Kentucky General Assembly

Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
2024 session (adjourned)
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Senate; House of Representatives
Term limits	None
History
Founded	May 26, 1845
Leadership
President of the Senate	Robert Stivers (R) ; since January 8, 2013
Senate Majority Leader	Damon Thayer (R) ; since January 8, 2013
Speaker of the House	David Osborne (R) ; since January 8, 2019
House Majority Leader	Steven Rudy (R) ; since January 5, 2021
Structure
Seats	138 voting members; 38 senators; 100 representatives;
Senate political groups	Republican (31); Democratic (7);
House political groups	Republican (80); Democratic (20);
Length of term	Senate 4 years; House of Representatives 2 years
Salary	$188.22/day + per diem (elected before January 1, 2023) $203.28/day + per diem (elected after January 1, 2023)
Elections
Last Senate election	November 5, 2024; (19 seats)
Last House election	November 5, 2024
Next Senate election	November 3, 2026; (19 seats)
Next House election	November 3, 2026
Redistricting	Legislative control
Motto
	United we stand, divided we fall
Meeting place
	Kentucky State Capitol; Frankfort
Website
	https://legislature.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx

The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives.

The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. In even-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 60 legislative days, and cannot extend beyond April 15. In odd-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 30 legislative days, and cannot extend beyond March 30. Special sessions may be called by the Governor of Kentucky at any time and for any duration.

History

The first meeting of the General Assembly occurred in 1792, shortly after Kentucky was granted statehood. Legislators convened in Lexington, the state's temporary capital. Among the first orders of business was choosing a permanent state capital. In the end, the small town of Frankfort, with their offer to provide a temporary structure to house the legislature and a cache of materials for constructing a permanent edifice, was chosen, and the state's capital has remained there ever since.^[2]

After women gained suffrage in Kentucky, Mary Elliott Flanery was elected to the Kentucky House of Representative from the 89th District, representing Boyd County, Kentucky. When Flanery took her seat in January 1922, she was the first female state legislator elected in Kentucky and the first female legislator elected south of the Mason–Dixon line.^[3]

Operation Boptrot led to the conviction of more than a dozen legislators between 1992 and 1995. The investigation also led to reform legislation being passed in 1993.^[4]

The Civil War

Due to the strong Union sympathies of a majority of the Commonwealth's citizens and elected officials, Kentucky remained officially neutral during the Civil War. Even so, a group of Confederate sympathizers met in Russellville in November 1861, to establish a Confederate government for the state. The group established a Confederate state capital in Bowling Green, but never successfully displaced the elected General Assembly in Frankfort.^[5]

Assassination of Governor Goebel

The General Assembly played a decisive role in the disputed gubernatorial election of 1899. Initial vote tallies had Republican William S. Taylor leading Democrat William Goebel by a scant 2,383 votes.^[6] The General Assembly, however, wielded the final authority in election disputes. With a majority in both houses, the Democrats attempted to invalidate enough votes to give the election to Goebel. During the contentious days that followed, an unidentified assassin shot Goebel as he approached the state capitol.^[7]

As Goebel hovered on the brink of death, chaos ensued in Frankfort, and further violence threatened. Taylor, serving as governor pending a final decision on the election, called out the militia and ordered the General Assembly into a special session, not in Frankfort, but in London, Kentucky, a Republican area of the state.^[6] The Republican minority naturally heeded the call and headed to London. Democrats predictably resisted the call, many retiring to Louisville instead. Both factions claimed authority, but the Republicans were too few in number to muster a quorum.^[7]

Goebel died four days after receiving the fatal shot, and the election was eventually contested to the U.S. Supreme Court, who ruled the General Assembly's actions legal and made Goebel's lieutenant governor, J. C. W. Beckham, governor of the state.^[8]

Houses

The General Assembly is bicameral, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.^[9] The House and Senate chambers are on opposite ends of the third floor of the capitol building, and legislators have offices in the nearby Capitol Annex building.

Section 33 of the Kentucky Constitution requires that the General Assembly divide the state into 38 Senate and 100 House districts. Districts are required to be as nearly equal in population as possible. Districts can be formed by joining more than one county, but the counties forming a district must be contiguous. Districts must be reviewed every 10 years and be re-divided if necessary.

Under the state constitution, only three counties may be divided to form a Senate district—Jefferson (Louisville), Fayette (Lexington) and Kenton (Covington).

Senate

Current composition of the Kentucky Senate (2024)^[10]
Affiliation		Members
	Republican Party	31
	Democratic Party	7
Total		38

The Senate is the upper house of the General Assembly.

Terms and qualifications

According to Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution, a senator must:

be at least 30 years old;
be a citizen of Kentucky;
have resided in the state at least 6 years and the district at least 1 year prior to election.

Under section 30 of the Kentucky Constitution, senators are elected to four year staggered terms, with half the Senate elected every two years.

Leadership

Prior to a 1992 constitutional amendment, the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky presided over the Senate; the 1992 amendment created a new office of President of the Senate to be held by one of the 38 senators.

President (elected by full body): Robert Stivers (R-25)
President Pro-Tempore (elected by full body): David P. Givens (R-9)

Additionally, each party elects a floor leader, whip, and caucus chair.

Current party leadership of the Kentucky Senate^[11]
	Republican Party	Democratic Party
Floor Leader	Damon Thayer (R-17)	Gerald Neal (D-33)
Whip	Mike Wilson (R-32)	David Yates (D-37)
Caucus chair	Julie Raque Adams (R-36)	Reggie Thomas (D-13)

House of Representatives

Current composition of the Kentucky House of Representatives (2024)^[12]
Affiliation		Members
	Republican Party	80
	Democratic Party	20
Total		100

The House of Representatives is the lower house of the General Assembly. Section 47 of the Kentucky Constitution stipulates that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives.

Terms and qualifications

According to Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution, a representative must:

be at least 24 years old;
be a citizen of Kentucky
have resided in the state at least 2 years and the district at least 1 year prior to election.

Per section 30 of the Kentucky Constitution, representatives are elected every two years in the November following a regular session of the General Assembly.

Leadership

Speaker (elected by full body): David Osborne (R-59)
Speaker Pro Tempore (elected by full body): David Meade (R-80)

Additionally, each party elects a floor leader, whip, and caucus chair.

Current party leadership of the Kentucky House of Representatives^[13]
	Republican Party	Democratic Party
Leader	Steven Rudy (R-1)	Derrick Graham (D-57)
Whip	Jason Nemes (R-33)	Rachel Roberts (D-67)
Caucus chair	Suzanne Miles (R-7)	Cherlynn Stevenson (D-88)

Standing committees

Senate Standing Committees and Chairs

AGRICULTURE, Sen. Jason Howell
APPROPRIATIONS & REVENUE, Sen. Christian McDaniel
- Senate Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection: Sen. Gary Boswell
- Senate Budget Review Subcommittee on Education: Sen. Matthew Deneen
- Senate Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, and Public Protection: Sen. Michael J. Nemes
- Senate Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services: Sen. Donald Douglas
- Senate Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary: Sen. Gex Williams
BANKING & INSURANCE, Sen. Jared Carpenter
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES, Sen. Robert Stivers II
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, AND LABOR, Sen. Max Wise
EDUCATION, Sen. Stephen West
ENROLLMENT, Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe
FAMILIES & CHILDREN, Sen. Danny Carroll
HEALTH SERVICES, Sen. Stephen Meredith
JUDICIARY, Sen. Whitney Westerfield
LICENSING, OCCUPATIONS, & ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS, Sen. John Schickel
NATURAL RESOURCES & ENERGY, Sen. Brandon Smith
RULES, Sen. Robert Stivers II
STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT, Sen. Robby Mills
TRANSPORTATION, Sen. Jimmy Higdon
VETERANS, MILITARY AFFAIRS, & PUBLIC PROTECTION, Sen. Rick Girdler

House Standing Committees and Chairs

AGRICULTURE, Rep. Richard Heath
APPROPRIATIONS & REVENUE, Rep. Jason Petrie
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy, Rep. Chris Fugate
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Rep. Chris Freeland
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services, Rep. Danny Bentley
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice, Public Safety, & Judiciary, Rep. Patrick Flannery
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Personnel, Public Retirement, and Finance, Rep. Ken Fleming
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Rep. Bobby McCool
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Investment, Rep. Kim Banta
- House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation, Rep. Ken Upchurch
BANKING & INSURANCE, Rep. Michael Meredith
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES, Rep. David W. Osborne
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & WORKFORCE INVESTMENT: Rep. Josh Branscum
EDUCATION: Rep. James Tipton
ELECTIONS, CONST. AMENDMENTS & INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS: Rep. Kevin D. Bratcher
ENROLLMENT: Rep. Thomas Huff
FAMILIES & CHILDREN: Rep. Samara Heavrin
HEALTH SERVICES: Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser
JUDICIARY: Rep. Daniel Elliott
LICENSING, OCCUPATIONS, & ADMIN REGS: Rep. Matthew Koch
LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Rep. Randy Bridges
NATURAL RESOURCES & ENERGY: Rep. Jim Gooch Jr.
RULES: Rep. David W. Osborne
SMALL BUSINESS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Rep. Phillip Pratt
STATE GOVERNMENT: Rep. David Hale
TOURISM & OUTDOOR RECREATION: Rep. Kim King
TRANSPORTATION: Rep. John Blanton
VETERANS, MILITARY AFFAIRS, & PUBLIC PROTECTION: Rep. Walker Thomas

Legislative Research Commission

The Kentucky General Assembly is served by a 16-member nonpartisan agency called the Legislative Research Commission (LRC). Created in 1948, the LRC provides the General Assembly with staff and research support including committee staffing, bill drafting, oversight of the state budget and educational reform, production of educational materials, maintenance of a reference library and Internet site, and the preparation and printing of research reports, informational bulletins and a legislative newspaper. It is led by the elected leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties in both the Kentucky House of Representatives and the Kentucky Senate, while the agency is run on a day-to-day basis by a Director.^[14]

References

^ "How much do Kentucky's governor and other elected officials make? Here's a list". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
^ Klotter, James. "The General Assembly: Its History, Its Homes, Its Functions". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
^ Powers, James C. (1992). John E. Kleber (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 323–324. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
^ Lowell Hayes Harrison, James C. Klotter (1997). A New History of Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-8131-2008-9.
^ Talbott, Tim (July 31, 2013). "Kentucky's Neutrality during the Civil War". history.ky.gov. By Laura Forde, Bismarck High School, Bismarck, ND. National Endowment for the Humanities, Kentucky Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
^ ^a ^b McQueen, Keven (2001). "William Goebel: Assassinated Governor". Offbeat Kentuckians: Legends to Lunatics. Ill. by Kyle McQueen. Kuttawa, Kentucky: McClanahan Publishing House. ISBN 0-913383-80-5.
^ ^a ^b Woodson, Urey (1939). The First New Dealer. Louisville, Kentucky: The Standard Press.
^ Klotter, James C. (1977). William Goebel: The Politics of Wrath. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0240-5.
^ "The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Informational Bulletin No. 59" (PDF). Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. October 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2007.
^ "Senate Members". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
^ "Legislators - Legislative Research Commission". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
^ "House Members". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
^ "Legislators - Legislative Research Commission". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
^ "About the Legislative Research Commission". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2007.

External links

Kentucky Legislature Home Page
Kentucky Revised Statutes Archived December 24, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
Kentucky Educational Television General Assembly page

[1] "How much do Kentucky's governor and other elected officials make? Here's a list". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2024.

[2] Klotter, James. "The General Assembly: Its History, Its Homes, Its Functions". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2013.

[The_Kentucky_Encyclopedia-3] Powers, James C. (1992). John E. Kleber (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 323–324. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. Retrieved March 11, 2010.

[4] Lowell Hayes Harrison, James C. Klotter (1997). A New History of Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-8131-2008-9.

[5] Talbott, Tim (July 31, 2013). "Kentucky's Neutrality during the Civil War". history.ky.gov. By Laura Forde, Bismarck High School, Bismarck, ND. National Endowment for the Humanities, Kentucky Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 8, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2019.

[mcqueen-6] McQueen, Keven (2001). "William Goebel: Assassinated Governor". Offbeat Kentuckians: Legends to Lunatics. Ill. by Kyle McQueen. Kuttawa, Kentucky: McClanahan Publishing House. ISBN 0-913383-80-5.

[woodson-7] Woodson, Urey (1939). The First New Dealer. Louisville, Kentucky: The Standard Press.

[klotter-8] Klotter, James C. (1977). William Goebel: The Politics of Wrath. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0240-5.

[kyconst-9] "The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Informational Bulletin No. 59" (PDF). Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. October 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2007.

[10] "Senate Members". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2017.

[Senate_leadership-11] "Legislators - Legislative Research Commission". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

[12] "House Members". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2017.

[House_leadership-13] "Legislators - Legislative Research Commission". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

[14] "About the Legislative Research Commission". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2007.

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v t e Seats in the Kentucky General Assembly
Senate	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
House of Representatives	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

v t e Members of the Kentucky Senate
President of the Senate Robert Stivers (R) President pro tempore David P. Givens (R) Majority Leader Damon Thayer (R) Minority Leader Gerald Neal (D)
▌Jason Howell (R) ▌Danny Carroll (R) ▌Whitney Westerfield (R) ▌Robby Mills (R) ▌Stephen Meredith (R) ▌Lindsey Tichenor (R) ▌Adrienne Southworth (R) ▌Gary Boswell (R) ▌David P. Givens (R) ▌Matthew Deneen (R) ▌John Schickel (R) ▌Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R) ▌Reginald Thomas (D) ▌Jimmy Higdon (R) ▌Rick Girdler (R) ▌Max Wise (R) ▌Damon Thayer (R) ▌Robin L. Webb (D) ▌Cassie Chambers Armstrong (D) ▌Gex Williams (R) ▌Brandon J. Storm (R) ▌Donald Douglas (R) ▌Christian McDaniel (R) ▌Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R) ▌Robert Stivers (R) ▌Karen Berg (D) ▌Stephen West (R) ▌Greg Elkins (R) Vacant ▌Brandon Smith (R) ▌Phillip Wheeler (R) ▌Mike Wilson (R) ▌Gerald A. Neal (D) ▌Jared Carpenter (R) ▌Denise Harper Angel (D) ▌Julie Raque Adams (R) ▌David Yates (D) ▌Michael J. Nemes (R)
▌Republican (31) ▌Democratic (7) Kentucky General Assembly House Senate List of past Assemblies

v t e Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Speaker David Osborne (R) Speaker pro tempore David Meade (R) Majority Leader Steven Rudy (R) Minority Leader Derrick Graham (D)
▌Steven Rudy (R) ▌Richard Heath (R) ▌Randy Bridges (R) ▌Wade Williams (R) ▌Mary Beth Imes (R) ▌Chris Freeland (R) ▌Suzanne Miles (R) ▌Walker Thomas (R) ▌Myron Dossett (R) ▌Josh Calloway (R) ▌Jonathan Dixon (R) ▌Jim Gooch Jr. (R) ▌DJ Johnson (R) ▌Scott Lewis (R) ▌Rebecca Raymer (R) ▌Jason Petrie (R) ▌Robert Duvall (R) ▌Samara Heavrin (R) ▌Michael Meredith (R) ▌Kevin Jackson (R) ▌Amy Neighbors (R) ▌Shawn McPherson (R) ▌Steve Riley (R) ▌Courtney Gilbert (R) ▌Steve Bratcher (R) ▌Peyton Griffee (R) ▌Nancy Tate (R) ▌Jared Bauman (R) ▌Kevin D. Bratcher (R) ▌Daniel Grossberg (D) ▌Susan Witten (R) ▌Tina Bojanowski (D) ▌Jason Nemes (R) ▌Sarah Stalker (D) ▌Lisa Willner (D) ▌John Hodgson (R) ▌Emily Callaway (R) ▌Rachel Roarx (D) ▌Matt Lockett (R) ▌Nima Kulkarni (D) ▌Josie Raymond (D) ▌Keturah Herron (D) ▌Pamela Stevenson (D) ▌Beverly Chester-Burton (D) ▌Killian Timoney (R) ▌Al Gentry (D) ▌Felicia Rabourn (R) ▌Ken Fleming (R) ▌Thomas Huff (R) ▌Candy Massaroni (R) ▌Michael Sarge Pollock (R) ▌Ken Upchurch (R) ▌James Tipton (R) ▌Daniel Elliott (R) ▌Kim King (R) ▌Daniel Fister (R) ▌Derrick Graham (D) ▌Jennifer Decker (R) ▌David W. Osborne (R) ▌Marianne Proctor (R) ▌Savannah Maddox (R) ▌Phillip Pratt (R) ▌Kim Banta (R) ▌Kimberly Poore Moser (R) ▌Stephanie Dietz (R) ▌Steve Rawlings (R) ▌Rachel Roberts (D) ▌Mike Clines (R) ▌Steven Doan (R) ▌William Lawrence (R) ▌Josh Bray (R) ▌Matthew Koch (R) ▌Ryan Dotson (R) ▌David Hale (R) ▌Lindsey Burke (D) ▌Ruth Ann Palumbo (D) ▌George Brown Jr. (D) ▌Mark Hart (R) ▌Chad Aull (D) ▌David Meade (R) ▌Deanna Frazier Gordon (R) ▌Nick Wilson (R) ▌Josh Branscum (R) ▌Chris Fugate (R) ▌Shane Baker (R) ▌Tom Smith (R) ▌Adam Bowling (R) ▌Cherlynn Stevenson (D) ▌Timmy Truett (R) ▌Derek Lewis (R) ▌Billy Wesley (R) ▌John Blanton (R) ▌Adrielle Camuel (D) ▌Jacob Justice (R) ▌Ashley Tackett Laferty (D) ▌Patrick Flannery (R) ▌Bobby McCool (R) ▌Danny Bentley (R) ▌Richard White (R) ▌Scott Sharp (R)
▌Republican (80) ▌Democratic (20) Kentucky General Assembly House Senate List of past Assemblies

v t e Legislatures of the United States
United States Congress	United States House of Representatives United States Senate
State legislatures	Alabama (H, S) Alaska (H, S) Arizona (H, S) Arkansas (H, S) California (A, S) Colorado (H, S) Connecticut (H, S) Delaware (H, S) Florida (H, S) Georgia (H, S) Hawaii (H, S) Idaho (H, S) Illinois (H, S) Indiana (H, S) Iowa (H, S) Kansas (H, S) Kentucky (H, S) Louisiana (H, S) Maine (H, S) Maryland (H, S) Massachusetts (H, S) Michigan (H, S) Minnesota (H, S) Mississippi (H, S) Missouri (H, S) Montana (H, S) Nebraska Nevada (A, S) New Hampshire (H, S) New Jersey (GA, S) New Mexico (H, S) New York (A, S) North Carolina (H, S) North Dakota (H, S) Ohio (H, S) Oklahoma (H, S) Oregon (H, S) Pennsylvania (H, S) Rhode Island (H, S) South Carolina (H, S) South Dakota (H, S) Tennessee (H, S) Texas (H, S) Utah (H, S) Vermont (H, S) Virginia (H, S) Washington (H, S) West Virginia (H, S) Wisconsin (A, S) Wyoming (H, S)
Other legislatures	District of Columbia American Samoa (H, S) Guam Northern Mariana Islands (H, S) Puerto Rico (H, S) U.S. Virgin Islands
Legislative elections	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
List of U.S. state legislators Lists of past U.S. state legislatures

Authority control databases
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History

The Civil War

Assassination of Governor Goebel

Houses

Senate

Terms and qualifications

Leadership

House of Representatives

Terms and qualifications

Leadership

Standing committees

Legislative Research Commission

See also

References

External links