FRANKFORT — It wasn’t officially snowing just yet in Frankfort on Thursday afternoon – forecasts for a winter storm induced lawmakers to call off the Friday session – but the air in the Senate was full of bluster nonetheless.
A winter storm warning with projections of accumulation varying from 3 to 6 inches in the northern part of the state and even more along the Tennessee border prompted lawmakers to call off Friday’s session. But before they left, state Senators engaged in blustery speechifying about a bill to allow independents to vote in primaries.
In the end, they called that vote off, too. But it’s likely to come back.
A bill by Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, would allow independents to vote in primaries of the two major parties. He said he proposed the bill at the request of a constituent in his district. But Democratic senators opposed the bill on the floor for a variety of reasons – the potential for mischief by those who wanted to vote for one party’s weaker candidate in order to boost the other party’s prospects in the fall and the argument that Democrats should choose their nominees and Republicans theirs.
Sen. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said the bill was “about expanding the franchise,” but Sen. Tim Shaughnessy, D-Louisville, said it was about adhering to a party’s principles.
“Why do we want to let someone outside our party choose our nominee?” Shaughnessy asked.
Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, whose father was the long-time county clerk of Cumberland County said it was only about allowing local voters to have more participation in the choice of local officials.
“In our county at that time, if you registered Democrat you really didn’t have any say in local offices,” Williams said. “This is not about a state senator, this is about who is commonwealth attorney, who is the county attorney or who is the county clerk?”
Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, raised concerns about someone changing his registration to independent shortly before a primary and then voting in the primary of the other party in order to influence their nominee so that his original party’s candidate would have a bitter chance. Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London, said voters must be registered accordingly by the previous Dec. 31 to vote in a primary, citing a statute to that effect. But Jones cited a competing statute which appeared to say otherwise.
The contradictory statutes prompted Williams to move to pass over the bill until Monday.
RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.
State News
Snow, bill to allow independent votes in primaries, stalls action
- State News
-
-
Ky Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton elected to 2nd term
FRANKFORT Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton has been re-elected unanimously by his fellow justices to serve another term as the court’s Chief Justice.
-
Secretary of state forecasting 10-12 percent primary turnout
FRANKFORT Kentucky’s chief election officer isn’t happy about it, but she’s predicting only a 10 to 12 percent turnout in Tuesday’s election.
Alison Lundergan Grimes said Thursday she can detect only “minimal to moderate -
Farmer may face scrutiny from ethics panel
FRANKFORT Richie Farmer’s administration of the state Department of Agriculture will undergo at least an initial review by the body charged with oversight of executive branch ethics and by another charged with reviewing personnel matters.
-
Kentucky ICAC Task Force Works To Protect Children Online
FRANKFORT, Ky. – As technology grows, so does the opportunity for child pornographers to exploit it. Social networking sites, chat rooms, file-sharing programs, message boards and forums now make it easier for offenders to
-
Lawmakers return to Frankfort
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Lawmakers kicked off a special legislative session Monday to pass a transportation budget and a prescription drug abuse bill.
-
Tales of survival from Woodward's deadly tornado
Stirring stories of survival are emerging from Woodward's tornado, but none was more compelling than that of an 87-year-old widow who escaped unscathed by hiding in her bedroom closet while her house exploded around her. Sixty-five years earlier she survived Oklahoma's deadliest tornado, one that killed 116 of her neighbors, by hiding under a dining room table.
-
Gambling amendment introduced
Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican Sen. Damon Thayer on Tuesday announced the much anticipated gambling amendment they hope to push through the legislature, an amendment that would allow up to seven casinos, five at existing
-
Judge nixes redistricting plans
Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd on Tuesday at least temporarily threw out the General Assembly’s plans to redraw state legislative districts and ordered 2012 elections to be conducted under the previous district boundaries unless
-
Minton asks for additional funding
With several circuit clerks seated behind him, Kentucky’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court told a legislative budget subcommittee Tuesday the court system can’t retain entry-level employees because as soon as they are trained they’re
-
Shepherd brings legislature to stop
FRANKFORT — Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd not only put on hold the filing deadline for candidates for state House and Senate districts — he effectively shut down the business of the General Assembly.
- More State News Headlines
-
Ky Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton elected to 2nd term

