Seum Stephenson resigns (Kentucky) Senate seat

[LouKYDem]

From The Courier-Journal (1/3/06)
By Joseph Gerth

Dana Seum Stephenson today resigned from the Kentucky Senate, potentially ending a yearlong court battle for the 37th District seat that has been in dispute since the Nov. 2, 2004, general election.

Despite being seated and sworn-in last January, Stephenson was under court order not to vote or receive a Senate paycheck because she didn’t meet the job’s residency requirements.

Senate President David Williams read Stephenson’s letter as the Senate’s first order of business on its opening day of the 2006 legislative session.

Williams said he would call for a special election as soon as Virginia Woodward, Stephenson’s Democratic foe, pledges she will not appeal a Kentucky Supreme Court decision that said neither woman is eligible...

... more at http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060103/NEWS01/60103013/1008

Isn't this amazing though that Seum Stephenson resigned from a seat that she never legitimately had anyway? How do you resign from something that you aren't? Does this mean that I am allowed to resign as President of the United States?

And even more, why does David Williams feel like it is completely up to him to decide whether or not a special election can be held? Is it not his job to call for a special election as soon as the seat is vacated, regardless of what Virginia Woodward pledges? It is as if he is saying that he doesn't care whether or not the 37th district is represented. Also, related to this, Williams said on the news tonight that Seum Stephenson did the "honorable" thing by resigning and avoiding a constitutional controversy... even though she is just now "resigning" from a seat that she was never qualified for anyway, over a year after the election that she was constitutionally ineligible to win.