The Appalachian News-Express, in the never-ending Keith Hall-Mountain Water Board saga, is hammering home on the rank corruption and hypocrisy from the State House. This time the paper’s editorial board is holding both Speaker Greg Stumbo and Rep. Keith Hall responsible. But, well, mostly Greg… as you’ll see in the excerpts below:

Do you know who is making the laws which govern the state of Kentucky?

Well, according to House Speaker Greg Stumbo, he’s not sure either.

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He said it wasn’t a legislator, those people we elect to represent us in government and make the decisions which influence our lives. But beyond that, he said he had no clue who it was that changed the laws.

He shrugged off the matter, as well, saying “I didn’t think there was anything to it. If I would’ve known there was going to be this much controversy about it, we obviously would have done something different.”

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Stumbo’s admission that he nonchalantly allowed a lobbyist so unimportant that he cannot even recall the person to change state law is shocking and offensive.

That’s assuming he’s being truthful.

It’s easy to wonder if he is merely protecting his connection who requested the law change considering how many different answers he’s provided since the News-Express began digging into the origin of the measure back in June.

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At the least Stumbo should be ashamed for bending laws to suit the needs of a single lobbyist.

At the worst, he should be investigated for an ethics violation for allowing a non-legislator to propose legislation and ensuring that it would pass through the Senate without question.

I’d call this scathing. Especially for a paper in Eastern Kentucky.

And on a related note, the same paper conducted an unscientific poll of its readership.

• Q: Rep. W. Keith Hall has defended his dealings with Mountain Water District. Do you think he should be allowed to bid on projects for which he allocates state funding?

Results:

• 81% No, he should not be allowed to bid
• 14% Yes, he should be allowed to bid
• 6% Have no opinion

Even the common folk know better.