The first session of the Kentucky General Assembly took place in 1792, with legislators convening in a two-story log structure in downtown Lexington. Lawmakers met for 23 days and passed several pieces of legislation that laid the foundation for early statehood.

In the generations since that first meeting, our Commonwealth has witnessed the ratification of four constitutions and the construction of four capitol buildings. We have endured wars and economic depressions, and witnessed industrial growth and agricultural innovation. Through it all, Kentuckians have continued to look to the General Assembly as a place where voices are heard and the future is shaped.

Two hundred and thirty-four years later, the Kentucky General Assembly will convene at noon on Tuesday, January 6. This session, we will meet in a temporary facility on the capitol campus as the historic building undergoes a massive renovation that will leave it far better suited to continue serving the people of Kentucky.

Despite the changes, legislators continue to work on many of the same core issues, including the budget, education, and public safety, that they addressed in our early statehood. The upcoming session will span 60 legislative days and legislators have until midnight on April 15 to take official action on legislation. Here are a few of the issues we will act on:

Budget: The 2026 Regular Session is a “budget session,” meaning legislators will pass a two-year spending plan for the Commonwealth. Our priority is to continue living within our means while making investments in infrastructure, public safety, and education - without growing the size of government or saddling Kentuckians with higher taxes.

Road, Bridge, and Infrastructure Investments: Safe and reliable transportation is the foundation of both economic growth and quality of life. While transportation funding has historically been highly political, today we prioritize projects based on data, ensuring that our limited funds are used efficiently and transparently. The legislature has used this approach on state projects for several years and just recently implemented it for state funding of county and city road projects.

Education: We will continue our commitment to strengthening public schools while empowering parents with a greater voice in their children’s education. That means recruiting and retaining quality teachers, modernizing career and technical education programs, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent in the classroom - not on administrative bureaucracy. We will also continue to defend parents’ rights in decisions about their children’s education and protect Kentucky values in our classrooms.

Medicaid: We will continue to look for ways to make Medicaid, the state and federally funded program that provides health care for our poor and most vulnerable, more efficient as well as more effective. More than a third of our state’s population receives benefits through the Medicaid program, including more than half of Kentucky children, and billions in state and federal tax dollars are spent to provide health care through Medicaid. However, despite these investments, we still have among the worst rates for chronic diseases and fatal conditions. This session, we will continue to insist on accountability and focus on outcomes that actually improve health.

Public Safety: The General Assembly has made public safety a priority in recent years, passing legislation to crack down on human trafficking, strengthen penalties for drug dealers, and protect children from exploitation. We also passed policies aimed at keeping our most violent criminals off the streets. This session we will continue to ensure law enforcement has the tools needed to keep communities safe.

Workforce Shortages: Kentucky businesses continue to face a shortage of workers, which limits growth and opportunity. The General Assembly has already expanded work-based learning, streamlined licensing requirements, and invested in workforce training. This year we will try to build on those efforts by reducing barriers to employment, strengthening apprenticeship programs, and ensuring able-bodied adults on public assistance are connected with work opportunities.

Housing Shortage: Kentucky is facing a housing shortage of more than 200,000 units. During the interim, the Housing Task Force took a comprehensive look at the issue and identified a few ways state policies can be updated to help address the shortage. This session we will likely consider licensing, permitting, and land use policies to make sure they are not barriers. At the same time, we will guard against government overreach and instead look for solutions that encourage private investment and homeownership.

Artificial Intelligence: AI provides unlimited opportunities. However, like any tool, it must be harnessed properly. For example, it can be used to “clone” an individual’s voice – then using the fake voice to defraud a family member or friend. It could also be used to develop algorithms that help plant fake news as fact. Lawmakers worked throughout the interim to identify steps that can be taken to harness the good, while guarding against the risks.

Improving Health: Kentucky leads the nation in chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity and as a result, health care costs are higher than average and too many of our people die too young. Legislators are looking for ways to improve health, including using benefit programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly referred to as “food stamps”) to incentivize better lifestyle choices.

These are just a handful of issues that we will consider when we convene the 2026 Regular Session. I urge you to follow along as bills are filed for consideration. The Kentucky General Assembly’s website – legislature.ky.gov - provides online access to the Legislative Record, schedules, and publications.