The fact that the redistricting debate currently underway in Frankfort has been heated and sometimes personal is well documented in the pages of The River City News. What can be lost on those of us in Northern Kentucky sometimes is just how country this great Commonwealth is. We have our share of characters up here, but none with the folksy rhetorical fire of House Speaker Greg Stumbo (D-Prestonburg).
The new state House district map approved by lawmakers Thursday sets the stage for six new open seats and pits potentially as many as 11 incumbents against each other in this year’s elections. Most of those incumbents affected are sitting Republican legislators. But lawmakers approved the map 63-34 with five Republicans joining with the Democrats to vote for it. The redrawing of the 100 House districts also sparked one of the more passionate House floor debates. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, stepped down from his speaker’s chair to lead the Democrats’ response to Republicans counter proposal map. Stumbo, in full country-lawyer mode, criticized the map presented by Rep. Joe Fischer, R-Fort Thomas, because as it was drawn it would violate the Federal Voting Rights Act by removing precincts with a heavy Hispanic population from the 77th District in Lexington.|
Full country mode, indeed! Here's what Stumbo said to Fischer as the debate was winding down: "I don't come from a fancy place like he does where they got a lot of lawyers and they got fancy courtrooms, I'm an old country lawyer, myself. But I know this: if it complies with the law, it don't need fixin'!"
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WATCH THE FULL EXCHANGE AND READ MORE AT THE LINK. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. OH, AND SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT COVINGTON'S REP. ARNOLD SIMPSON!
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