A House redistricting plan puts three southcentral Kentucky Republicans in the same District: 17.
Under the plan approved Thursday, all of Butler and Edmonson County and a portion of Warren County where Rep. Jim DeCesare lives would be lumped into one district. Butler is represented by C.B. Embry and Edmonson County is represented by freshman Michael Meredith.
“Our caucus is looking at a possible legal challenge but we won’t know if that will happen or not for another week or so,” DeCesare said. “We do think it could be unconstitutional the way they split up counties beyond what was needed.”
DeCesare said it was clear they were reaching when the 17th District boundary dipped into Rich Pond where he lived.
A little of the Browning and Rockfield area will be joined with Logan and Todd counties, while Rep. Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, will see little change to his district.
The 21st District currently represented by DeCesare would then have an open seat, DeCesare said.
While the bill doesn’t have final approval, it’s not likely the Senate would try to change anything.
“Typically the House deals with its bill and the Senate deals with its bill,” DeCesare said.
As for what the three lawmakers will do, DeCesare said they have not yet discussed it.
“In a week or two we will discuss it and decide what we are going to do,” he said.
The House voted 63-34, largely along party lines, to approve the divisive proposal after rejecting a GOP-generated alternative that would have eliminated some of the oddly shaped districts in which Republicans would be pitted against each other in this year’s legislative elections.