Pendleton                   Yonts

Kentucky House Democrats have agreed to comply with Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling that they run in their old districts for the time being, but say that won’t keep them from seeking an expedited ruling from the Supreme Court.

15^th District State Representative Brent Yonts of Greenville says the Supreme Court will likely be asked to dissolve Judge Shepherd’s injunction against the new lines when it convenes Monday.

Representative Yonts says it’s up to the court’s discretion whether they even hear the case next week and it would go to the Court of Appeals if they choose not to.

State Senator Joey Pendleton says he was not surprised by Judge Shepherd’s decision to make legislators run in their old districts and said the Supreme Court could do anything from making them re-draw their lines to drawing their lines for them.

Perhaps most importantly, Senator Pendleton says the filing deadline will come and go Friday afternoon at 4 and he believes there will be at least temporary closure that lawmakers will run in their own districts.

Representative Yonts expects some type of action from the Supreme Court or Court of Appeals on Judge Shepherd’s ruling, as he believes it was based on outdated precedents that placed an undue emphasis on county lines.

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02/09/2012/am