FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – The 2019 Kentucky General Assembly was gaveled into order Tuesday with the House naming a nine member panel to examine a disputed election.
The first order of business was the swearing in of all members who were certified as winning the November election and included 32 new lawmakers.
One of them was Rep. Jim Glenn, D-Owensboro, who defeated Republican incumbent DJ Johnson in the 13th District race by one vote. Johnson filed to contest the results and a board, chosen by lot from the other members, will determine whether to sustain the certified results.
After taking their oaths of office, members elected Rep. David Osborne, R-Prospect, Speaker of the House and Rep. David Meade, R-Stanford, as Speaker Pro Tem, both by acclamation.
The House Committee on Committees then approved a report establishing an election contest board to address Johnson’s filing. The names of nine members were drawn at random to be members of the board.
Each person whose name was drawn was called to the front of the chamber, where Speaker Osborne asked each of them, “Can you, without great personal inconvenience, serve on the board without an undue bias for or against either of the parties?”
Each of those answered that they could. Those who will serve, including three Democrats and six Republicans, are:
–Patti Minter, D-Bowling Green
–Tommy Turner, R-Somerset
–Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, the minority floor leader
–Jason Petrie, R-Elkton
–Bart Rowland, R-Tompkinsville
–Matthew Koch, R-Paris
–John Carney, R-Campbellsville, the Majority Floor Leader
–Josie Raymond, D- Louisville
–Steve Riley, R-Glasgow
Minter, Koch and Raymond are members who took office for the first time today.