We heard before the legislative session started on January 4 that the re-districting debate would be nasty. It's been worse.

The House, Senate, and Gov Beshear have passed re-districting plans that are vindictive against specific lawmakers, leave at least one incumbent lawmaker without a district to run for re-election, give constituents in another district a new senator who lives halfway across the state from the district he will now represent, and creates very oddly shaped districts that unnecessarily divide coherent communities and constituencies.

For example, Lexington's own Sen. Kathy Stein (a sponsor of KFTC’s Stream Saver Bill in the Senate), who has represented her constituents in either the House or Senate since 1997, will have the Lexington district she now represents moved to northern Kentucky. The western Kentucky district now represented by Sen. Dorsey Ridley – 200 miles away – will be moved to Lexington.

This leaves many in Lexington without an effective Senator who understands this community for the next 2 years. 

The House and the Senate, the Republicans and Democrats, are equally responsible for creating this subversion of democracy. The end-goal seemed to be building partisan power and forcing popular legislators to have to run against one another (or forcing them out altogether) at the expense of a stronger and truly representative democracy.

ACTION:

Please join us for a rally against this insane redistricting
Tomorrow (Sunday, January 22nd)
4 p.m.
Lexington, In front of the Courthouse at the corner of Main and N. Limestone

Facebook Event

Please also consider writing a letter to the editor to the Herald-Leader or other newspaper to let them know how you feel about this.

We're also considering a broader rally in Frankfort on Tuesday.  More information on this as it comes together. 

For more information:

Watch a video of Reps. Kelly Flood and Jeff Hoover speaking out against this redistricting plan and the redistricting process in general. Representative Flood’s speech begins at the 34:50 mark and Representative Hoover’s speech begins at 43:15.

See: “House approves redistricting plan with oddly shaped boundaries” - Lexington Herald Leader