‘Shame on you.” Legislator redistricted out of her seat on GOP battle against women.
Editor’s Note: Kentucky House Representative Mary Lou Marzian has represented District 34 in Louisville as a Democrat for 29 years. Because House District 34 was carved out to redistrict Marzian with another female incumbent, she decided to withdrawn from the May Primary election. If the House District 34 is reinstated in the current court case over redistricting, Marzian will file for re-election. The following is a speech she gave when she announced her withdrawal.
On this last week of Women’s History Month, I would like to recognize all the Democratic women legislators in this Kentucky House of Representatives.
For decades, Kentucky had been in the bottom ranking of women elected to public office. In 2000, Kentucky was 49th. In 2002 Kentucky rose to 47th.
In 2019, the number of Democratic women elected to this body grew to 17 with ten of the 18 members of the Jefferson County Democratic delegation today being women.
Kentucky rose in ranks to 39th in the country with the Kentucky Legislature getting a new perspective concerning the needs for women and children.
When I was first elected, the Education Committee was considering legislation for scholarships for boys in the STEM subjects. As the sole woman on this committee, I ask: “Why not girls as well?” – And only then were girls included in the bill.
Since then, laws have been passed that safeguarded women and children like the Women’s Health Act requiring insurance companies to cover reconstructive surgery following mastectomies and legislation to improve child support collection.
I never envisioned that I would be a state representative for 29 years. A nurse, and then an outspoken activist who promoted legislation to help nurses, teachers, LGBTQ+ and women’s reproductive justice.
To my legislative colleagues, you are my sisters and dear friends. Only you all know how hard the work is that we do. How we navigate the mine fields of today’s super majority in the General Assembly, and how our bills are disregarded by the Republicans. We keep at it because we are about improving the lives of all of our Kentucky citizens, and not about promoting our own egos and selfish agendas.
Today, I recognize the Jefferson County House Democratic women legislators with just a few of the legislation they introduced.
Joni Jenkins (District 44) elected in 1994 and House Minority Leader. Joni championed legislation on substance abuse and improving the lives of working families.
McKenzie Cantrell (District 38) elected in 2016. She spearheaded legislation on the criminal justice system.
Attica Scott (District 41) elected in 2016 and introduced the Crown Act.
Josie Raymond (District 31) elected in 2018. Proposed all day Pre-K and kindergarten.
Tina Bojanowski (District 32 elected in 2018. Improving public education.
Lisa Willner (District 35) elected in 2018. Banning “conversion therapy” and spearheaded the Maternal and Child Health legislative package.
Nima Kulkarni (District 40) elected in 2018. Immigration and affordable housing.
Pamela Stevenson (District 43) elected in 2020. Fought for juvenile justice and maternal and child health care.
Keturah Herron (District 42) elected in 2022. Fought for fairness and criminal justice reform.
And me, Mary Lou Marzian (District 34) elected in 1994. Who often pointed out the hypocrisy of Republican legislation that improved men’s economic lives while making women’s lives worse, especially in areas regarding economic and health issues.
Three of these women are not running again for their house seat:
Joni Jenkins (District 44) who is retiring
McKenzie Cantrell (redistricted to District 35 against Lisa Willner, is now a candidate for Court of Appeals
Attica Scott, is a candidate for US House of representatives
Three Louisville Democratic representatives have Republican opponents:
Josie Raymond (she was redistricted to District 41)
Pamela Stevenson (redistricted to District 43)
And me, Mary Lou Marzian (redistricted to District 41)
Four women, Tina Bojanowski (District 32), Lisa Willner (District 35), Nima Kulkarni (District 40) and Keturah Herron (District 42) are the ONLY women who are guaranteed going back to Frankfort in January 2023 as they do not have an opponent in the November Election. Four out of the formerly 10 women who currently represent Jefferson County.
While we women have come a long way from being called by the male legislators “the Bitch Caucus” in 1998, the trend of the males in this legislature, especially the four Republican male legislators from Jefferson County, is to return this body to an all-white male club.
Their toxic agenda to all Democrats, especially female Democrats, came to a head this session with the insidious redistricting that deliberately forced female incumbents into the same district, pitting long time female legislators against each other.
Because of these ultra-extreme right-wing attacks on every Democratic female in this house, and every female in this Commonwealth, I am withdrawing my name from the 2022 elections.
I am not going to play the Republican sadistic and misogynist game of pitting Democratic women against each other. I am a voice that the Republicans wanted to get rid of because they are afraid of truth to power.
If the Courts give me back my District 34, a district that I have served proudly for 29 years, I will again seek the votes of the constituents in the 34th House District and hopefully will return to the House.
Until then, every resident in the former District 34, will know what the Republicans in Frankfort, and specifically those Louisville Republican representatives, have done, and why these four men did it. Not to serve Louisville, not to serve Kentucky – but to silence women.
If you, the citizens of this Commonwealth, want a government that works for all of us, and not just for corporations and rich people, stop sending Republicans to Frankfort. These legislators only care about destroying public education, making sure that rich people get richer, and forcing women to be barefoot and pregnant.
Shame on all of you Republicans for disgracing this General Assembly. Shame on all of you Republicans for castigating Louisville’s voice in Frankfort. And shame on all of you Republicans for hurting every woman and child in this Commonwealth.
Mary Lou Marzian, Kentucky House Representative for the current House District 34.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 11:05 AM.