Candidates debate ahead of primary election

Apr. 16—Four Democrats vying for a spot on the ballot for State Representative appeared in a debate Monday, nearly one month ahead of the May primary election.

The 98th District Democratic debate featured a quantity of topics Monday ranging from addiction prevention to education to women's rights.

One thing that remained clear between the four candidates — James Reneau, Tammie Womack, Shawn Assar and Joe Virgin: the tone of seriousness for strong representation in Frankfort.

The Democratic candidate who receives the most votes come May 21 will face Republican Aaron Thompson for a chance to replace the retiring Dr. Danny Bentley.

Jobs and poverty

"We need somebody in Frankfort fighting for us. We are fighting over the small potatoes and we're not all rolling in the same direction," Virgin said about economic development.

Virgin applauded Gov. Andy Beshear and said he is working to push jobs to the northeastern Kentucky area.

"We can recover," Virgin said. "We had it once, we can get it back. We had careers here, we can build careers here again."

A lag in economic development is the creation of poverty and homelessness in Greenup County, Virgin said.

"Sixty to 80 children last year were homeless. Everybody thinks this is a big-city problem. It's a problem right here," he said.

Attacking the poverty problem is going to take working with regional, local, municipal and partners within other states surrounding Kentucky, according to Reneau.

"Poverty is one of those complex issues, it's all about more than just jobs. It's food, it's housing, it's education, it's transportation, it's addiction. There is nothing simple about solving poverty. It's going to take everyone working together," Reneau said.

"I can't just wave my magic wand and a thousand high-paying jobs appear; I wish I could," he added.

Creating a skilled and ready work force for the emerging industries is a must, Assar said.

"Any given month or day, Kentucky has roughly 120,000 jobs available, it's just we are under-skilled," Assar said. "I would love to bring big industries here. We should be careful of trusting big industries. A small town can drive small businesses."

Womack took aim at the lack of results from economic progress and success in Greenup County. She proposed large water mains to help economic goals come to fruition.

"Gov. Andy Beshear is making epic moves to deliver industry to our state," Womack said. "We have an economic board, yet still no major results. We are waiting with bated breaths to learn if that mystery plant that Beshear is rallying for might come to us. We have rails, we have a river, now we need to ensure our infrastructure is set appropriately to welcome those same large employers."

Challenges in schools

Reneau, who has been a college professor for more than 20 years proposed strengthening funds to vocational, technical schools and secondary training.

"I see a lot of students that aren't college material, trying to come through and get a college degree," he said. "We all kinda know deep down in our hearts that a college degree is not for everybody. ... We need to stop distributing state funds to K-12 charters and vouchers," Reneau said, receiving applause from the group gathered.

Two major challenges in schools are "inadequate funding" and "disparity in resources," said Assar, an elementary school teacher. Investing in public education, prioritizing teacher salaries and support programs are some of the things for which he will advocate.

"I will fight to defend, to increase — I would go crazy with investing in education. I believe if we invest, we will get an awesome return," he said.

Every public education student should have access to "quality robust education," regardless of zip code, Assar added.

Womack said the lack of classroom funding, decrepit textbooks and "bad" vocational schools are a variety of challenges facing area school systems.

If elected, Womack said she would sponsor a bill to mandate one legislature member to spend one-on-one time with certified teachers.

"We must return to the early years, when teachers were treated as a valued commodity," she said.

Virgin told the crowd an overwhelmed school system is to blame for challenges facing schools. He proposed to find ways to let teachers focus on their job to teach and educate.

"Before they can educate a kid, we are asking them to feed them, be counselors, and physicians... all of these things that society should be doing, not the school system," he said.

Woman's right to choose

Assar said he 100% agrees with women having the right to abortion when necessary.

"A woman's right to choose is crazy how that's even a question in 2024. I strongly support a woman's right to choose. It's between her and her doctor and shouldn't be between any type of legislature," he said.

"It's just a fact," a woman in the audience abruptly announced.

"What we see is, unfortunately, your all's rights are being stripped away," Assar said. "Where will it stop? If they can tell you what to do with your body, it won't stop with a woman. It will eventually seep into other areas."

Despite being the only woman among the candidates, Womack grabbed the crowd's attention with a tragic story of abuse to her daughter.

"I'm a mother to a daughter who was brutally raped while in college," Womack said. "She did it all correctly, just as we teach women to do; she didn't shower, she didn't change her clothes, she went straight to the emergency room.

"She sobbed telling the detective the crime at least six times that night in the ER," Womack added.

Womack shared the story because it's a "chief" reason why she is running for Kentucky House of Representatives and would stand behind all women's right to choose, she said.

Virgin was succinct about abortion. He said the language of the law needs to be amended to exempt possible scenarios.

"The best thing for that issue is we need to amend that law to include a way out for rape, incest and the life of the mother," Virgin said, receiving a few claps.

Reneau said he would, if elected, work to advance women's reproductive rights with his first piece of legislation.

"I absolutely support women's rights and I don't get why the state has anything to do with the privacy of a relationship between a woman, her family, her God and her doctor. That makes no damn sense at all," he said.

"Being a father of a daughter, I understand," he added.

Infrastructure

Womack spoke to the crowd about poor conditions of water lines and said it's a major infrastructure issue that needs attention.

"I learned recently at a dinner that our small diameter pipes are actually inhibiting our ability to create jobs.

"I refuse to go from tax increases to make infrastructure change happen," she said.

Virgin took the approach of high-speed internet access.

"We need high-speed internet, cellphone service. Half of the time I can't watch TV because of it going out," he said.

"We have land we are trying to develop that doesn't have basic utilities and nobody is going to develop the land without basic utilities; it's just insane. All we can do is fight every day in Frankfort to try and move money and resources to help our area," Virgin added.

Reneau said the key to bring infrastructure to the 98th District — which includes Greenup County and some of Boyd — is building roads.

"There was supposed to be Interstate 74 coming from Cincinnati (Ohio) through our area and there was supposed to be (Interstate) 73 coming through Columbus. For some reason eastern Kentucky just got skipped. We haven't got nothing," he said.

"If we had some roads, we could bring in some infrastructure," Reneau added.

Water pipe issues and sewer line issues were a concern for Assar. He said it will take somebody knowing what they are doing to make the change happen.

"There is funding available," Assar said. "We just have to have somebody go get it and bring it here. We must know what is the most important issue, what's practical and what we should hit first. ... I will work my (butt) off to bring it here."

Drug addiction

Education and treatment is what it will take to combat the opioid crisis, Virgin said.

"We can't force people into recovery, but you can educate them and provide treatment. There also has to be consequences to these actions," Virgin said.

Virgin, who has been sober for 32 years, said if the consequences didn't get "so hot" on him, he would have relapsed.

"We do have to extend a hand, but we can't carry them all the way. There must be consequences," he added.

Reneau, a recovering alcoholic, made one thing clear: Addiction is a disease.

"We have all lost friends, we have all lost things, we all have lost so much to addiction, but there is no simple cure. There is no easy way," he said.

Reneau expressed opposition to locking people behind bars for their addiction.

"We can't incarcerate our way out of this problem. We have to do it through investing in health care, mental health care, poverty reduction, education and more. It's a complex issue, but we can solve it together through love and mutual respect," he said.

Diversion programs may be the answer, Assar said.

"In one sense, people choose to do those things to their own body," Assar said. "Who am I to say don't do that to your own body?" He said he pledged to work with law enforcement to promote diversion programs.

Education on various drugs and what they can do to the human body needs to be shown for potential users to steer clear from it, Assar said.

"You just don't tell a kid, 'don't do drugs.' You tell them don't do drugs because this is why. You give them a tool that when their friends or whoever is around them peer-pressuring them or feel peer-pressured, they will be like, 'you know what, I do not want to do that drug.'"

To address the addiction problem, Womack said it begins with the children.

"Addiction leads to crime, which increases the jail population and the budget needed for the lockup," Womack said. "Addiction leads to unhoused people and childhood food insecurities. The same hunger in tummies increases the dropout rate. Our children are the keys to the change."

Womack proposed to hire 350 certified social workers "to counter addiction and mental health issues."

(606) 326-2657 — ajohnson@dailyindependent.com