FRANKFORT — A civil rights group said redistricting could lead to two or three more black legislators if proper attention is paid to minority representation.

        The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said at least one more majority black district could be created in Jefferson County, along with districts with substantial black populations in Jefferson and Christian counties.

        The NAACP plan was presented Monday to the House State Government Committee, which held the first formal discussion of legislative redistricting.

        There are four black members of the 100-member House and one black member in the 38-member Senate. The 2000 census disclosed a black population of about 7.3 percent in Kentucky.

        Samuel Walters, redistricting coordinator for the NAACP, said with majority and plurality districts, there could be as many as seven black House members and one more Senate member.

        “The General Assembly does not reflect the faces of Kentucky,” said Jim Wayne, D-Louisville. Mr. Wayne, though, mentioned the relative lack of female legislators, where they make up about 51 percent of the population and just more than one-10th of the legislature — 11 in the House and four in the Senate.

        Mr. Walters acknowledged, however, that the NAACP plan does not take a statewide approach to drawing new districts.

        And putting the whole state together has proved difficult.

        “We realize there are some problems that have to be fixed,” House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, told the committee.

        Mr. Richards acknowledged there are some districts in the House plan that exceed the guidelines of five percent above or below the ideal population. And the plan splits 26 counties, or three more than the number absolutely necessary.

        Mr. Richards acknowledged the likelihood of a court challenge. Ironically, sitting nearby was Rep. Joseph Fischer, R-Fort Thomas, who brought the lawsuit after the redistricting in the 1990 that prompted the court ruling that county splitting should be kept to a minimum. Mr. Fischer is now a state representative.

        Mr. Fischer said he has drafted a plan that splits the minimum number of counties, but he said it would not be revealed until later.

        Most of the discussion in committee reflected the intense interest in redistricting among lawmakers.

        “Redistricting is not the most political thing up here. It's the most personal thing up here,” said Rep. Joe Barrows, D-Versailles, the Democratic whip.

        The redistricting fight is going on at several levels. The bill in the House proposes new boundaries for the Senate and House.

        Outside the Capitol, Republican interests have asked the federal courts to take over redistricting of the General Assembly and Congress.

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