1-25-12 —   Governor Steve Beshear on Friday, January 20 signed into law  

controversial plans to re-draw state legislative districts while  

complaining of the partisan motivations of the Republican Senate but  

without comment on Democratic House lines.

    The plans were devised by the majority leadership in both chambers—

Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate—pitting  

incumbents of the other party against each other and in one Senate  

district making the incumbent, Kathy Stein of Lexington, ineligible  

to run for re-election this year.

    The House plan combines three Republicans into one district,  

combines nine altogether and sets up a  potential primary for  

Republican leader Jeff Hoover.

    "Redistricting is always a partisan process and the current  

situation is no exception," Beshear said in a statement released  

after he signed the bill. "However, the action directed by the Senate  

President (David Williams) to move Sen. Kathy Stein's district in  

Lexington to northeast Kentucky in order to keep  her from being able  

to run for re-election and moving western Kentucky Sen. Dorsey  

Ridley's district to Lexington, goes beyond partisanship. It reflects  

a personal vindictiveness that should have no place in this process."

    But it wasn't enough to convince Beshear to veto the bill.

    "However, the deadline for Kentuckians to file for these House and  

Senate seats is January 31, only 11 days away," Beshear said.  

"Therefore, I am signing House Bill 1 today so that all citizens  

interested in filing for any of these seats will know what House or  

Senate district they are in and have time to get their filing papers  

in order to file for office."

    Williams didn't address the move of Stein's and Ridley's districts,  

accusing Beshear of "casting aspersions" and lacking the courage to  

veto the plan.

    "If the governor truly believed that House Bill 1 is such an  

egregious piece of legislation, he should have the courage of his  

convictions to veto the plan," Williams said in his own statement.  

"As usual, though, he prefers to cast aspersions instead of taking  

responsibility for his own actions or inactions and thereby continues  

to make Frankfort more partisan than it already is."

    Given the anger and outrage of minority members in both chambers, it  

might be hard to find a  more partisan place than Frankfort already.  

At least that seemed to be the mood at a table in the Capital Annex  

cafeteria where five Republican house members gathered for lunch.

    "I think both chambers are equally guilty of partisanship," said  

Rep. John Carney, R-Campbellsville. "I think the losers here are the  

people of Kentucky."

    He and Rep. Sara Beth Gregory, R-Monticello, think a less partisan  

process is needed. Carney noted that 12 states use independent non-

partisan commissions to draw legislative lines and he wants Kentucky  

to at least look at that approach to see how it works.

    Gregory said she had read stories indicating some of those  

commissions have had problems so she wasn't sure that's necessarily  

the answer.

    "I would support more transparency," Gregory said. "The plans need  

to be publicly available for a couple of days before they vote so  

people can know what's happening."

    Beshear's statement also called for "some type of non-partisan,  

citizen-based group (to) be created to participate in that process"  

prior to the new redistricting after the 2020 U.S. Census.

    Meanwhile, although state districts are now law, the leaders of the  

two parties have yet to agree on a congressional map. House Speaker  

Greg Stumbo said Friday morning the two sides were still "far apart."  

He said the Democrats had offered substantial changes to their  

original map but the Senate Republicans responded with basically  

their original map. He wouldn't share any specifics.

    Stumbo proposed continuing negotiations Friday with hopes of an  

agreement on which both chambers might then vote Monday, the last day  

in his opinion the vote could be taken with moving back the  

congressional filing deadline.

    But Williams released a statement which said since the House  

adjourned there would be no agreement on Friday and the deadline can  

be extended—presumably without affecting the January 31 deadline for  

state lawmakers.

    "Our position has always been that the current congressional  

districts should be changed minimally to constitutionally conform to  

population shifts so that most Kentuckians will be able to benefit  

from the same representation and maintain electoral accountability,"  

said Williams. "Any attempt of either side to gain new political  

advantage from the congressional redistricting would be futile."

    Stumbo wants to realign the First District by moving Daviess County  

from the Second and then moving counties east of the Second District  

but now in the First to the Second. He also wants to move some  

northeastern Kentucky counties like Boyd, Carter, Elliott and Greenup  

to the Fifth from the Fourth to more closely resemble Kentucky's old  

Seventh District when the state had more population relative to other  

states.

    Editor's Note: Wayne County kept the same representation in the  

Kentucky House and Senate, though the composition of the district's  

did change somewhat. 52nd District Representative Sara Beth Gregory  

represents a district that now includes Wayne, Clinton and a portion  

of Pulaski County. Previously the district was comprised of Wayne,  

McCreary and a portion of Pulaski County.

    State Senator David Williams represents the 16th District which is  

comprised of Wayne County, Pulaski County, Russell County, Clinton  

County and Cumberland County.