Legislative Update by Representative Derek Lewis
I know the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy for all of us, but the Kentucky General Assembly will convene the 2025 Regular Session just a week after we ring in the New Year. Since time is of the essence, I wanted to use this week’s legislative update to share some basic information that I hope will help you follow our work.
The General Assembly will convene on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at noon. Our convening is set by the Kentucky Constitution, which requires that we begin session on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. The Constitution, after an amendment passed 24 years ago, also establishes that in odd years we have 30 legislative days to complete our work before we must adjourn by midnight on March 30.
We already know that this will be a historic session, as it is the last session in the State Capitol Building for several years. The entire campus is undergoing renovations aimed at maintaining the facility’s historic integrity while making it safer and more accessible for those who work and visit. The project also incorporates modern technology. Since the Kentucky Constitution also requires that all sessions be held in the state capital (except in case of war, insurrection, or pestilence, may I add), next session we will meet in a temporary facility on the Capitol campus.
While the legislature can only take official action like passing laws during session, lawmakers use the time between sessions to study issues and work with stakeholders to prepare. Lawmakers met throughout the summer and fall to consider issues that will be addressed with legislation during the 2025 Regular Session. Presentations included several bills that will be filed when the legislature convenes, as well as information on other issues and updates on laws already passed as lawmakers monitor how they are implemented. In addition to committee work, special task forces have discussed housing and labor shortages, the skyrocketing use of Artificial Intelligence, and the governance of the state’s largest school system.
Since lawmakers addressed the budget last session, they will be free to consider a number of other issues this year. Our legislative agenda is shaping up to include additional efforts to lower the state’s income tax, get Kentuckians working, increase access to affordable health care, protect Kentucky children, honor our veterans, and help strengthen our communities. All of these are important if we want to continue making Kentucky the best place to live, work, and build a life. If you are interested in following along, please visit the legislature’s website and email me to be added to a list for regular updates.
One of my favorite duties as a legislator is welcoming visitors and school groups to Frankfort. These tours serve as a great reminder of why I serve this community, and provide folks from our community with a firsthand appreciation of their state capitol building and capital city. If you have a school group or civic organization that would like to come visit, I hope you will let me arrange the tour of the Kentucky State Capitol, Thomas D. Clark Kentucky History Center, or the Military History Museum. I also have some resources for groups that cannot make the trip – including a video tour and activity books.
If you are not able to visit in person, we use a variety of tools to keep the legislature’s work accessible and transparent. For decades, Kentucky Educational Television (KET) has televised committee meetings and the work we do on the House Floor. In addition, the legislature now offers a YouTube channel and broadcasts live from all committees, including those that KET is unable to cover. To access the KET and YouTube coverage, visit www.legislature.ky.gov and click on the Live Coverage box. You may also go directly to them via www.ket.org and KY LRC Committee Meetings on YouTube.
The Legislative Research Commission (LRC) is the legislature’s administrative arm and maintains a helpful, information-packed website. It contains every bill and resolution, schedules, contact information, and information about the legislative process. I regularly refer to LRC publications, which provide research information on a variety of issues and can also be downloaded from the website.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
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