All Entries in the "Greg Stumbo" Category

No compromise on congressional redistricting; issue probably headed to court

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — State lawmakers failed to redraw the boundaries of Kentucky’s six congressional districts before Tuesday’s candidate filing deadline, which means the issue probably will end up in court.

House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, told House members about 20 minutes after the 4 p.m. filing deadline that a compromise agreement between the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate could not be reached.

The House and Senate had delayed the original deadline from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7 to give the two sides more time to reach an agreement.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, had worked with members of congress on a possible compromise that late last week looked promising, House leaders said. But Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers said Tuesday afternoon that the two sides appeared to “agree to disagree.”

Stumbo said congressional candidates will run in the state’s existing districts. That means someone — either a candidate or a national political party — will probably challenge the constitutionality of Kentucky’s districts.

House, Senate appear close on congressional redistricting plan

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — House and Senate negotiators appear close to an agreement on new boundaries for Kentucky’s six congressional districts.

“We have a map that shows great promise,” House Speaker Greg Stumbo said late Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said the Senate has had “little time to analyze anything” from the House, but “hope springs eternal.”

Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said the staff of U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, has been instrumental in helping the Democratic-controlled House and Republican-led Senate come to a consensus after weeks of negotiations.

Senate leaders were looking at a proposed map after the chamber adjourned Thursday evening. If the Senate agrees to the new map, it’s possible for the legislature to approve the plan before the Feb. 7 filing deadline for congressional candidates.

Judge issues restraining order in filing deadline case

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A judge issued an order Tuesday that extended the filing deadline for state legislative candidates by at least a week as he considers a legal challenge of Kentucky’s new legislative district boundaries.

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd, in a four-page order, said the filing deadline for state House and Senate candidates won’t come before 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 7. It was scheduled for 4 p.m. Jan. 31.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said her office will continue to accept nomination papers from candidates for state senator and representative until the new deadline.

Despite the extension, several candidates filed Tuesday for Kentucky’s General Assembly, while two longtime state lawmakers — Sen. Walter Blevins, D-Morehead, and Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster — said they have decided not to seek re-election. Their terms will end at the end of this year.

House, Senate agree to continue negotiations on congressional districts

By Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The House and Senate agreed Friday to push back the Jan. 31 filing deadline for candidates to allow more time for negotiations on the redrawing of Kentucky’s six congressional districts.

Senate State and Local Government Chairman Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said extending the deadline to Feb. 7 would give the negotiators more time in trying to come up with a new map for the congressional districts.

“I believe we will be able to reach a resolution,” said House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg. The two sides did not meet Friday but will continue negotiations on Monday, Stumbo said.

The Senate voted 25-0 on Friday to approve the extension. The House is expected to vote Monday.

‘Some movement’ on congressional redistricting

FRANKFORT – The state House and Senate still have not reached a compromise on the redrawing of boundaries for Kentucky’s six congressional districts, but House Speaker Greg Stumbo appeared more optimistic Thursday that the two sides could reach an agreement.

“I think there’s at least some movement,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg.

He said the House has offered another compromise plan to Republican Senate leaders. That plan specifically addressed some concerns of Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, Stumbo said. Rogers’ district includes most of Eastern and Central Kentucky.

The filing deadline for candidates is Jan. 31, but lawmakers could extend the deadline to give the two sides more time to hammer out an agreement.

Stumbo said he met and talked with Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers about the congressional map on Thursday morning, although no meeting has been set between leaders of the two chambers to produce a new congressional map.

Stivers, R-Manchester, said negotiations are “going slowly.”

HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU

Battle over redrawing Kentucky’s congressional districts on hold until Monday

UPDATED AT 1:13 P.M.

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – The state House and Senate adjourned Friday until Monday without approving a bill to redraw boundaries of Kentucky’s six congressional districts.

The lack of action means the Jan. 31 filing deadline for candidates for U.S. Congress may have to be extended.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo said he thinks Monday would be the last day for the legislature to act on House Bill 2, the congressional redistricting bill, without changing the filing deadline.

Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said the Jan. 31 filing deadline for legislative and state Supreme Court candidates should stay in effect if Gov. Steve Beshear signs into law on Friday a bill already approved by the legislature to redraw those districts.

Pastor prays against expanded gambling before governor champions it

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – In his prayer to open the joint session of the Kentucky General Assembly Tuesday night, a Frankfort pastor railed against expanded gambling before Gov. Steve Beshear pushed for it in his budget speech.

The Rev. Hershael W. York, senior pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church, asked in his prayer help for Kentuckians “to foster salaries, not slot machines, to build cars, enable jobs, not license casinos.”

Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, called York’s prayer “a political speech that was disrespectful to the governor and the voting members of the General Assembly.”

House committee approves bill to redraw state House districts

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

PDF: House redistricting plan

FRANKFORT — Over protests from Republicans, a state House committee approved a bill Wednesday to redraw boundaries of the 100 state House districts.

The new House redistricting plan, prepared by House Democratic leadership, puts nine incumbents in districts with other incumbent representatives.

That affects eight incumbent Republicans and one Democrat.

House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, and Rep. Jill York, R-Grayson, would both be in the 99th House District.

Kentucky House approves plan to redraw congressional districts

PDF: House plan for congressional districts

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The state House split mostly along party lines Tuesday in approving a bill to redraw the boundaries of Kentucky’s six congressional districts.

Republicans in the Democratic-controlled House protested that House Bill 2 was designed to protect Democratic U.S. Reps. Ben Chandler and John Yarmuth.

The bill now goes to the Republican-led Senate, where it is expected to undergo major changes.

“Absolutely, the Senate will change the House version to make the new map more like the current map,” said Senate State Government Chairman Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown.

If the Senate changes the House plan “in a positive manner, we certainly will take a look at it,” said House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg. “If the Senate chooses to change it in a political manner, I doubt it would meet very much success over here. We would just have to do without a plan.”

Stumbo says redrawing of state legislative districts might wait a year

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Friday that the redrawing of state legislative district boundaries may not be completed this year.

“As far as the House and Senate districts are concerned, it would be my opinion, not a suggestion, that yes, it could wait until 2013 from a legal perspective,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg.

He added that the redrawing of the state’s six congressional districts must be done this year.

Stumbo’s comments to reporters came as rank-and-file House members learned more about leadership’s plans to redraw their district boundaries.