On the first day of the 2014 General Assembly, a Kentucky House Democrat literally misfired. Representative Leslie Combs (D-Pikeville) made national headlines when she misfired her handgun in her office at the Capitol. Combs’ response: “It happens.”
But this wasn’t the first time House Democrats misfired in the 2014 legislative session.
Defending its investigative committee that didn’t investigate
A month ago, Kentucky House Democrats unilaterally shut down an investigative committee before it began investigating allegations of harassment and misconduct by one of their former colleagues.
Despite Republicans’ best efforts to investigate fully, to produce a public report for the full House, and to protect women in the workplace, House Democrats missed an opportunity to restore the public’s trust in the Kentucky House of Representatives.
Instead, on the first day of this session, Democrats misfired when they tried to defend their failure to investigate serious allegations and their failure to address the troubling culture of the House, which even a Democrat contends House leaders perpetuate and which she asserts is “just ripe with the smell of bad things.”
Pursuing a minimum-wage hike, instead of putting Kentuckians back to work
Kentucky’s unemployment rate was worse in November 2013 than it was a year earlier. With those numbers, Democrats would want to pursue policies that would create jobs and put Kentuckians back to work, right?
Nope.
Kentucky House Democrats misfire when they continue to pursue Obama’s agenda. Last year, it was ObamaCare. This year, it is Obama’s idea to increase the minimum wage.
The Obama economy continues to sputter, and Obama insists on sticking to his guns. He wants to increase the minimum wage instead of creating jobs, and Kentucky House Democrats eagerly follow Obama’s misguided lead.
As opposed to promoting policies that will create jobs and put Kentuckians back to work, Kentucky House Democrats misfire by preferring to pursue the liberal, Obama agenda in Kentucky – an agenda that doesn’t put Kentuckians back to work.
Increasing taxes
Kentucky House Democrats misfire when they pursue the tired, tax-and-spend policies of liberals in Washington.
The leader of Kentucky House Democrats, Speaker Greg Stumbo, announced he is working on a proposal to increase the state’s sales tax from 6% to 7%.
Serial misfires: do they just happen?
Kentucky House Democrats misfired when they botched the investigation into one of their former colleagues.
Kentucky House Democrats misfire when they take a page from Barack Obama’s playbook by proposing a 40% increase in the minimum wage and failing to address job creation.
Kentucky House Democrats misfire when their leaders seek to increase taxes on Kentuckians.
With such egregious, early misfires, Kentucky House Democrats owe Kentuckians more than “it happens.”
