Senator pleased by big turnout

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Sen. Albert Robinson was sworn in as the 21st District Representative during a ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 8, by Laurel District Judge John Chappell. Family, friends and several local elected officials, members of the Laurel County Republican Club and members of the Laurel County Republican Women’s Club were present for the ceremony.

January 15, 2013

Senator pleased by big turnout

Robinson sworn in Jan. 8

By Magen McCrarey Staff Writer The Sentinel-Echo Tue Jan 15, 2013, 03:32 PM EST

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Sen. Albert Robinson, R-London, for District 21 was said to have one of the largest individual private swearing in ceremonies this year in Frankfort on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Chief District Judge John Paul Chappell of the Kentucky District Court 27 swore Robinson in with a room full of citizens representing Laurel, Estill, Jackson, Menifee and Powell counties.

“I’m well pleased and honored with the turn out of the people,” Robinson said. “It was a hard fought election, and now I am looking forward to working with the people of all five counties.”

Robinson, who was a London realtor, is no stranger to the Kentucky legislature. He served 10 years in the Senate from 1994-04. The 74-year-old said he will hold true to his campaign slogan of “God, gun, country and family.”

“I am coming back to the legislature as a friend to the taxpayer, the working people, and small businesses,” he said. “I am certainly coming back as a friend to the family and I’m coming back as a friend to the traditional family — one man and one woman.”

Robinson has been married to his wife, Lucille, for more than 50 years.

While Robinson gets settled in his seat in Frankfort, he has made note of many unfamiliar faces since his two-term legislative absence.

“I have come back as a stranger to about two-thirds of the Senate,” he said.

Faces may be new to Robinson this time around, but his involvement with the State and Local Government Committee is not.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chairman position back for the State and Local Government Committee, but I am on the committee,” he commented.

He will also serve on the following committees of Banking and Insurance; Transportation; and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection.

Robinson said he will largely be a watchman on the wall for tax issues because he firmly believes that the average Kentucky citizen is taxed enough. He said some senators are passive, but not him.

“I am active for issues I am for, and I am active against them if I’m against them,” he added.

High on this year’s legislative agenda will be tax reform, the public pension crisis, the possibility of expanded gambling and legislative redistricting. Robinson hopes to address these and other issues during his four-year term including prescription pill abuse, the correlating issue of more grandparents raising grandchildren and the moral decline he said that he’s observed in America. This includes the issue on abortion.

“I’m coming back as a friend for the sanctity of life,” he said.

The 2013 General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

mmccrarey@sentinel-echo.com