District 36 Newsletter '22 #4
October 2022
Greetings!

We are loving this cool and sunny fall weather, and hope you are too! We are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful state.
In this newsletter I will discuss many issues of interest in District 36, including road plans, new legislation, and political topics. There are many "hot links" to additional information. Please forward to your neighbors who might have interest; you can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time.

I will do my best to answer questions and consider your input on District 36 issues if you would like to contact me.
Liberty is a team sport!
Let's protect faith, family, and freedom in KY!
District 36 Road & Traffic Plans
The 2022 KY Highway Plan is posted, with $281 Million in improvements near District 36

I-64 / Gene Snyder Interchange
The busy I-265/I-64 Interchange handles 94,000 cars a day, and has been a merging nightmare for years. It is being completely re-designed, with super wide loops and extra lanes that eliminate the current merging bottlenecks – click for detailed diagram. It also adds a needed 2-lane exit all the way to Blankenbaker. Scheduled to finish Fall 2023

Other projects currently funded:
Constitutional Minute
Judiciary Branch and the Balance of Power
The Founders gave us a Constitution that created a "balance of power" between the President, Congress, and the Judicial branch.
US Constitution, Article III on the Judicial Branch
“Judges of both the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior, and shall receive for their services a compensation which will not be diminished during their continuance in office.” (1787)
A couple of “balance of power” notes here – Federal judges who do not have “good behavior” can be impeached by Congress (there have been about 15) and removed. Presidents or Congress seeking to pressure a judge cannot threaten to reduce their pay – maintaining the independence of the judiciary.

See my related article from 2020 here.

KY Constitution Section 110 – The KY Supreme Court – has only existed since a 1975 Constitutional Amendment. The 7 Justices are elected geographically for 8-year terms. Jefferson County elects one of the 7. The purpose of the court is to hear and rule on appeals of lower court rulings (District and Circuit Courts). The KY House can impeach any “civil officer,” including judges (Section 68).
Legislative Update
A bill (SB 138) requiring public schools to teach about America’s founding documents and principles of equal protection under the law was enacted this summer. It includes reading the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, some Federalist Papers, key policy speeches by Washington, Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Roosevelt, Susan B Anthony, Martin Luther King, Reagan, and other important readings on American values and principles that every American student and citizen should be familiar with. You can see the full list of readings here. I would love to get your feedback on whether or not your students are being taught this material as required by law in Jefferson County.  You could also ask your school board member or principal how this bill is being implemented.
Political Happenings in Dist 36
Time to vote for Judges! So many judges…
There are 43 Judges are on the ballot in Jefferson County! 
All are elected County-wide every 8 years (seems crazy, I know).
Judge races are non-partisan – no party affiliation, so you can’t vote “straight ticket” for them.
Most of the judge races are unopposed, but 15 are contested.
In my Conservative opinion, most of the judge candidates are more liberal than I would like. That being said, I try to vote for the ones who are most likely to uphold the Rule of Law, put dangerous criminals in jail, and not “legislate from the bench” on controversial social issues.
A few of the candidates I know personally, on the rest I have consulted some conservative lawyers who are familiar with them. In a few cases, there is a clear choice on who is more conservative, in many cases the choice is “less liberal” vs “more liberal” … and I choose less liberal.  This is not an exact science, but here are my picks on the 15 contested races for your consideration:
  • Supreme Court – Bisig
  • Appeals Court 2 – Audra Eckerle (know her personally)
  • Appeals Court 2 – Karem
  • 30th Circuit 4 – Haegle
  • 30th Circuit 5 – Shaw
  • 30th Circuit 7 – Bellows
  • 30th Circuit – 10 – Dorislee Gilbert (know her personally)
  • 30th District 1 – Jones
  • 30th District 3 – Garvey
  • 30th District 6 – Brown
  • 30th District 7 – McDonald
  • 30th District 8 – Stone
  • 30th District 9 – (no clear choice)
  • 30th District 10 – Nicholson
  • 30th District 15 – Claudette Patton (know her personally)
Last Notes
Recent Media Appearances:
84 WHAS – listen to my interview with Dwight Witten on Warrant-less surveillance and privacy

Archived Recent Newsletters:
September '22 – Eastwood Cutoff project, Constitutional Privacy protection
August '22 – KY 155 / Pope Lick project, Limitations on Government Power
July '22 – First newsletter – our God-given Rights

Interns:
I am seeking a few unpaid interns to help with policy research and other duties a few flexible hours a month. Most activities could be done remotely. If you know a student (age 16+) that loves America, and would like some public policy experience and resumé-building, contact me.
Thanks for reading and being involved!
John Hodgson
Representative-Elect District 36
Address: PO Box 74
Fisherville, KY 40023
Phone: (502) 276-5213