Kentucky Lt. Governor Jenean Hamptonsays state governors need to make more effort to push back against federal overreach, citing the recent controversy over a transgender bathroom policy in public schools.
Hampton was the featured speaker before the Purchase Area Development District in Mayfield on Monday.
Hampton used her time to talk about her humble upbringing in 1960s Detroit, her time in the U.S. Air Force as a computer systems officer and as plant manager of the ConAgra Food Plant in Princeton before running with Republican Governor Matt Bevin in 2015 as a story of breaking the cycle of poverty.
Fielding a question from the room, Hampton touched on the controversy surrounding President Obama’s recent directive over transgender bathroom usage in public schools.
In a statement, Bevin has called the transgender bathroom directive an “absurd federal overreach” and “intimidation” by threatening to withhold federal funding from non-abiding schools.
Hampton, a conservative Tea Party member, says this conflict when the states cede too much authority to the fed.
“I grew up thinking that there was a hierarchy, and the federal government was up here and the state government was down here, but we’ve sort of de facto given them that power," said Hampton. "We -- the states -- have ceded much of that power to the federal government and part of the problem is the states haven’t push back on so many things. And so I know we are looking at our options to push back.”
Hampton says it comes down to a matter of authority over funding.
“Because federal funds always come with strings," she said. "And you’re seeing the fruits of that now because our President is dictating bathrooms. And now we’re being dictated to in the schools, you must do this or you don’t get the funding, so this is the dance that we do.”
Hamtpon did not elaborate on what a push back to the federal instruction would entail.
Hampton also spoke about her first months as Lt. Governor and her most favored bills signed by Bevin including legislation on informed consent and felony expungement.
