Teachers to mount insurgency at Kentucky's campaign kickoff

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Some Kentucky teachers plan to use a popular political picnic to launch a fall offensive on the midterm elections.

Leaders of the group #120Strong say they expect as many as 200 people to attend the Fancy Farm picnic on Saturday. The picnic marks the traditional start of the fall campaign season in Kentucky. Candidates from both parties share the stage before a crowd of hecklers as their speeches are broadcast on statewide television.

Some teachers are angry at changes the legislature made to the state retirement system. Republican leaders have dismissed the protests as noise from a vocal minority of registered voters. But organizer Nema Brewer said the goal of this weekend’s demonstration is to show lawmakers teachers are still angry and still paying attention.