Decision 2022: Paul, Booker face important issues in US Senate race

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The race for Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seat has two opponents with drastically different viewpoints facing off.

Current State Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is being challenged by Democratic candidate Charles Booker in November’s midterm elections.

One of the fundamental issues Booker has raised early in the campaign is police funding. Booker said a campaign ad mentioning people “echoing calls for some Black Lives Matter advocates to defund the police” has been taken out of context.

”I have supported and have worked with community partners, including law enforcement, to address the social determinacy of health and fully fund and invest in community safety,” Booker said.

Paul said he isn’t buying the statement and thinks Booker is just trying to win extra votes.

”It implies some a long-standing philosophy of his, not something that could quickly change, but he’s I think tried to change now, because he knows how unfortunate and unpopular it is,” Paul said.

Booker said Paul is playing an unethical game.

“It should be called out by every media outlet, the ad that he’s putting out about me splices my words about doing the deeper work,” Booker said. “The people of Kentucky want us to do the deeper work of keeping our community safe. And it really is a slap in the face that he’s using these racist tactics in a desperate attempt to keep his seat.”

Beyond police funding, other big issues are at hand, including what needs to be done to bring inflation levels back to Earth.

”$4 trillion comes in, we should spend $4 trillion,” Paul said. “The state government spends what comes in, your city government, your county government spends what comes in, the only government that doesn’t is the federal government.”

Paul does not support the Inflation Reduction Act, already passed by Congress. It’s an act that pays on deficits while simultaneously paying out on climate change programs.

Booker said he would get behind it.

“This legislation will help drive investment into local business, help make sure we can build sustainable industries, like solar, and doing that type of deeper work,” Booker said.”

Another topic sure to move voters is abortion.

“I believe that the people of Kentucky should be able to make the decision over their own bodies,” Booker said. “I respect all personal beliefs, but the government should not be in the position of determining who gets health care and who doesn’t.”

Rand Paul said he supports the sanctity of life, and he doesn’t see a Congress that would bring abortion laws back to Congress.

“I don’t think we’re going to have any federal laws on it, and I think this is going back to the state,” Paul said. “I don’t think there’s sixty votes to codify abortion up until the time of birth. I don’t think there’s sixty votes to get rid of abortion from conception.”

Disaster relief is another key topic, especially after tragedies in Eastern and Western Kentucky.

”The state legislature did have money,” Paul said. “They saved, they had a rainy day fund. They sent $200 million to Western Kentucky, $200 million to Eastern Kentucky. If I had my druthers, the federal government would be the same way. Spend what comes in and save a small portion each year. A small portion of $4 trillion will still be billions of dollars for disaster relief.”

Booker said there were chances to strengthen disaster relief that Paul never took.

”Rand Paul voted against disaster relief over and over again throughout his career, and even in the midst of these storms, he still voted against disaster relief for Kentucky,” Booker said.

It’s a race between two people who oppose each other and just about every turn.

Election Day is Nov. 8.

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