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EspañolKENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Kentucky State Capitol building in Frankfort
The 'Kentucky General Assembly', also called the 'Kentucky Legislature', is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.
The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, 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 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.[1]
The Civil War
Officially, Kentucky remained neutral during the Civil War. However, the majority of the General Assembly had strong Union sympathies. A group of Confederate sympathizers met in Russellville to establish a Confederate government for the state. The group decided to establish the Confederate state capital in Bowling Green, but never successfully displaced the elected General Assembly in Frankfort.
Assassination of Governor Goebel
The General Assembly played a decisive role in the disputed gubernatorial election of 1900. Initial vote tallies had Republican William S. Taylor leading Democrat William Goebel by a scant 2,383 votes. ''Offbeat Kentuckians: Legends to Lunatics'', , Keven, McQueen, McClanahan Publishing House, 2001, 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. ''The First New Dealer'', , Urey, Woodson, The Standard Press, 1939,
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. 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.
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. ''William Goebel: The Politics of Wrath'', , James C., Klotter, The University Press of Kentucky, 1977,
Houses
The General Assembly is bicameral, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: Informational Bulletin No. 59 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.
Senate
| Affiliation | Members | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican Party | 21 | |
| Democratic Party | 16 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| 'Total' | '38' | |
The Senate is the upper house of the General Assembly.
Terms and qualifications
According to Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution, a state 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.
Per 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): David L. Williams (R-16)
★ President Pro-Tempore (elected by full body): Katie Kratz Stine (R-24)
Additionally, each party elects a floor leader, whip, and caucus chair.
| Republican Party | Democratic Party | |
|---|---|---|
| Leader | Dan Kelly (R-14) | Ed Worley (D-34) |
| Whip | Dan Seum (R-38) | Joey Pendelton (D-3) |
| Caucus chair | Richie Sanders, Jr. (R-9) | Johnny Ray Turner (D-29) |
House of Representatives
| Affiliation | Members | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 61 | |
| Republican Party | 39 | |
| '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 state 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): Jody Richards (D-20)
★ Speaker Pro Tempore (elected by full body): Larry Clark (D-46)
Additionally, each party elects a floor leader, whip, and caucus chair.
| Republican Party | Democratic Party | |
|---|---|---|
| Leader | Jeffrey Hoover (R-83) | Rocky Adkins (D-99) |
| Whip | Stan Lee (R-45) | Joe Barrows (D-56) |
| Caucus chair | Bob DeWeese (R-48) | Charlie Hoffman (D-62) |
Standing committees
| Committee | Senate | House of Representatives |
|---|---|---|
| Committee on Committees | David L. Williams | Jody Richards |
| Rules | David L. Williams | Jody Richards |
| Enrollment | Elizabeth Tori | Susan Westrom |
| Agriculture and National Resources | Tom Jensen | Tom McKee |
| Appropiations and Revenue | Charlie Borders | Harry Moberly |
| Budget and Review Subcommittee on Economic Development & Tourism, Natural Resources, & Environmental Protection | Ernie Harris | John Arnold |
| Budget Review Subcommittee on Education | Brett Guthrie | John Will Stacy |
| Budget and Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, & Public Protection | Jack Westwood | Royce Adams |
| Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources | Tom Buford | Jimmie Lee |
| Budget and Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary | Robert Stivers | Jesse Crenshaw |
| Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation | Bob Leeper | Rob Wilkey |
| Banking and Insurance | Tom Buford | James Bruce |
| Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor | Alice Kerr | Ruth Ann Palumbo |
| Education | Julie Denton | Frank Rasche |
| Health and Welfare | Julie Denton | Tom Burch |
| Judiciary | Robert Stivers | Gross Lindsay |
| Labor and Industry | -- | J.R. Gray |
| Licensing, Occupations & Administrative Regulations | Gary Tapp | Denver Butler |
| State and Local Government | Damon Thayer | Steve Riggs |
| Natural Resources and Environment | -- | James Gooch |
| State Government | Damon Thayer | Mike Cherry |
| Seniors, Military Affairs, and Public Safety | -- | Mike Weaver |
| Transportation | Brent Guthrie | Hubert Collins |
| Tourism Development and Energy | -- | Eddie Ballard |
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 an executive director.[4]
References
1. The General Assembly: Its History, Its Homes, Its Functions
2. Senate Members
3. House Members
4. About the Legislative Research Commission
External links
★ Kentucky Legislature Home Page
★ Kentucky Revised Statutes
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