Judge blocks Ky. state senator from serving because of residency rules

[JMac]

A Republican state senator may not take any official action or get paid because she was not a qualified resident of Kentucky before the election, a judge ruled Friday.

Franklin County Circuit Judge William Graham's temporary injunction all but removed Dana Seum Stephenson from office, prohibiting her from "sitting as a state senator, from performing any official duties of the office as state senator, from receiving or accepting any pay for the office of state senator and from participating in the affairs of the General Assembly."

Stephenson received more votes than Democrat Virginia Woodward in their Jefferson County race, but Woodward went to court just before the election and won a judicial ruling that Stephenson did not meet the six-year residency requirement in the Kentucky Constitution.

Woodward was certified by the State Board of Elections as the only candidate receiving votes and took an oath of office on Jan. 1 as a senator. The Republican-controlled Senate, however, later voted to seat Stephenson, even though a special committee appointed to review the case also determined Stephenson did not meet the residency requirement.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2005/01/14/national1716EST0683.DTL

[roguevalley]

1. good lord. give the seat to George Clooney's dad. :)

[Wilms]

2. Tsk. Tsk.

What ever happened to those "Rule of Law" Republicans.

[texpatriot2004]

3. So, they put the Rethug in anyway? Regardless of the Rules?

This is so pathetic!

[jsascj]

4. This is like Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Republicans are the Pea pods and they are taking over the world.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. Good for Graham, now give Woodward the seat!

[berniew1]

6. Woodward was the only real candidate: she won

The Kentucky Senate cannot ignore the law, unless the public allows it. I assume the Dems in Kentucky won't allow it this time. They clearly have the law on their side in this one, so I assume Woodward is the new state senator.
Irregardless of what the K. Senate does.

[LeeB]

7. ROFL!!

The thugs never quit. At least they're consistent.