KY Democrats slam GOP bingo cards with ‘poor’ and ‘women’s rights’ boxes
Bingo cards left on the desks of Republican Kentucky House members featuring progressive causes and words like “poor,” “Democracy” and “women’s rights” have drawn sharp criticism from state Democrats.
The Kentucky Democratic Party released photos of the bingo cards, which were found on House members’ desks on Wednesday, traditionally the busiest day of the year for the Republican-led legislature as it races to pass bills on the final day they can withstand a veto from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
“We caught Kentucky House Republicans playing bingo on the House floor yesterday, and the bingo cards had squares like ‘poor,’ ‘public education,’ ‘working families,’ ‘affordable healthcare,’ and ‘Pre-K for All.’ To them, your struggles are just a game,” the Kentucky Democratic Party wrote in a statement.
Antics near the end of legislative sessions are nothing new. On both sides of the aisle, lawmakers often joke or play games with each other, sometimes during floor debates — particularly as the days begin to drag on and morale lowers.
But the cards struck a chord among Democrats due to the nature of the topics.
“April Fools? Nope, this bingo game is real. The only joke is thinking Republican Party of Kentucky members have the best interests of Kentuckians in mind. Y’all should be deeply ashamed,” the party wrote in a social media post.
Rep. Sarah Stalker, D-Louisville, made reference to the cards when speaking about the Executive Branch budget bill passed by the legislature Wednesday.
“Mark your bingo cards because we’re going to be talking about foster care,” Stalker said.
Other words and phrases on bingo cards shared by the party include: climate control, fear mongering, social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, billionaires, gun violence and anti-ICE.
The story has been shared among some national outlets on social media like the Courier Newsroom.
Gov. Andy Beshear said it was the first he’d heard of it when asked at a press conference Thursday.
“What they were doing was really serious. They were passing bills to become laws that impact Kentuckians. ... Maybe they ought to take it a little more seriously,” Beshear said.
A spokesperson for the House Republican caucus did not respond to a request for comment on the cards as of Thursday afternoon.
