How could I forget this?

The Kentucky Democratic Party sent out this press release on Wednesday.

FRANKFORT -- The decision by a national legislative body to involve itself in the court fight over Louisville's 37th District Senate seat doesn't pass the smell test, Democratic State Party Chairman Jerry Lundergan said.

Lundergan today joined other Democrats who have called upon the National Conference of State Legislatures to withdraw the amicus curiae brief it filed in the case and issue a public apology.

The organization, which claims to be non-partisan, last week filed an amicus brief supporting Republican Senate President David Williams' claim that the Senate has the power to ignore the Kentucky constitution and three court rulings and seat even unqualified candidates as senators.

A review of NCSL's legal history shows that the organization rarely files amicus briefs in state courts. However, Williams is a member of the organization's executive committee and the group recently decided to hold its 2010 convention in Louisville, with Williams brokering the negotiations.

"It sounds to me like Williams cut a deal with someone in the group," Lundergan said. "Once again, Kentucky Republicans, deeply mired in their culture of corruption, have failed to pass the smell test. They think they're above the law because they know if they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, the Fletcher-Pence administration will pardon them. But the citizens of Kentucky won't be issuing pardons when election time rolls around again."

The national organization is funded by state legislatures and non-partisanship is essential to its survival. "NCSL should have known better than to ever hook up with Kentucky's failed Republican leadership," Lundergan said. "Their attorney completely overlooked the fact that Republicans are trying to undermine our state's constitution."

State courts have repeatedly ruled that Republican Dana Seum Stephenson does not meet constitutional residency requirements to hold the office of Senator. The Kentucky Supreme Court is expected to rule later this year in the case, which pits Stephenson against Democrat Virginia Woodward.

Meanwhile, the people of the 37th Senate District in southwest Jefferson County have been without representation in the Senate since last November, including the entire 2005 legislative session.

"It's a travesty that these citizens have had no representation in Frankfort. It's like something that would happen in Iraq, not in the United States," Lundergan said. "I would like to call upon the Governor to schedule a special election in the case, but he doesn't even have control over his own party. Perhaps I should call upon Mitch McConnell to do it."

I am disappointed in David Williams. We need to get Virginia Woodward in that seat and soon.