Redistricting Appeal Goes To Supreme Court

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Monday, the appeal over Kentucky's newly-drawn legislative districts went to the state Supreme Court at a potential cost of $220,000 in legal fees, most to be footed by taxpayers. The Legislative Research Commission, which represents House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams, has budgeted $95,000 for Louisville attorney Sheryl Snyder. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and the state Board of Elections, also defendants, have budgeted $50,000 for the law firms of Tachau Meek in Louisville and Britton Osborne Johnson in Lexington. Those legal fees will be paid with public funds. House Republicans, who brought the lawsuit, are privately raising funds to pay for their lawyers at Fultz Maddox Hovious & Dickens in Louisville who told them to look at a budget of $75,000. In the appeal, the Legislative Research Commission said Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd effectively drew a new map when he tossed the bill that set redrawn lines for the 2012 elections. The lawmakers say drawing districts is a power reserved solely for them. Shepherd ruled last week that the new districts are out of balance and needed to be redrawn to comply with the "one person, one vote" mandate in federal and state law.