Joe Edelin breaks the story in Bay To Bay:
“In December, I suffered a serious medical emergency that profoundly changed the rhythm of my life. Since that moment, I have fought every day toward recovery. And while I am proud of the strides I’ve made, I must acknowledge – with honesty and humility – that I can no longer serve this district with the full energy, presence, and focus it rightfully deserves,” Rep. Parker Selby wrote in her resignation letter.
So. This could and should have happened in January. Instead, the Democratic House Leadership covered up the extent of her condition.
Retiring now accomplishes nothing. The 20th RD will have been without representation for the entire first year of this legislative session.
The irony is, as one commenter pointed out, the 20th RD is skewing more and more Democratic. The idea that only Stell Parker Selby could have held that seat was, um, a bad idea. However, due to the cover-up and the Speaker’s lies, the seat is now more likely to flip than it would have had everybody done the right thing back in January.