Concern About Legislative Redistricting

At the January 26, 2012 Urban County Council meeting I proposed a resolution expressing concern about the recent redistricting plan for Kentucky House and Senate Districts approved by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor Beshear.  After significant discussion, Council approved the resolution, initially by a vote of 11 to 3, and then on a final vote of 12 to 2.  The following day the Herald-Leader ran a brief article about the council resolution, and an extensive article about the details of the redistricting plan.

My interest in proposing the resolution was to have the council, as an elected body representing all Fayette County, speak out about the negative effects of the highly partisan elements of the plan, and to express our interest in having the legislature change the redistricting process so that partisan excess is  minimized.  At the same time, I did not want to put the issue before Council if it would heighten the very partisanship it was meant to counter.

Before proposing the resolution I circulated two versions of it to a number of Council members for feedback.  One version was close to the final version approved.  The other version went into more detail and referenced specifically the part of the plan that moved Sen. Kathy Stein’s district out of Fayette County.  The responses indicated that a general statement, one that itself stayed away from any possible partisan implications, would be better, and more likely to receive council support.

In the discussion at the Council meeting, Council members, including some who voted in favor of the resolution, expressed a number of concerns.  One concern was about other ways to achieve the purpose, such as sending a letter signed by those Council members who chose to do so.  Another concern was about the potential negative impact of the resolution on our overall relations with the General Assembly.  Some members expressed concern about jeopardizing support for specific requests, such as modifying the present pension system for police and firefighters.

I recognize the validity of these concerns and others that were expressed.  But in the end it seemed to me more important to have the Council as a body state clearly to the citizens of our community that  their local elected officials have concerns about actions at the state level that, whatever else they achieve, undermine people’s belief in government and the democratic process that is the defining value of our society.  I appreciate Council’s willingness to take a formal stand on this important and difficult issue.