FRANKFORT — The first day of the Kentucky General Assembly's 2015 legislative session kicked off with a flurry of activity.
Demonstrators flooded into the Capitol rotunda. Constitutional officers and elected officials of every stripe filled statehouse hallways, and both the Senate and House convened at 12 p.m. in their chambers to elect their leadership and open the books on another year.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, the Prestonsburg Democrat who has held the post since 2009, is up for election by his caucus members.
"Well, if I can't win this one, it's time to go home," Stumbo said.
Although House leadership will be determined later Tuesday, all state representatives were sworn in by Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton, concluding with lively applause.
In the Republican-led Senate chamber, new leadership was announced. Senate President Robert Stivers, of Manchester, will retain his chair.
And, in more restrained tones than the House, new President Pro Tem David Givens, of Greensburg, was sworn in, taking the traditional oath that he'd never participated in a duel.
After R.J. Palmer was ousted in November elections, Pikeville Democratic Sen. Ray Jones will take over as the minority floor leader. The minority party's new caucus chair is Sen. Gerald Neal of Louisville.
