Redistricting legislation approved, moves on to governor

Very rare for them to meet on Saturday

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – The Kentucky General Assembly met in a rare Saturday session so final action could be taken on legislative congressional and appellate court redistricting during the first week of the 2022 regular session.

The House approved the Senate’s redistricting bill, Senate Bill 2, involving their own chamber, on a 67-23 vote. 

The Congressional redistricting bill, SB 3, also won easy passage, 65-25.

They also voted 85-4 to adopt SB 20, which addresses legal challenges to redistricting bills.  It would change the current law, which has a three-judge panel appointed by the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court to hear any lawsuits regarding redistricting.  Instead, the challenges could be filed in the home county of the plaintiff of any lawsuit.

Those three measures now head to Gov. Andy Beshear, who has 10 days to sign them, veto them, or let them become law without his signature.

At the same time, the Senate gave final approval to House Bill 179, which covers redistricting fo the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court districts on a 33-1 vote.  The lone no vote came from Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg.

By a 23-10 margin, the Senate also passed the House redistricting bill, 23-10.

Those two measures also go to the governor for his final action.

In addition, the Senate, on a 25-9 vote, adopted Senate Bill 1, which would remove the power of hiring school principals from the school’s site-based council, and return it to the local school board, which was the method used prior to the passage of the Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990.  It also gives the local school board the authority to determine the curriculum in each school, which had been within the purview if the site-based councils as well.

SB 1 now heads to the House for its consideration.   

Lawmakers will return to Frankfort on Monday for the start of the second week of the session.