Kentucky’s new governor took office in December of 2015, and constituents in Kentucky already want him out. This is unsurprising considering that the Tea Party darling began making a mess of the state, one of the ten poorest states in the country, during his first week in office.
“Progress in Kentucky is quickly unraveling in Tea Party Governor Matt Bevin’s first month in office, but what was anyone to expect from a political candidate who opposed the Violence Against Women Act, gave a campaign speech at a cockfighting rally, and promised to end medical coverage for impoverished Kentuckians? With five executive orders, Bevin took voting rights back from ex-felons, changed marriage licenses after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, and ended state worker’s hopes of receiving a raise in wages, all in just one month.”
What is surprising is that it took less than 90 days for voters in Kentucky to start a petition to have Bevin removed from office. More than 8,000 Kentuckians have already signed. The petition includes a letter to the state senate and state house.
“Begin a formal investigation into the 2015 Kentucky State election that brought Matt Bevin in as Governor, and remove Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin from office if evidence shows him to be participating in fraud, or corruption on any level. In addition, begin a formal investigation into the Governor’s motives for cutting funding for public education, healthcare, and the very necessary departments that oversee and audit the ethics of decisions and actions in the governor’s office and election over site. We, The People of Kentucky demand straightforward answers and actions made by the lawmakers. We intend on being answered swiftly and truthfully, with every intention on creating the progressive change that Governor Bevin is working to destroy.”
Allegations of fraud around Bevin’s election as well as his proposed new budget, which cuts funds for “committees for ethics investigations and elections oversight,” Signers of the petition make it clear that they believe Bevin won the seat of governor fraudulently and is now defunding the programs that would investigate these actions.
Addicting Info reported on the suspicions of fraud shortly after the election.
“In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s election, polls consistently showed Kentucky democrat Jack Conway leading Tea Party extremist Matt Bevin by a margin of 3 to 5 points. But on Tuesday, the unofficial election results showed a shift so dramatic that it was almost impossible to believe. Bevin suddenly and inexplicably gained nearly 15 points on election day, supposedly winning the governor’s race by a nine point margin.
On closer inspection, another anomaly in the election results showed that democrats down-ticket of the governor’s race were elected over their republican opponents. As noted journalist and election integrity watchdog Brad Friedman points out here, that’s something that would very, very unlikely to happen.”
To sign the petition on Change.org, click here.
Watch John Oliver’s hilarious takedown of Bevin below: