Who is Rose?

The Kentucky Supreme Court’s decision in Rose v. Council for Better Education is often referred to as the Rose Decision. But who was Rose and why was the case named for him? 

 

The case began as Council for Better Education, et al. v. Martha Layne Collins, Governor, et al. In addition to the governor, the defendants included the superintendent of public instruction, the state treasurer, the leadership of the General Assembly, the Kentucky Board of Education and others. As the suit progressed in the courts, some parties were dismissed, and some offices changed hands. For example, Wallace Wilkinson became governor and John “Eck” Rose, a Democrat from Winchester, became the Senate president pro tem. 

 

After the Council won in Franklin Circuit Court, the parties agreed to skip the Kentucky Court of Appeals and go directly to the Supreme Court. It was then that the suit was renamed, Rose v. Council for Better Education.

Rose served as president pro tem until a 1992 constitutional amendment created the office of president of the Senate. He remained in that role until 1997.

 

#RoseAt30: A look back at the landmark decision