Frankfort, KY - Rep. Harry Moberly (D-Richmond) who has been at the helm of the House's Appropriations and Revenue Committee for more than a decade has been replaced by Bedford Democrat Rick Rand. The move comes only three days after 14-year House Speaker Jody Richards (D-Bowling Green) lost his bid for another two year term to Prestonsburg's Greg Stumbo, a former Democratic floor leader and Attorney General who lead the Merit System Investigation against former Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher.
Moberly has long been referred to as Frankfort's top budget mind, especially among those holding elective office, but said he's looking forward to his new role as a committee member as Rand ascends to the chair.
"(No longer being chairman) will give me more freedom in talking about the issues in which I'm more interested inĂ–it will free me up to work in the area that I'm most interested which is education and our revenue base. And I hope to give whatever advice the new chair wants and the leadership and it's time for all hands on deck because we're in a very critical situation with the fiscal crisis and I just intend to be cooperative and help in anyway I can," Moberly said from his Frankfort legislative office.
Moberly also serves as executive vice president for administration at Eastern Kentucky University. As chairman he helped secure budget money for EKU and large investments in the state's other public higher education institutions, a trend he thinks will continue under the new House leadership.
"The new leadership is very interested in education, and I've had good discussions with them and I think they will intend to do all that they can for education and I think my successor is bright and he's been on the committee. I've offered to assist in any way I can so I'll try to be as involved as possible in the process so I think they put a good team in place. I don't have any doubts about the fact that we've got a good team in place and I will continue to be active as well," he said.
While remaining on the committee, Moberly said he doesn't expect to be on the conference committee that - most often behind closed doors - hammers out final budget details with Senate leadership during the waning hours of the session. As the final hours were ticking by in the 2006 session and House leaders were finalizing bills with the Senate, Moberly - a key member of those negotiations - suffered a heart attack and had to be taken out of the Capitol on a stretcher.
Rand was elected to the House in 2002 and served in the Senate for four years after winning election in 1990.