Seven oh six here at fifty five KRS detalk station, Bryan Thomas wishing everyone a happy Thursday and welcoming back to the fifty five KRC Morning Show. Find them online at b I p p S Buckeye Ensued for a Public Policy BPI dot org. God, welcome back to Jim Waters. It's a pleasure to have you on the program.
It's fine, except it's the Bluegrass Institute. We're in KENTUCKYSTA.
That's twice. That is twice this morning. I've screwed up, and my sincere apologies and I also had apologize.
Okay, I just want everybody to know where we're.
At Bluegrass Institute. I apologize, and you know that. I also apologize. They're on the program for not talking about UH and compared to Ohio Issue one, which is complex and crazy, two very simple but very important amendments that folks in Kentucky are going to be voting on Amendments one and two. So my apologies for not, you know, focusing a little bit more on that, but sounds to me like they're both great ideas.
Okay, you're talking to us today, so thank you.
And I know you're a you're in a debate the other day, a link debate with Bridget Bloom, who is all over Kentucky amendment to let's move that one aside. Let's start with issue one, which is very simple and I think very easy to understand. Amendment one. No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in this state, period, right right.
Yeah, well, you know, and the Constitution already says that, but we've seen around the country where that you know, cities in particular, have tried to get around that and allow non citizens to vote on local issues. And I think the legislature just wanted to close any loopholes there. So it's it is very simple. You're right, it's a very simple amendment, and that it really just clarifies and really closes any possibility of that happening. I think it's
more of a preventing move, Brian. You know, it's more about preventing what we've maybe seen and what some of the concerns have been from what have been seen in other states, like like something like what could happen in Louisville or you know, one of our cities. Yeah, so proactive, I think that's.
Listen, if it's happened elsewhere, it certainly could happen in the Commonwealth, so why not get ahead of it. Look, let's not let happen over there, happened here. So I imagine this is probably in Kentucky got pretty much widespread support, Well I would.
I think so. Well, of course, we'll know for sure here in about nineteen days. But but you know, I know that that was the intention of legislators, and I think everybody pretty well understands that. I haven't heard much much disagreement about that. So and you know, getting people shaking their heads on one might help us on too. We'll see. You know, it's you know, when these things are on the ballot that sometimes that's how that works too.
So I wonder if I could give us momentum on amendment too.
So it may very well, because honestly, I don't understand how the opportunity for school choice that any parent, I don't care what your political stripe is, how any parent could not desire at least the ability to choose which schools their children go to, just as a concept. What's wrong with giving parents choice? And then you pivot over to the reason that people are against this idea of choice. Oh, they'll make arguments about public money going to you know,
maybe religious institutions. But the bottom line is this is in order to maintain the monopoly teachers unions have over education, which is currently enshrined in the Kentucky Constitution.
Yeah. That was on full display in our debate the other night, incidentally, Bet, But you know, our polling is indicated that across the board, whatever the political persuasion, a school choice is at popular idea among a strong majority of Kentucky. Is up to seventy percent in many in many groups, and even with Democrats and Independence a strong majority. The key here is to get that translated into you know, passage of this amendment. Now, this amendment doesn't create a
school choice policy, right. This amendment simply says that our Constitution cannot be interpreted as prohibiting the legislature from passing those policies that would fund a school choice program like we see in Ohio and Indiana and Tennessee and every state surrounding US. I mean, there are over three hundred thousand kids today who will be in a charter school in the seven neighboring states arounding Kentucky, but none in Kentucky because we are that far.
Behind well, and your state legislator has tried to allow for some funding formulas to help, you know, give the choice, but they keep getting shot down by your Supreme Court because is your Constitution as currently written, prohibits the use of public money outside of public schools. So that's the lynchpin.
Yeah, yeah, as it's interpreted any well, that's true. But this amendment would will allow the legislature to quit looking at having to look over their shoulders of what the court wants, and really looking forward to what families and students in our state need. And the Kentucky Summitive Assessment, which just came out in the last couple of weeks, shows that a majority of our students are not proficient
in math, reading, and science. And so here we have this issue, and then we have the superintendents and the bureaucrats and the unions bragging about an eighty nine percent graduation rate. And I'm saying, wait a minute, what's the diploma we're handing out? Is it worth anything?
Equity?
But what is that worth?
That's equity, brother, that's equity, full display, and it's.
Not helping our kids. I am not helping our kids for the future. And that's and that's another thing, by the way, on this, I think that we see a real dichotomy in this debate between those of us who really say, let's put students first, let the system adjust, whatever the system does, it's going to do, but let the students get what they need, versus those who say, we need to protect the system, we need to prop up the system. But the funding for education is not
for a system, it's not for a school. It is to educate students. And if they take those dollars, Brian, wherever they go, whether it's a traditional public school, a public charter school, or a private school, parochial school, and they get the education they need, then those dollars have
been properly used because that is what they're for. And to all this nonsense about this would take money away from our education system, the truth of the matter is that even if this amendment passes, our constitution would require the legislature to create a separate programs or a schools choice program. It would not even take any state dollars away from public schools. So why why is and there so there's a lot of fear mongering from the governor, and a lot of myths being thrown out there about
how this would divert money away from public education. You know, it's interesting to me, we don't talk about that that way. We don't talk that way when it comes to other public goods that we're funding with public dollars. For example, Medicare recipients they can use their dollars at whatever hospital or whatever healthcare provider they need, and nobody says, well, you're diverting money from one to the other. Why Because
the money doesn't belong to the provider. It belongs to the patient to do what they need to do with it. So indeed, give the individual there is the dignity of making their own decisions.
You know. And most notably because a lot of people argue that, oh, you know this is you're supporting religious organizations with the taxpayer dollars. Well, both, there's religious hospitals out there, like the Athletic Health System hospitals, they're getting Medicare dollars. That's an excellent point. I hadn't heard that one before, so big props to you, Jim for bringing that up. Well, so, and here's the language the religious.
Yeah, on the religious issue, I mean, we already allowed dollars to be used at religious institutions of education, pell grants and and the GI bill. Those dollars were the individual recipient took those dollars and decided where they spent it, and they could be spent at Cincinnati Christian University with THEAH or whatever that they could be used, that dollars could be used at those schools. So we don't, we don't. We don't have this problem when it comes to higher education.
Why should that be an issue with K through twelve? The question is are our kids getting educated? And the fact is the majority of them are not? So what are we going to do about it? I've asked for other solutions. I asked bridget the other night, what about other solutions?
Oh?
By the way, one other argument that comes up a lot is well, you're just taking money and giving it to the wealthy. You know that this is just going to benefit wealthy kids who are already in private schools. Well, okay, then will you agree? Will the governor and his minions agree that we will begin with a program that targets low income families in failing school means? We'll be happy to begin there.
Amen, And that's the point. You don't know which direction of the General Assembly is going to go, but the language at least allows for the consideration of it. Quote the General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common school with the operative word, as you are pointing out, is may Will they do it? Don't know? Might they do it in some smaller baby step like you just suggested. Maybe that'll be fa.
Yeah, a lot of states. And by the way, we just released a snapshot of thirteen northern Kentucky school districts on our website. It's not the work and Brian, you can see there is a great differ diference between say a Beechwood, you know, and and and uh, some of the other districts that are you know, the Beechwood's doing well compared to you know, let's say Newport or you know, are you know some of these other districts that Bellevue
is Dayton and so forth. You know. And so if a parent lives in one of those districts that's not performing as well and they want an option, what options do they have if they can't write a check to a private school or they can't up and move to a better public school district. What options do they have right now? Not many in Kentucky, not many at all.
Well, and this, if the legislative solution is an effective one, it will create more of these private schools or these alternative schools competition. The public schools will then have to compete with probably better performing at least in terms of educational outcomes, and maybe they'll get their act together and a majority will then become proficient, whereas currently, as you point out, they are not.
Around the country, that's what we've seen. We've seen where there are choices, the more choices the state has, the better their public education system performs. And in Kentucky we have more than doubled per pupil funding since care in nineteen ninety inflation adjustment. We're spending twenty one thousand dollars per pupil in those northern Kentucky districts and across our state. And yet the majority of our kids aren't being educated.
But in states that have increased spending less, the more choices they've given parents, their public systems are outperforming Kentucky. What is the problem here? Why can't we do this?
It's just and you know, that there is even a debate on this, Jim, because in the final analysis, all I see is the people against the idea of this freedom of choice or the looking or at least for alternatives outside of the public school model. It's the teachers' union. They have monopoly currently, They have monopoly on the education materials that our children are consuming, and they have a monopoly ownership of them. A majority of the students being
non proficient. That's a failing grade, my friend, right there. There's got to be a better way, and it's currently not as the status quo.
It's about the system for them, it's not about the students. And by the way, the superintendents haven't been very helpful on this either. Quite frankly, they're the ones that have sued to stop these school choice bills. By the way, we have a case in the Kentucky Supreme Court about
charter schools. They probably aren't going to hear that case until after the election, of course, So there is an opportunity that even no matter what happens with this amendment, if the Supreme Court will wake up and the Bluegrass Institute filed an a meekas brief. Chad Meredith, former Solicitor General of our state did great work for us on making the case about what did the founders really mean when they talked about common schools? What were they concerned about?
And it was to deny parents' options. It was they didn't want taxes increase more than necessary. Isn't that ironic? In the five we're in it because the other side never saw a tax increase, they didn't absolutely adure.
Isn't that the truth? Jim Water is doing a fun, a phenomenal job in support of the issues both one and two. They seem like simple, prudent, proper ways to go. And again, I keep going back to the idea, a parent of any political stripe has to want choice fundamentally that you are did any parent be willing to sacrifice their children's education merely to supportort support the monopoly that
is the public the teachers union. I just don't think that washes logically or reasonably, or that any real loving parent would embrace that. Right.
This isn't and this is not about destroying public education. This is about making it better, forcing it to get better. And it's a beau fan not an either or. And when we see that, we see all a rising tide lifts.
All the boat check out.
That's what we need to have happen here.
Yep, Jim, water is always a pleasure. Keep up the great work. I'll recommend and you can read all about this, folks, BIPs Bipps dot org. It's the Bluegrass Institute's website right there on the front page there's your information BIPs dot org. Thanks again, Jim for spending time by listeners and me real pleasure.
Thanks for having us today. I appreciate it.
Thank you anytime, my friend. Anytime stick around, folks, got more to talk about. Bottom of the hour, we're gonna hear about. Well, get out the vote, Donovan and Neil, Americans for prosperity. First of a word, form my dear friends at Plumb Type Plumbing, plumbing done right. It is always plumbing done right. Can vouch for it. I've seen them at work in my home. You've done work for a lot of my friends and just listen. I just
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