Is Laura Kelly serious about #MeToo or not?
TOPEKA, KS – If Laura Kelly is serious about her commitment to the #MeToo movement, she must call on Andrew Cuomo to resign from his position as Chair of the National Governors Association.
Kelly campaigned in 2018, promising to #PressforProgress and “come together and be gender inclusive in all parts of our communities and government.” She hasn’t followed through on that promise.
During the 2020 campaign, she merely issued a tepid statement through a spokesperson on Aaron Coleman, the controversial Wyandotte County Democrat with a history of abusive behavior towards women. She’s made no further comment on whether he should be serving in the Kansas Legislature after his victory was certified.
Kelly’s counterpart in New York is already facing a federal investigation for allegedly lying to authorities about COVID nursing home deaths in his state. Now, multiple women have come forward to shed light on Cuomo’s long history of sexual harassment in the workplace.
As a member the National Governors Association and a fellow Democrat, Kelly must take a stand against Cuomo’s inappropriate and potentially criminal behavior and demand he resigns as leader of the NGA. A scandal-plagued governor like Andrew Cuomo is unfit to lead the nation’s top executives.
Through NGA, governors identify priority issues and deal collectively with matters of public policy and governance at the state and national levels. Throughout the response to the COVID pandemic, governors have exercised more authority than any other time in modern history. The NGA serves as a vehicle for governors to leverage federal resources, and as head of the association, Cuomo sets its priorities.
It’s time for Kelly to step up and prove her campaign promises weren’t just empty slogans.
