In Kentucky, a panel of three federal judges will decide soon if two federal
lawsuits that ask the judges to redraw Kentucky’s legislative district
boundaries should continue. Pierce Whites, a lawyer for
Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo, argued that the court should stay
the lawsuits until after lawmakers have had a chance to redraw the
boundaries themselves in a special legislative session scheduled for
August 19. 

Of course, the divided Kentucky legislature, with one body (the House) controlled by Democrats and the other body (the Senate) controlled by the Republicans, had a number of opportunities to draw maps and been unable to do so.  The Democrats are try to hold back Republican gains in the House by redrawing the maps to their advantage and delaying the inevitable.

So why do the Democrats want to string things out and delay once again?  Answer:  Incumbency protection and last minute elections on reapportioned lines inevitably hurts challengers.

“Right now the IRS story looks stalled and confused. Congressional investigators are asking for documents—”The IRS is being a little slow,” said a staffer—and interviewing workers. Pieces of testimony are being released and leaked, which has allowed one congressman, Democrat Elijah Cummings, to claim there’s actually no need for an investigation, the story’s over, the mystery solved.

When the scandal broke in early May, the Obama administration vowed to get to the bottom of it with an FBI investigation. Many of us were skeptical. There’s a sign we were right.”

More on True the Vote and the DOJ “investigation” of IRS targeting of Tea Party groups.

 Sewer Service: “Jewett, the one who reported the crime, the one who supervised the employee and could best inform investigators if this was an isolated case or was more systemic, was never interviewed.”

Time to start the John Walsh ticker – will he do anything about multiple foreigners voting in Colorado elections, or not.

Going on with Sean and Frank in Baltimore’s AM drive today, to be heard here.

The legislation, which will take effect later this year, sets up a
procedure to stop sending early ballots to voters who have not used them
in two election cycles.  Rep. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix, said the people this is most likely to
affect are voters who are newly signed up through registration drives,
voters who, at least initially, may be less in the habit of voting.  Link

The U.S. Supreme Court is prolonging the suspense in several
blockbuster cases. No ruling today in the challenge to the University of
Texas affirmative action policy. Also no ruling today in a case from
Shelby County, Ala., that could decide the future of Section 5 of the
Voting Rights Act — the part that requires Texas and other jurisdictions
with a history of discrimination to seek federal OK before changing any
element of election procedures, from polling sites to voter IDs and
congressional maps. Next day for decisions is Monday. That’s the final day of the Court’s
term, though the justices likely will add another day next week to
issue rulings.

Dallas News

Link

A
former east Arkansas lawmaker and his father were each sentenced
Thursday to three years of probation, including nine months of home
detention, and fined for conspiring to commit election fraud in a scheme
that included destroying ballots and exchanging money and food
for votes.

Former Democratic Rep. Hudson Hallum,
who pleaded guilty last year to the conspiracy that helped him win his
seat in a 2011 special election, apologized at his sentencing hearing in
federal court in Little Rock. He resigned in September days after
pleading guilty.

Associated Press.

1pm hour EDT.