FRANKFORT — A new congressional district map approved Thursday by a Democratic-controlled House committee would substantially alter five of the state’s districts and make the First and Fifth Districts more receptive to Democrats.

The House State Government Committee approved the plan drawn by Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, on a straight party-line vote with all Republican members of the committee either voting no or passing.

Stumbo’s plan is based on “geographic common sense” and the federal requirement of equal representation, what is commonly called the one-man, one-vote principle demanded by federal courts. But it moves several counties from one district to another and splits seven counties, including the home county of Republican Congressman Hal Rogers, Pulaski County. Some changes are necessary because the Second, Fourth and Sixth districts grew while the First and Fifth lost population.

Stumbo moves Democratic counties of Boyd, Carter and Greenup to Rogers’ Fifth District from the Fourth and Daviess County from the Second to the First District which then allows counties presently in the First but located geographically east of the Second District to be moved out of the first and into the Second.

Not everyone was happy – especially Republicans. Rep. Danny Ford, R-Mt. Vernon, complained his home county of Rockcastle was moved from Rogers’ district into the Second and Whitley and Pulaski counties are split. Allen, Bullitt, Jefferson, Jessamine, and Scott counties are also split. The current district map splits five counties.

Stumbo said numbers drove those changes, displaying a chart showing five of the six districts in his plan precisely match the required population of 723,228. The Fifth is just one person short of that number. Whitley County was split in a way to keep Corbin – which lies in three counties – entirely in the same congressional district, Stumbo said.

He called Rogers a “dear friend” and said there was no intention to “harm or hurt or do foul to anyone,” pointing out that Rogers’ home residence remains in the Fifth District. But adding the three northeast Kentucky counties makes the Fifth more heavily Democratic in registration.

“I can assure you my congressman (Rogers) would not be happy to have his county split,” Ford said.

“We kept his home in his district,” Stumbo said later. “As I said, he’s dear friend of mine and we’re not trying to do anything to hurt Congressman Rogers.”

CNHI News tried but was unable to reach Rogers who was traveling back to Washington Thursday afternoon.

Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster, complained about moving Garrard County from the Sixth, “where we’ve been for a very, very, very long time,” to the Second. He pointed out the Garrard County line is only 16 miles from Lexington which anchors the Sixth.

“I’m receiving a lot of calls (from constituents) saying they feel more comfortable with the Bluegrass Region,” Napier said.

The Second District in Stumbo’s plan would stretch from Meade County and part of Bullitt in the northwest south through Warren and Barren counties, splitting Allen County and extending east along the Tennessee border to pick up part of Whitley County. It runs north to Taylor County and from there northeast and east to pick up Rockcastle, Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln and part of Jessamine.

The Third in Jefferson County – the only county with more population than the permitted district population – sheds some eastern Jefferson County precincts to the Fourth which then takes in eastern Bullitt County and extends south to Nelson. It follows the Ohio River through northern Kentucky to Lewis County in the east. Stumbo said he tried to create an “urban district centered around Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in northern Kentucky.”

The Sixth is has the oddest shape and becomes more Democratic under Stumbo’s plan, presumably benefiting Democratic Congressman Ben Chandler. It runs from Marion County in the south northward to Franklin County, then turns east through a narrow corridor of Woodford, Fayette and part of Scott, then expands north and south, picking up Harrison and Madison and extending to Bath and Powell in the east.

Rep. Tanya Pullin, D-South Shore, who represents a state district that covers Greenup County and a few precincts in Boyd, said the district looks good to her.

“It harkens back to the old Seventh District and will give us an opportunity to continue to work together as a region,” she said, referring to an old district when Kentucky’s total population gave it seven districts.

“I tried to keep the core concepts of the map in an attempt to keep the congressional delegation somewhat satisfied without ceding our authority to re-district to them,” Stumbo said.

The full House will almost certainly pass the plan but the Republican-controlled Senate is likely to object and offer its own.

“I assume it will go through some vigorous debate and likely through some transformation – if we can reach some accord,” Stumbo said.

The committee also approved a plan to redraw the state’s seven Supreme Court districts, a plan submitted by the court and which was reviewed and approved by all seven justices, according to Chief Justice John Minton.

The plan to re-draw state House districts will be contained in a separate bill. Stumbo said he hoped that plan will be ready by Monday.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.