resources, especially during the pandemic. Her second platform advocated for a be designated time for students to learn about mental health in school. She also thinks that students should have more resources, should they need them. Finally, Special education is also important to Jalen and she thinks that we need to make sure schools are meeting the compliance requirements for special education.

Josh Groves
Josh Groves attends Heritage Christian Academy. Josh’s platforms are mental health, education, and incarceration. Josh’s reform for mental health is to add more school counselors for mental health in schools across the commonwealth, with less than 50% of students getting the help they need. Josh’s second platform of education entails that students be given electronic devices for online learning if they do not have access to any electronic devices at their disposal. Josh’s final platform of incarceration requires that inmates should be eligible to go through religious vocation programs if they choose to do so.

Kate Wetherton
Kate Wetherton goes to South Oldham High School. Her platforms are education, suicide, and health literacy. She believes that all students should have an equal opportunity to a good education regardless of their socioeconomic status. She also thinks that suicide needs to be talked about. Suicide prevention isn’t being taken seriously and needs to be at the forefront of discussions. Finally, she also thinks that health literacy is very important. An astounding number of people are not educated about basic health, therefore can’t take care of their personal needs.

Kennedi Fishback
Kennedi attends Frederick Douglas High School. Her three platforms are animal shelters, mental health, and the homeless population. Kennedi’s first platform for animal shelters says that shelters shall establish a no-kill policy. She backs this up with the statistic that of the 6.5 million animal shelters, 1.7 million are killed in shelters each year. Her second platform, on mental health, states that a buddy system is implicated for those who are suffering from bullying. Using a google form, people can fill out a buddy system form, and be given a buddy they can talk to. Her final platform advocates for the building of tiny homes for those experiencing homelessness.

Kyi’ Ree Spencer
Kyi’ Ree Spencer goes to Butler Traditional High School. His platforms are poverty and unemployment, social inequity, and COVID-19. To decrease the poverty and unemployment rate, he thinks that we should raise the minimum wage. Social inequity is also very important to him. He thinks that laws should be representative of the people and their ideas. He also believes there should be restrictions for those who enforce the law. Finally, Kyi’ Ree believes COVID-19 should also be addressed, through a statewide stimulus to help people during the pandemic, along with enforcement of the federal law preventing evictions.

Oni Terrado
Oni Terrado attends Craft Academy-MSU. Her three platforms are resilience in hard times, using your voice, and being yourself. Her first platform of resilience is stating that during the hard times in life, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, people need support systems to stay strong and stand up tall. Her second platform of using your voice wants everyone across the commonwealth to use their voice, know their voice is heard and matters, and make change. Her final platform wants everyone to be themselves because staying true to yourself is the way to make change.

Stephanie Casson
Stephanie Casson attends Holy Cross-Covington. Her three platforms are aid for disabled learners, mental health, and health care. Her first platform, requires disabled learners to be given extra aid with online learning, due to their circumstances. Her second platform allows for all schools to have access to free mental health resources for students, which will be moderated by certified school counselors. Her final platform allows for more affordable healthcare for everyone across the commonwealth. She refers to the statistic that 12% of Kentuckians have no health insurance, dismissing them from getting the help they need.