Greg Stumbo Explained

Greg Stumbo
Office:Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Term Start:January 6, 2009
Term End:January 1, 2017
Predecessor:Jody Richards
Successor:Jeff Hoover
State House1:Kentucky
District1:95th
Term Start1:February 11, 2008
Term End1:January 1, 2017
Predecessor1:Brandon Spencer
Successor1:Larry L. Brown
Office3:48th Attorney General of Kentucky
Governor3:Ernie Fletcher
Steve Beshear
Term Start3:January 5, 2004
Term End3:January 7, 2008
Predecessor3:Ben Chandler
Successor3:Jack Conway
Office4:Majority Leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives
1Blankname4:Speaker
Term Start4:January 8, 1985
Term End4:January 5, 2004
Predecessor4:Jim LeMaster
Successor4:Rocky Adkins
State House5:Kentucky
District5:95th
Term Start5:January 1, 1980
Term End5:January 5, 2004
Predecessor5:James Allen
Successor5:Chuck Meade
Birth Date:14 August 1951
Birth Place:Prestonsburg, Kentucky, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:[1]
Education:University of Kentucky (BA)
University of Louisville (JD)
Birth Name:Gregory D. Stumbo

Gregory D. Stumbo (born August 14, 1951) is an American lawyer and former speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Kentucky attorney general from 2004 to 2008. He was the Democratic candidate for the 2019 election for Attorney General.

Background and education

Stumbo graduated from the University of Kentucky, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.[2] He then received his J.D. degree from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.

Early career

A native of Prestonsburg in Floyd County, Stumbo served as Assistant Floyd County Attorney and held the position of Martin City Attorney for three years. He also served as trial commissioner to the Floyd County District Court for one year.

Prior to his election as attorney general, Stumbo served in the Kentucky House of Representatives for twelve terms, from 1980 to 2003. During this time Stumbo was Kentucky's longest-serving House Majority Leader (1985–2003). Stumbo returned to the House of Representatives not long after his Attorney General term ended.[3]

Attorney General of Kentucky

Stumbo was elected as Attorney General in November 2003, taking office in January 2004.[4]

Stumbo's office led an investigation into the hiring practices of Kentucky Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher which resulted in indictments, but was dismissed by agreement with the prosecutors. On September 12, 2007, Stumbo sued Fletcher for appointing too many Republicans to the governing bodies of state universities. State law requires "proportional representation of the two leading political parties" based on voter registration. A majority of registered voters in Kentucky are Democrats, but Fletcher appointed seven Republicans and two Democrats to the University of Kentucky and eight Republicans and two Democrats to the University of Louisville.[5]

Stumbo was also, in his time as Attorney General, known for leading a somewhat controversial and very effective attack on the sale of prescription drugs over the internet and through "pill mills", which led to the most stringent laws preventing these sales in the nation. The Ryan Haight Act, the federal law that prohibits the internet-only-based sale of narcotic prescription drugs by these same websites was modeled on the law Stumbo passed in Kentucky. A large part of the controversy surrounding Stumbo's efforts to control the sale of internet "prescriptions" was based in the objections of other states, who saw Stumbo's efforts intruding on their own state sovereignty and authority, particularly in the states where the internet pharmacy sites were based. Stumbo also faced considerable criticism from pain patient's rights groups, particularly The Pain Relief Network and its president, Siobhan Reynolds, who threatened to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the proposed law. The suit was never filed and the law became the first in the nation requiring registration of internet pharmacies, wherever they were located, in the state in order for them to deliver any medication to Kentucky.

In 2019, Stumbo became the Democratic nominee for Attorney General once again, running unopposed in the Democratic primary. His major party opponent was Daniel Cameron, a lawyer in private practice who had won the Republican primary. Cameron had worked for two years, beginning in 2011, for U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell. Cameron told The Courier-Journal on December 21, 2018, that, if elected, he intended to focus on Kentucky's prescription opioid crisis.[6] Cameron defeated Stumbo, 57.7% to 42.3%.

Other statewide elections

Stumbo was the running mate for Bruce Lunsford in the 2007 Democratic gubernatorial primary, but their ticket lost to that of Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo, 40.9% to 20.4%.[7]

Stumbo formed an exploratory committee to run against Senator Mitch McConnell in 2008, but did not run for the office.

Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives

On January 6, 2009, he was endorsed by Democratic lawmakers to be the party's nominee for Speaker of the House.[8] He was sworn in as Speaker the next day, January 7.[9]

Stumbo advocates creating new usable land for recreational opportunities from strip mining techniques, as well as other forms of post-mining economic reclamation. As an indication of his commitment to Kentucky's coal industry, Stumbo built his home in Prestonburg on a clearing where a mountaintop used to be, near the manicured 18-hole Stone Crest Golf Course.[10]

On November 8, 2016, Stumbo was defeated by Republican challenger Larry L. Brown[11] In reaction to this, the Republican Kentucky governor Matt Bevin, who had strongly opposed Stumbo and vice versa, remarked "'good riddance'...he will not be missed one bit. Kentucky will be better for his absence."[12]

Law career

In 2013, Stumbo became a partner at the Florida-based personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan.

External links

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Notes and References

  1. https://www.facebook.com/StumboForAG/photos/a.722431951490307/795928040807364/?type=3&theater
  2. Web site: Greg Stumbo. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/715399252193577/850243205375847 . 2022-02-26 . limited. 2020-06-23. www.facebook.com. en.
  3. News: Lexington Herald-Leader. House Speaker Greg Stumbo pitching personal-injury law firm in TV commercials.. 2013-10-17. John Cheves.
  4. 2005 Biennial Report . Kentucky Office of the Attorney General . 2020-06-14 . 2016-12-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161226225730/http://www.e-archives.ky.gov/pubs/AG/ag_2005_biennial_report.pdf . dead .
  5. News: Associated Press. Stumbo sues Fletcher over board appointments. 2007-09-12. Staff writer.
  6. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/21/mitch-mcconnell-former-legal-counsel-daniel-cameron-potential-kentucky-attorney-general-run/2381931002/ Mitch McConnell's former lawyer may run for Kentucky attorney general
  7. Web site: LEX18 - Lexington, KY - News, Weather, Sports - Fletcher, Beshear to Face off in Nov . 2007-06-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094947/http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=6554860&nav=menu203_2 . 2007-09-28 .
  8. News: Stumbo Endorsed For House Speaker. 2009-01-06. Associated Press via WKYT-TV. 2009-01-06.
  9. News: Stumbo takes gavel as House speaker. https://archive.today/20120722171203/http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090107/NEWS01/90107011/. dead. 2012-07-22. Associated Press via The Courier-Journal. 2009-01-07.
  10. News: AP Enterprise: Few sites redeveloped after mining. 2010-12-29. Associated Press via The Washington Post. 2011-01-01.
  11. News: Brammer . Jack . House Speaker Greg Stumbo Ousted by Eastern Kentucky Voters . November 8, 2016 . . November 26, 2016.
  12. Web site: Loftus . Tom . Gov. Bevin: 'Good Riddance' to Greg Stumbo . November 9, 2016 . courier-journal.com . November 26, 2016.