Bevin renews spat with Kentucky teachers, saying pension opponents have a 'thug mentality'

Gov. Matt Bevin continued his war of words with Kentucky teachers and their union leaders, saying state lawmakers are facing a "thug mentality" from those resisting his efforts to overhaul the state's woefully funded pension system.

The comments come on the heels of Bevin, a Republican, trying to mend fences with public school educators after calling them "selfish and short-sighted" last week for opposing the reforms.

Speaking on a Bowling Green radio station Tuesday, Bevin said many GOP legislators are worried about re-election. He called attention to teachers who booed state Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, a co-sponsor of the pension bill, during the debate and others who picketed his business.

"That’s the kind of thug mentality that’s being dealt with and it's unfortunate," Bevin said.

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The governor said average teachers aren't the problem but rather it is "noise" being created by the Kentucky Education Association, the state's largest teachers union. He said his children are interested in being teachers and multiple members of his family have taught in public schools, but that state educators aren't being well represented by their union.

"It's the KEA, it's a threat to their power, it's a threat to their money," Bevin said. "They've invested millions of dollars who've elected people to ignore this problem for reasons I don't understand."

A spokesperson with the KEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bevin spokeswoman Elizabeth Goss Kuhn said the governor has consistently reiterated how Kentucky has the worst funded pension system in the country.

"The system was woefully underfunded for years by (former Gov. Steve) Beshear, and without meaningful reform the system will continue to decline," she said in a statement Wednesday. "Gov. Bevin is the only Kentucky Governor to fully fund the system in over a decade, and he will continue to advocate for a reformed system that ensures retirees will receive their benefits."

This week, hundreds of educators swarmed the state capitol to voice their opposition to the pension reform bill, which proponents say seeks to put Kentucky on a course of paying off retirement system liabilities of more than $43 billion.

But the proposal has been fiercely criticized by many public employees, including teachers' groups, who point to unpopular provisions such as a reduction of the annual cost-of-living increase in benefits of retired teachers from 1.5 percent to 1 percent.

State lawmakers have given the proposal little chance of passing the General Assembly, which is going into the final stretch of its 60-day session. And Bevin's remarks about teachers have hurt him among the Republican caucus.

Rep. Bart Rowland, R-Tompkinsville, said the governor's previous comments about teachers were a personal insult.

Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, said the bridge on pension reform is, "burned to the ground" and cannot be rebuilt in the last weeks of the session. But others have said Bevin's remarks shouldn't distract legislators from their promise to salvage public pensions system for future generations.

"Are we going to screw with the governor because of something he said, and essentially screw over teachers and pensioners and everybody else just because we’re upset with what he said," state Rep. Phil Moffett, R-Louisville, said. "No. We’re adults. We’ve got to fix a pension problem. And I think we’re focused on that."

Bevin told the Bowling Green radio hosts that he isn't worried about the political fallout. Instead, he urged the "silent majority" of constituents to counter the teachers union and support lawmakers who are trying to get the proposal through.

"At the end of the day, if we don't change anything the system will fail and most of the people now teaching will never see once cent of a retirement plan and many who are now retired won't see it until the end of their lives," Bevin said. "And we cannot allow that to happen despite the noise, despite the fear and despite the concern and protesting."

Reporter Tom Loftus contributed to this story. Reporter Phillip M. Bailey can be reached at 502-582-4475 or pbailey@courier-journal.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/philb.