What hath Gex wrought?
Northern Kentucky’s four senators — Mrs. Stine, Gex Williams, Jack Westwood of Erlanger and Ernie Harris of Oldham County — probably won’t support David Williams, and they could turn on Mr. Saunders. That could make things interesting when the leadership votes are taken next month. And so we’re back to the original point, about how the thirst for power can skew the political and legislative landscape of a governmental body. Remember, the original coup Gex Williams helped lead was not about as power as much as it was about fairness and opening up the process. For years, if not decades, Senate Republicans and out-of-favor Democrats were at the mercy of a harsh, powerful committee system. If leadership or the governor or a lobbyist or whoever wanted a bill killed, a Democratic committee chair could — with the full blessing of leadership — simply refuse to hear the bill. Conservative Republicans such as Mr. Kelly and Gex Williams were angered that their bills, particularly those to cur
