That's the people's house, motherfucker. It doesn't
fucking belong to Gov. I Got Mine Fuck You. It belongs to me and 4.5
million of my closest Kentucky friends.
We will go anywhere we want in it, and sit or stand or walk as we please. We will exercise free speech and freedom of association any way we damn well please. We will carry signs and we will cheer and boo as appropriate. FUCK your rules.
Visitors
in Kentucky’s Capitol Tuesday, the opening day of this year’s
legislative session, found more security and less freedom to roam around
the august building and its annex.
Republican Gov. Matt Bevin on Jan. 4 signed an emergency regulation outlining
procedures for the state Finance and Administration Cabinet to
implement to “protect the health, safety and welfare of visiting members
of the public, as well as staff” in the two buildings and other state
facilities and grounds.
“Over the years,
public interest in and attendance of, the regular business of the
Kentucky Legislature has steadily increased to the extent that concerns
have arisen regarding the healthy, safety and welfare of visiting
members of the public and staff,” said Bevin’s statement. “With a
regular session of the Kentucky Legislature imminent, the provision of
this administrative regulation should be given immediate effect.”
The Capitol and its grounds were flooded last spring with protesters
upset with a public pension bill backed by Bevin and the
Republican-controlled House and Senate. The legislature approved the
bill but the Kentucky Supreme Court last month declared it
unconstitutional.
Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/latest-news/article224094650.html#storylink=cpy
Bevin’s
move meant that Capitol visitors found more security checkpoints —
especially in an underground tunnel between the Capitol and Capitol
Annex — security officers, and areas where people can’t stand.
The Kentucky Democratic Party posted its opinion of the new rules on Facebook.
It
showed a photo of three uniformed state police troopers standing at the
bottom of the steps that lead to the state House and two more in front
of the House chamber’s main entrance.
“The
people are once again shut out,” said the post. “Sudden ‘new rules’
restrict access to general public all over the Capitol but especially
near the House of Representatives with no notice and no rules changes
vote.”
There also is a new “House Gallery Rules” sign with rules for visitors going to the gallery to watch the House in action.
Visitors to the state House gallery now see a sign on how they should behave.
Jack Brammer jbrammer@herald-leader.com
SNIP
House
Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, said he is concerned
about Bevin’s emergency regulation and called it “too stringent.”
“I don’t think we need further and more strict access into the Capitol,” he said.
Adkins,
who is running for governor this year, said he especially was concerned
about restricting access to the tunnel between the Capitol and Annex.
“I think it’s more about making it tough for the general public to come and be a part of the process,” he said.
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