House speaker hopes for prompt resolution
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 20, 2013) — Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo on Monday filed an answer to a federal court action seeking to compel state legislative redistricting.
“No one wants to preserve legislative independence more than I do,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg. “That’s why the House passed a solid redistricting plan last session and urged the Senate to do the same. Sadly, continued inaction pushes us closer to the brink of federal intervention. I can’t imagine why anyone would want federal judges to do our job.”
Stumbo holds out hope for prompt resolution.
“All the Senate has to do is offer a valid plan and I will join in asking for an immediate special session to resolve this once and for all,” Stumbo said. “The House plan has been public for months, and it is time to wrap this up. The Senate knows I stand ready to act.”
Included in the court documents filed today by Speaker Stumbo is a redistricting map for the Senate, shown below.
“I directed my staff to share this plan with the Senate last week to show that a sound map can be drawn using our population data,” Stumbo said. “The interesting thing is that this map pairs no incumbents in the Senate. If the old population data is used, four incumbents, including two Republicans, have to run against each other, so I can’t imagine why we do not already have agreement on what numbers to use.”
The House Speaker acknowledge the right of each chamber to draw its own map.
“We just want to show that it can be done, not that our map is the only one,” he said. “But the simple fact is, further delay only makes it more likely that judges will step in to do a job that is now long overdue. That’s what I want to avoid.”
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