Kentucky State Senate

Kentucky State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:	January 2, 2024
Session end:	April 15, 2024
Term length:	4 years
Term limits:	None
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$188.22/calendar day during session for legislators whose terms began before 2023. $203.28/calendar day for legislators whose terms began after 2023. + per diem
Members
Total:	38
Democrats:	7
Republicans:	30
Other:	0
Vacancies:	1
Leadership
President:	Robert Stivers (R)
Maj. Leader:	Damon Thayer (R)
Min. Leader:	Gerald Neal (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Next election:	November 5, 2024

The Kentucky State Senate is the upper chamber of the Kentucky General Assembly. Alongside the Kentucky House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Kentucky state government and works alongside the governor of Kentucky to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Kentucky State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Kentucky State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Nineteen seats out of the state Senate's 38 seats were up for election in 2024.

Nineteen seats out of the state Senate's 38 seats were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Republican majority increased from 29-8 (with one vacancy) to 31-7.

Kentucky has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.

This page contains the following information on the Kentucky State Senate.

• Which party controls the chamber
• The chamber's current membership
• Partisan control of the chamber over time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• A district map
• How redistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list of committees

Party control

Current partisan control

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Kentucky State Senate as of November 2024:

Party		As of November 2024
	Democratic Party	7
	Republican Party	30
	Other	0
	Vacancies	1
Total		38

Members

Leadership

The president and president pro tempore are elected by the full Senate. The majority and minority parties select a floor leader, whip, and caucus leader.^[1][2]

Leadership and members

• Senate president: Robert Stivers (R)
• President Pro Tem: David Givens (R)
• Majority leader: Damon Thayer (R)
• Minority leader: Gerald Neal (D)

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024[3]
Salary	Per diem
$188.22/calendar day during session for legislators whose terms began before 2023. $203.28/calendar day for legislators whose terms began after 2023.	$182.60/day

Swearing in dates

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Kentucky legislators assume office the first day of January after their election.^[4]

Membership qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution states: "No person shall be a Senator who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of Kentucky, has not attained the age of thirty years, and has not resided in this State six years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof in the district for which he may be chosen."^[5]

Historical party control

Republicans won control of the Kentucky State Senate in 2000. In 2022, they won a 31-7 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Kentucky Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Kentucky State Senate election results: 1992-2022

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22
Democrats	25	21	20	20	18	17	15	16	15	15	14	12	11	10	8	7
Republicans	13	17	18	18	20	21	23	21	22	22	23	26	27	28	30	31
Other	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0

Trifecta history

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Kentucky was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 1992-1999
• Republican trifecta: 2017-2019
• Divided government: 2000-2016, 2020-2023

Kentucky Party Control: 1992-2024
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  Three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Elections

Elections by year

Kentucky state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. Kentucky holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for the Kentucky State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

2024

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 21, 2024. The filing deadline was January 5, 2024.

2022

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 17, 2022. The filing deadline was January 25, 2022.

The Republicans increased their majority in the Kentucky State Senate in the 2022 elections to 31-7.

Kentucky State Senate
Party		As of November 8, 2022	After November 9, 2022
	Democratic Party	8	7
	Republican Party	29	31
	Vacancy	1	0
Total		38	38

2020

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 23, 2020. The filing deadline was January 10, 2020.

In the November 2020 election, Republicans expanded their majority in the Kentucky State Senate from 28-10 to 30-8.

Kentucky State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	10	8
	Republican Party	28	30
Total		38	38

2018

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2018. The closed primary election took place on May 22, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was January 30, 2018.^[6]

In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Kentucky State Senate from 27-11 to 28-10.

Kentucky State Senate
Party		As of November 6, 2018	After November 7, 2018
	Democratic Party	11	10
	Republican Party	27	28
Total		38	38

2016

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 26, 2016. A total of 19 seats out of the 38 seats in the Kentucky State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 27-11 majority. No changes occurred to political control in the Kentucky State Senate after the November 2016 election.

Kentucky State Senate
Party		As of November 7, 2016	After November 8, 2016
	Democratic Party	11	11
	Republican Party	27	27
Total		38	38

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 28, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 23-14 majority with one independent member. Republicans gained three seats in the election, giving them a 26-12 majority. Kentucky State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 14 12      Republican Party 23 26      Independent 1 0 Total 38 38 2012 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 22, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was January 31, 2012. A total of 19 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 21-14 majority with two vacancies and one independent member. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 22-14 majority with one vacancy and one independent member. Kentucky State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 14 14      Republican Party 21 22      Independent 1 1      Vacancy 2 1 Total 38 38 The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012. 2012 Margin of Victory, Kentucky State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 3 Whitney Westerfield 0.8% 36,617 Joey Pendleton District 21 Albert Robinson 7.6% 38,073 Amie Hacker District 37 Perry Clark 17.2% 42,342 Chris Thieneman District 7 Julian Carroll 18% 56,617 Frank Haynes District 1 Stan Humphries 18.6% 47,783 Carroll Hubbard District 23 Chris McDaniel 20% 40,003 James Noll District 27 Walter Blevins 27% 39,327 Tony Downey District 23 Robert Stivers 27.9% 33,147 Ralph Hoskins District 17 Damon Thayer 32.7% 53,269 David Holcomb District 33 Gerald Neal 87.4% 36,277 Norris Shelton 2010 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 18, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 26, 2010. There are 38 seats in the Kentucky State Senate, and 19 of them were up for re-election in 2010. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 20-17 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained two seats in the election, giving them a 22-15 majority with one vacancy. Kentucky State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 17 15      Republican Party 20 22      Vacancy 1 1 Total 38 38 In 2010, candidates running for state senate raised a total of $5,379,997 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[7] 2010 Donors, Kentucky State Senate Donor Amount Kentucky Republican Party $416,959 Smith, Rex $371,350 Kentucky Democratic Party $217,250 Kentucky Senate Republican Caucus Campaign Cmte $175,310 Harris, Ernie $107,518 Rhoads, Jerry P $93,000 Kentucky Senate Democratic Caucus Campaign Cmte $63,000 Kentucky Senate Democratic Caucus $48,400 Spainhour, John E $37,060 Parrett, Dennis L $30,000 2008 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 20, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $6,125,118. The top 10 contributors were:[8] 2008 Donors, Kentucky State Senate Donor Amount Kentucky Democratic Party $606,672 Kentucky Senate Republican Caucus $470,915 Kentucky Republican Party $434,185 Kentucky Senate Democratic Caucus $64,266 Jensen, Tom $63,990 Rogers, John $59,106 Jobe, Jeff $41,000 Hawkins, Doug $35,181 Hamilton, Eric $30,411 Kentucky Optometric Association $29,800 2006 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 16, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,171,644. The top 10 contributors were:[9] 2006 Donors, Kentucky State Senate Donor Amount Kentucky Republican Party $259,879 Senate Democratic Caucus $128,100 Kentucky Democratic Party $91,000 Archer, Neil F $79,837 Rhoads, Jerry P $44,320 Metcalf, Barry $36,285 Kentucky Optometric Association $31,500 Hubbard, Carroll $31,074 Kentucky Hospital Association $29,000 Kentucky Equine Education Alliance $24,000 2004 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 18, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $5,143,180. The top 10 contributors were:[10] 2004 Donors, Kentucky State Senate Donor Amount Kentucky Republican Party $456,272 Graviss, Joe $175,146 Robinson, Albert $147,089 Kentucky Democratic Party $85,507 Ratliff, Chris $77,000 Jennnings, Ched $56,313 Gibson, Carroll $51,000 Wallace, Cliff $49,605 Jensen, Thomas $32,000 Smrt, Christopher M $27,929 2002 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 28, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $5,547,216. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2002 Donors, Kentucky State Senate Donor Amount Kentucky Democratic Party $542,453 Kentucky Republican Party $433,140 Freeman, Brien $120,000 Turner, Johnnie L $43,108 Fair, Janey $40,202 Palmer II, R J $38,856 Rhoads, Jerry $37,161 Miller, Edwin E $30,511 Kentucky Optometric Association $29,800 Belcher, Larry L $29,536 2000 See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 2, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $5,415,603. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2000 Donors, Kentucky State Senate Donor Amount Kentucky Democratic Party $813,455 Kentucky Republican Party $619,720 Fletcher, Ben $96,904 Turner, Johnny Ray $73,400 Freeman, Glenn R $69,000 Mongiardo, Daniel $66,000 Ratliff, Chris $40,000 Jones II, Ray S $33,119 Kentucky Association Of Realtors $27,000 Kentucky Optometric Association $23,500

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Kentucky General Assembly, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The governor must call for an election if the General Assembly is not in session. The presiding officer in the house where the vacancy happened must call for an election if lawmakers are in session.^[13] All nominating petitions must be filed at least 49 days before the election.^[14]

See sources: Kentucky Rev. Stat. § 118.730-§118.770

District map

See also: Kentucky state legislative districts

The state of Kentucky has 138 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 38 districts and the state House has 100 districts.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Kentucky

In Kentucky, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. District maps may be vetoed by the governor.^[15]

Guidelines adopted in 1991 stipulate that congressional districts ought to be contiguous. In addition, county lines and communities of interest should be maintained if possible. These guidelines are not statutory; consequently, they may be amended by the legislature at its discretion.^[15]

The Kentucky Constitution requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous ... and preserve whole counties where possible."^[15]

2020

See also: Redistricting in Kentucky after the 2020 census

Kentucky adopted new state House district boundaries on January 20, 2022, after the general assembly overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of the plan. The vote to override the governor’s veto was 24-10 in the state Senate with all votes in favor by Republicans and eight Democrats and two Republicans voting against. The override vote was 69-23 in the state House, with all votes in favor by Republicans and 22 Democrats and one Republican voting to sustain Beshear’s veto.^[16] Gov. Beshear allowed the redistricting proposal for new state Senate districts to become law without his signature on January 21, 2022. That legislation had passed the state Senate on January 6, 2022, 28-4, and the state House on January 8, 2022, 67-23.^[17]

Ryland Barton of National Public Radio affiliate WFPL wrote that, "The House map further divides several urban areas in the state and connects them with rural districts in surrounding areas."^[18] Steve Rogers of WTVQ wrote that, "During debate on the legislative districts, especially the 100 House districts, Democrats objected that the GOP-drawn map unfairly split urban areas to the benefit of Republicans. The bill recasting the Senate’s 38 districts easily cleared the Senate, with a handful of lawmakers objecting."^[19]

District map after 2020 redistricting

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

2010

See also: Redistricting in Kentucky after the 2010 census

Kentucky received its local census data on March 17, 2011. The state's population grew 7.4 percent to 4,339,367, with the central region's population gaining and other areas declining.^[20]

At the time of redistricting the assembly was split, Democrats controlled the House and Republicans controlled the Senate. The Assembly began the redistricting process for legislative boundaries in January 2011, and each chamber drew its own maps. On January 20, Governor Steve Beshear (D) signed the state's legislative redistricting maps into law. On February 7, 2012, a Franklin Circuit Court ruled that Kentucky's new state legislative district maps were unconstitutional, finding that the districts exhibited unacceptable population disparities and divided too many counties.^[21] On February 24, 2012, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the circuit court ruling.^[22] On June 20, 2013, Governor Beshear (D) called for a special session of the legislature to consider redistricting on August 19, 2013.^[23] Governor Beshear (D) signed new state legislative district maps into law on August 23, 2013. The legislation was approved by a vote of 35 to 2 in the Senate and 79 to 18 in the House.^[24]

Sessions

Legislation

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Kentucky State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in Kentucky by year

2024

See also: 2024 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 2, 2024, and adjourn on April 15, 2024.

2023

See also: 2023 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2023, and adjourn on March 30, 2023.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2022 See also: 2022 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2022, and adjourn on April 14, 2022. 2021 See also: 2021 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 5, 2021, and adjourn on March 30, 2021. 2020 See also: 2020 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 7, 2020, and adjourn on April 15, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Kentucky General Assembly suspended its session, effective April 8, 2020, through April 13, 2020. The legislature adjourned on April 15, 2020.[25] 2019 See also: 2019 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2019, through March 29, 2019. 2018 See also: 2018 Kentucky legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 2, 2018, through April 14, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017 See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2017, through March 30, 2017. The legislature held a veto session from March 16 to March 27. 2016 See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 5 through April 15. Major issues in 2016 Major issues in the 2016 legislative session included legislation regarding unions, repeal of the prevailing wage, teacher pensions, charter schools, and the budget.[26][27] 2015 See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 6 through March 23. Major issues in 2015 Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included heroin abuse, telecom deregulation, and the solvency of the state teacher pension system.[28] 2014 See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 7 to April 15. Major issues in 2014 Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included the biennial state budget, casino gambling, tax reform based on the recommendations of 2012 commission, and raising the minimum wage.[29] 2013 See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 8 to March 26. Major issues in 2013 Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included reforms to the state's tax code, pension plans for governmental retirees, legalization of casino style gambling, and redistricting.[30] 2012 See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 3 through April 9. 2011 See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 4 through April 9. A special session was held from March 14 to April 6. It focused on balancing the state's Medicaid budget. 2010 See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the General Assembly was in session from January 5th to April 15th.

About legislative sessions in Kentucky

The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[31] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Section 36 of the Kentucky Constitution establishes when the Kentucky General Assembly, which the House is a part of, is required to meet. Regular sessions convene on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. Sessions in odd-numbered years can last no more than 30 legislative days and must be concluded by March 30. Sessions in even-numbered years can last no more than 60 legislative days and must be concluded by April 15. The governor may call additional special sessions.^[32][33]

Bills may be filed at any time during the House and Senate Clerks' office hours.^[34][35]

Legislative roles and procedures

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.

Veto overrides

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Kentucky are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? A majority of members in both chambers.

A simple majority of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 51 of the 100 members in the Kentucky House of Representatives and 20 of the 38 members in the Kentucky State Senate. Kentucky is one of six states that requires a majority vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

Authority: The Executive Department, Section 88 of the Kentucky Constitution.

"Every bill which shall have passed the two Houses shall be presented to the Governor. If he approve, he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated, which shall enter the objections in full upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, a majority of all the members elected to that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be considered, and if approved by a majority of all the members elected to that House, it shall be a law; but in such case the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered upon the journal of each House respectively."

Role in state budget

See also: Kentucky state budget and finances

Kentucky on

Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[36]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in July of the year preceding the start of the biennium.
2. State agencies submit their budget requests by November 15.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the legislature 10 legislative days after it convenes in early January.
4. The state legislature adopts a budget in April. The biennium begins July 1.

Kentucky is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[36][37]

The governor is statutorily required to submit a balanced budget proposal. The legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.^[36]

Committees

See also: List of committees in Kentucky state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Kentucky State Senate has 16 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Kentucky Constitution can be amended:

See also: Mode of Revision, Kentucky Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Kentucky

The Kentucky Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state constitution—a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Kentucky does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.

Legislature

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Kentucky State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 60 votes in the Kentucky House of Representatives and 23 votes in the Kentucky Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. The Legislature cannot add more than four constitutional amendments to one election ballot.

Convention

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to the Kentucky Constitution, the state Legislature can vote to refer a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions of the Legislature to place a constitutional convention question on the ballot. Turnout for those voting 'yes' at the election must be equal to at least 25% of the qualified electors who voted at the last general election.

2025 measures:

See also: 2025 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

2024 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature.

See also: Kentucky 2024 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

Kentucky Allow State Funding for Non-Public Education Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 23	Yes votes: 27 (71%)	No votes: 8 (31%)	Yes: 0; No: 6	Yes: 27; No: 2
House:	Required: 60	Yes votes: 65 (66.3%)	No votes: 32 (32.6%)	Yes: 0; No: 20	Yes: 65; No: 12
Kentucky Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 23	Yes votes: 31 (81.6%)	No votes: 4 (10.5%)	Yes: 2; No: 4	Yes: 29; No: 0
House:	Required: 60	Yes votes: 72 (73.5%)	No votes: 12 (12.2%)	Yes: 3; No: 12	Yes: 69; No: 0

See also

Elections	Kentucky State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Kentucky State Senate elections, 2024 Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022 Kentucky State Senate elections, 2020 Kentucky State Senate elections, 2018	Kentucky General Assembly Kentucky House of Representatives Governor of Kentucky Kentucky Supreme Court	State legislative elections: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links

• Kentucky General Assembly

Footnotes

v • e State legislatures 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) 2024 State legislative elections (2024) • State legislative special elections (2024) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2024 Session Dates 2023 State legislative elections (2023) • State legislative special elections (2023) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2023 Session Dates Historical elections 2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 Features of state legislatures How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections State senates Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected State houses Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected Leadership positions President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House

v • e Ballotpedia About Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities Executive: Leslie Graves, President • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer Communications: Alison Graves • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond • Erica Shumaker External Relations: Andrew Heath • Hannah Nelson Operations: Meghann Olshefski • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch Policy: Jimmy McAllister • Molly Byrne • Jon Dunn • Annelise Reinwald • Emma Soukup Content Strategy: Josh Altic Tech: Matt Latourelle • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha Contributors: Scott Rasmussen Editorial Content Geoff Pallay, Director of Editorial Content and Editor-in-Chief • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Daniel Anderson, Managing Editor • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor • Cory Eucalitto, Managing Editor • Mandy Gillip, Managing Editor • Doug Kronaizl, Local Elections Project Manager • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Thomas Ellis • Frank Festa • Nicole Fisher • Brianna Hosea • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Jaime Healy-Plotkin • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Nathan Maxwell • Ellie Mikus • Jackie Mitchell • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Maddie Sinclair Johnson • Abbey Smith • Ethan Sorell • Janie Valentine • Joel Williams • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox • Mercedes Yanora

	v • e State of Kentucky Frankfort (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy