.
>>> WHAT A ROLLER COASTER I HAVE
BEEN ON THIS SESSION.
I HAVE LAID ALL MY STORIES OUT
FOR YOU.
I EXPLAINED TO YOU HOW THESE
TYPES OF LAWS LIKE 150 WILL KILL
PEOPLE AND THE SAME FOLKS WANT
TO VOES YES NOW, VOTED FOR THAT
LEGISLATION.
>> GENTLEMAN, I APOLOGIZE --
>> MY LIFE MATTERS TOO, SPEAKER.
>> YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER.
YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP.
>> MY LIFE MATTERS TOO!
>> WELL THAT IS KENTUCKY STATE
REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES BOOKER ON
THE FLOOR OF THE STATE HOUSE.
BOOKER IS NOW RUNNING IN THE
SENATE PRIMARY LOOKING TO TAKE
ON MITCH McCONNELL.
HE IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF
CANDIDATES SEEKING THAT SEAT.
BOOKER IS RUNNING AS A STAUNCH
PROGRESSIVE WHO SUPPORTS
MEDICARE FOR ALL, A UNIVERSAL
BASIC INCOME, LEGALIZING
MARIJUANA AND THE GREEN NEW
DEAL.
THE #BOOKER BEATS MITCH WAS
TRENDING.
IT ANNOUNCED BOOKER’S CANDIDACY
AND HAMMERED MITCH McCONNELL.
>> THIS MAN KNOWS MORE THAN
ANYBODY HOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM
IN WASHINGTON.
HE IS AN ARCHITECT, HE HAS DONE
NOTHING FOR KENTUCKY.
BECAUSE HE IS NOT YOUR NEIGHBOR.
HE IS NOT YOUR BROTHER.
HE AIN’T FROM HERE.
>> I’M JOINED NOW BY STATE
REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES BOOKER OF
LOUISVILLE, WHO IS SEEKING THE
DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION IN
KENTUCKY.
REPRESENTATIVE, TELL ME A BIT
ABOUT YOUR THINKING ABOUT THE
RACE AT THIS PARTICULAR IN
MOMENT AND IF ANYTHING HAS
CHANGED, DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
POLITICAL TERRAIN IN THE LAST
FEW WEEKS?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME.
WHAT I SEE IN THE RACE IS A
OPPORTUNITY TO PUSH FOR CHANGE,
NOT JUST BEAT A TERRIBLE MITCH
McCONNELL, CALLS HIM THE GRIM
REAPER.
AND WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM, AND WE
ARE SEEING A LOT OF PROTESTS
NOW, A LOT OF CRYING OUT FOR
JUSTICE.
BUT IT GOES TO THE FACT THAT
POVERTY IS GENERATIONAL AND
PEOPLE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING AND
SO, WE HAVE A CHOICE IN THIS
ELECTION TO STAND UP FOR
MEDICARE FOR ALL, AND FIGHT FOR
A GREEN NEW DEAL AND WIN
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME SO WE CAN
DISRUPT THE CHAINS OF POVERTY
THAT PLAGUE SO MANY PEOPLE AND
I’M FIRED UP TO STAND IN THAT
MOVEMENT.
>> THE NATURAL QUESTION HERE IS
ABOUT THE POLITICS IN YOUR STATE
AND THE VIABILITY OF THIS
POLITICAL PROGRAM IN A STATE
LIKE KENTUCKY.
IT’S A STATE THAT HAS A
STATEWIDE ELECTED GOVERNOR THAT
RAN AS A MODERATE, I THINK IT’S
FAIR TO SAY, DID RUN ON MEDICAID
EXPANSION
EXPANSION.
YOUR NOMINATION IS IN A STATE
THAT DONALD TRUMP CARRIED.
THEY WILL LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND
THE STATE OF KENTUCKY AND SAY,
YOU ARE TILTING AT WIND MILLS,
THIS IS A FOOL’S ERRAND.
>> I LOVE WHEN I HEAR THAT
ASSESSMENT, WE ARE USED TO BEING
IGNORED.
PEOPLE DON’T LISTEN TO FOLKS IN
KENTUCKY.
WE ARE DEMANDING JUSTICE AND
ACCOUNTABILITY AND WE WANT A
BRIGHTER FUTURE LIKE ANYONE
ELSE. MY MESSAGE IS VERY POPULIST, I’M
MY MESSAGE IS VERY POPULIST, I’M
A TYPE ONE DIABETIC, I HAD TO
RATION MY INSULIN, SOMEBODY LIKE
MITCH McCONNELL, COULD CARE LESS
IF WE DIE AND MY BIGGEST
OPPONENT, AMY McGRATH WHO CALLS
HER A PRO TRUMP DEMOCRAT DOESN’T
HAVE A CLUE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
WE FACE.
I’M EXCITED TO BUILD THE
COALITION, FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF
APPALACHIA AND THE HOOD WHERE
I’M FROM, AND THAT’S WHY WE ARE
GOING TO WIN THE RACE.
>> IN LOUISVILLE, WHERE YOU
REPRESENT, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF
PRO AT THE TIMES AND I WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THE DEATH OF BRIE AUN
TAYLOR.
AND BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THAT,
WE TALKED ABOUT PROTESTS
HAPPENING ACROSS AMERICA AND
UNLIKELY PLACES.
PLACES YOU MAY NOT ANTICIPATE
THERE TO BE A BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTEST.
I WONDER WHAT THE VIEW OF THIS
MOMENT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF
SOMEONE RUNNING STATEWIDE AT
KENTUCKY AT THIS MOMENT IS.
>> WELL, YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT.
RIGHT BEFORE THE SEGMENT, I WAS
IN ASTIL COUNTY, WITH FOLKS THAT
WERE DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR BLACK
LIVES, IT’S A PART OF EASTERN
KENTUCKY, WHERE IT’S OVER 99%
WHITE.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING ACROSS THE
MOMENT IS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT
WE ARE INTERCONNECT.
IF WE FIGHT FOR THE CHALLENGES
THAT FACE MY COMMUNITY, WE WILL
LIFT ALL KENTUCKIANS.
I STOOD ON THE FRONT LINES AND I
WAS HIT WITH TEAR GAS, AND I
DON’T CARE, THIS IS WHERE MY
FAMILY IS.
KENTUCKIANS ARE DEMANDING REAL
CHANGE, AND WE CANNOT HAVE
SOMEONE GIVING EXCUSES AND SIT
ON THE COUCH LIKE AMY McGRATH
HAS, WHILE WE ARE DYING AND
DOORS ARE KICKED IN AND WE ARE
MURDERED IN OUR BEDS.
THIS IS HOW DO WE SHOW THE
COURAGE TO LEAD IN THE HOME AND
I’M DOING MY PARTY AND THE
COMMONWEALTH IS STANDING BEHIND
ME TO WIN THE RACE AS A RESULT.
>> BREONNA TAYLOR WAS AN EMT
FROM LOUISVILLE, ON THE FRONT
LINES OF THE COVID-19, WAS
KILLED IN HER HOUSE ALONG WITH
HER BOYFRIEND, AFTER A NO-KNOCK
WARRANT, THERE HAVE BEEN NO
CHARGES AND VIGILS AND PROTESTS
FOR BREONNA TAYLOR DAY AFTER DAY
AFTER DAY BEFORE GEORGE FLOYD’S
DEATH AND AFTER.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT CASE
AND WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF WHAT
THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE HAS BEEN
THUS FAR?
YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT OF
FRUSTRATION IN OUR COMMUNITY
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME.
THIS IS YET ANOTHER INCIDENT IN
A HISTORY OF A REALITY.
WHERE IF YOU LOOK LIKE ME, YOU
WILL BE SEEN LIKE A DEADLY
WEAPON BEFORE BEING SEEN AS A
HUMAN BEING AND FOLKS ARE CRYING
ON IT AND I HAVE STOOD UP IN
LEADERSHIP AS A STATE
REPRESENTATIVE AND WORKING WITH
STATE AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP TO
PUSH FOR A BAN ON NO-KNOCK
WARRANTS AND CITIZEN REVIEW OF
POLICE SHOOTINGS WITH SUBPOENA
POWER.
WE HAVE TO GET TO THE ROOT OF
THE ISSUE.
WHY ARE WE DEALING WITH THE
TRAUMA?
WE CRIMINALIZED POVERTY AND WE
DISMISS THE HUMANITY OF SO MANY
PEOPLE, THE RUN FOR U.S. SENATE
IS TO SAY, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE
TO BEAT MITCH McCONNELL, WE HAVE
TO TRANSFORM THE FUTURE SO WE