Capitol Tension Over Pension

KYA and KUNA are undoubtedly two of the greatest student-led conferences in the state. Every year they convene to debate the issues pertinent to the state and their communities. But, we often forget about the teachers acting as advisers that get us to the point where we can debate. More than ever, these people possess a great deal of doubt in their career and retirement.

As you likely are already aware; there is an ongoing pension crisis for teachers in Kentucky. Teacher retirement is something that is being discussed daily throughout our state. At this year’s KYA conference several bills attempted to tackle the issue of teacher pensions. Commonwealth Bill 27 was voted on by the house and senate today before being sent to the supreme court for constitutional review. Being the sole author of the bill, I asked John Grahm on why he chose this issue to focus his attention on. He replied,” I have a personal connection because my mom is a teacher, and I don’t want to see the other students in Kentucky lose their excellent teachers because they can’t have a stable retirement.”

In closing, the issue of teacher pensions reaches across the United States. Everyone is affected by this in some way, although it may not be apparent everyone strives to create a unified solution to the issue. As for our governor, this hits one of the key objectives present on his agenda. Other agenda issues, such as climate change and civic engagement, have yet to have bills passed.