Abortion among hot topics during contentious Kentucky Governor’s race debate

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (WXIX) – Weeks before Kentucky voters choose their next governor, Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Daniel Cameron faced off in the state’s only gubernatorial debate at the Northern Kentucky University campus on Monday.

Abortion was the hottest topic of the debate. Kentucky passed a stringent abortion law in 2019, which was put into effect after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs vs. Jackson ruling last year. Beshear challenged Cameron on whether he would support exceptions in the Kentucky law for abortions in cases of rape or incest.

“We need to change this law,” Beshear said. “We need to make sure that those individuals have that option.”

Cameron said: “I have also said, that if the legislature would give me a bill with exceptions in it, I would certainly sign it.”

Education was one of the biggest topics of the debate. Cameron and Beshear have contrasting plans on improving the state’s schools.

“We need leadership that’s going to catch our kids up,” Cameron said. “(Leadership) that will increase the salaries of our teachers, restore discipline to the classroom and remove any bueraucracy that might exist that disconnects teachers from our students.”

Beshear said: “My plane – across the board 11-percent raise for any teacher, bus driver, mental health counselor. If we want to catch our kids up in math, they need a math teacher and it’s also time for universal Pre-K in Kentucky.”

For information on the upcoming Kentucky election, visit the state website.

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