Bill Targets Party Switching (would allow Rats to sue anyone who becomes a Republican)

WLEX-TV (Kentucky) ^ | 2.15.04

[ambrose]

FRANKFORT

Bill Targets Party Switch

Elected officials who switch political parties could wind up in court under a bill introduced in the Kentucky House.

The bill envisions allowing campaign contributors, individuals, political parties or political action committees to sue a party switcher in small claims court to recoup their money.

The bill was offered by a group of Democrats. Co-sponsors include two House leaders, Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark of Louisville and Majority Leader Rocky Adkins of Sandy Hook.

"This provides a way for people who feel like they've been duped to retrieve the money they invested in the campaign of an individual they believed in," said the lead sponsor, Rep. Jim Wayne of Louisville.

Rep. Jeff Hoover, the top House Republican, called it an attempt to "slow the demise of the Democratic Party."

"They see they're on a slippery slope, and it's an attempt to try to keep that from happening," said Hoover, of Jamestown.

Democrats have been stung by defections in recent years. Republicans took control of the Senate when two Democrats switched to the GOP, Dan Seum of Louisville and Bob Leeper of Paducah.

The GOP has increased its majority in subsequent elections.

One House Democrat, Rep. Tom Kerr of Taylor Mill, switched to the Republicans last fall and others have been courted. Democrats still have a 63-36 majority with one seat vacant.

Wayne said the bill could "work in reverse as well." He said some Republicans are "thinking a lot more like Democrats." The measure recognizes that politicians aren't elected in a vacuum, he said.

"What we're saying is, you're not just an individual here, you're accountable, you have responsibility to a lot of people who shared in your election," he said. "And this is a way to make those elected officials recognize that accountability and have some kind of consequence."

Hoover said the bill misses a fundamental point: "Most people make political donations because they like the person, not because of the particular party."

The bill is backed by the politically active Kentucky AFL-CIO. Its president, Bill Londrigan, said taking contributions and then switching parties after the election is "tantamount to thievery." "We think that someone that switches parties after they've been elected... are basically stealing the vote as well as stealing the money from the contributor and taking it under false pretexts," he said.

The legislation would apply to local and state elected officials who switch parties, Wayne said. Under the bill, contributors would have 90 days after an officeholder's party switch to bring an action in small-claims court.

The measure has not yet been heard in committee.

Hoover said that if the bill manages to pass the House, it will have "breathed its last breath when the roll call is taken."

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, likened the bill to "the Berlin Wall." He said it attempts to "force people through court action to stay in a party that has lost its philosophical rudder."

Story Filed, Sunday, February 15, 2004

[Paul C. Jesup]

And I thought CFR was bad.

[EDINVA]

Didn't former Sen. Aiken's wife get her campaign cont ributions back from Jumpin Jim Jeffords?

[goldstategop]

The Democrats in Kentucky are on the ropes. They hold only one Congressional seat and at only cause the Democrat had the name recognition going for him. Banning party switching won't cure what ails them.

[.cnI redruM]

What a bunch of A**-CLowns!!! LMAO!!

[Cultural Jihad]

Leave it to Democrats to think any money freely contributed to a candidate actually belongs to the Party.

[going hot]

typical rat move. Don't like someone's behavior, especially deserting the sinking ship? easy, just make a law banning it.

[Persephone Kore]

desperate tactics for desperate people.

[Between the Lines]

"And this is a way to make those elected officials recognize that accountability and have some kind of consequence.

I always thought that elections made politicians accountable to the voters.

[Mike Darancette]

Freedom of association problems for this.

[ricks_place]

I do not understand why the Dems would bother legislating.
Find a sympathetic judge to write the law.
SOP

[MissAmericanPie]

"He said, "Some Republicans are thinking more like Democrats"

Yeah, that seems to be going around alot.

[GeronL]

One House Democrat, Rep. Tom Kerr of Taylor Mill, switched to the Republicans last fall and others have been courted. Democrats still have a 63-36 majority with one seat vacant

What was the vote in that state?? How did the Democrats get such a majority??? gerrymandering??

[GeronL]

why don't they just ban any party other than Democrat??

[ambrose]

How did the Democrats get such a majority??? gerrymandering??

That and ignorant hicks who are still pissed off over the Civil War.

[DWPittelli]

I wonder how the law is exactly worded, and what counts as a defection. After all, Jeffords didn't technically become a Democrat, he just voted for Daschle for majority leader.

[Pilsner]

Maybe they can get Jim Jeffords to come in and testify in favor of this law.

[fortunecookie]

What's next? Shot-gun switches to the Democrat party? Blech.

It's clear the Dems are afraid, maybe afraid people might, oh, I don't know think for themselves????

[going hot]

they certainly would like to do just that, except some pesky people keep getting in the way and voting for -gasp- their opponents.

[GeronL]

Look, I am not upset over the Civil War, I just fantasize about getting a billion dollars and launching the Texas Independence Party...