Kentucky House of Representatives explained
| Kentucky House of Representatives |
| Coa Pic: | Seal of Kentucky.svg |
| Session Room: | House of Representatives Chamber - Kentucky State Capitol -DSC09197.JPG |
| House Type: | Lower house |
| Term Limits: | None |
| New Session: | January 2, 2024 (adjourned) |
| Leader1: | David Osborne (R) |
| Election1: | January 8, 2019 |
| Leader2 Type: | Speaker pro tempore |
| Leader2: | David Meade (R) |
| Election2: | January 8, 2019 |
| Leader3 Type: | Majority Leader |
| Leader3: | Steven Rudy (R) |
| Election3: | January 5, 2021 |
| Leader4 Type: | Minority Leader |
| Leader4: | Derrick Graham (D) |
| Election4: | January 3, 2023 |
| Members: | 100 |
| Structure1: | Kentucky House of Representatives 2022.svg |
| Structure1 Res: | 250px |
| Last Election1: | November 8, 2022
(100 seats) |
| Next Election1: | November 5, 2024
(100 seats) |
| Term Length: | 2 years |
| Salary: | $188.22/day + per diem (elected before January 1, 2023)
$203.28/day + per diem (elected after January 1, 2023)[1] |
| Redistricting: | Legislative Control |
| Meeting Place: | House of Representatives Chamber
Kentucky State Capitol
Frankfort, Kentucky |
| Website: | Kentucky Legislative Research Commission |
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve the principle of equal representation.[2] Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits. The Kentucky House of Representatives convenes at the State Capitol in Frankfort.
History
The first meeting of the Kentucky House of Representatives was in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1792, shortly after statehood. During the first legislative session, legislators chose Frankfort to be the permanent state capital.
After women gained suffrage in Kentucky, Mary Elliott Flanery was elected as the first female member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. She took her seat in January 1922, and was the first woman elected to a Southern state legislature.[3]
In 2017, the Republicans became the majority party in the House.[4] [5] They now hold a four-fifths supermajority in the chamber.
Powers and legislative process
Section 47 of the Constitution of Kentucky stipulates that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the state House of Representatives.
Membership
Current composition
| Session | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
| Total | |
|---|
| | |
| Republican | Democratic | Vacant |
|---|
| 2017 session | | 64 | 36 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
| 2018 session | | 63 | 37 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | 2019 session | | 61 | 39 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | 2020 session | | 62 | 38 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | 2021–2022 sessions | | 75 | 25 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | 2023 session | | 80 | 20 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | Begin 2024[6] | | 79 | 20 | 99 | 1 |
|---|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | January 15, 2024[7] | | 78 | 20 | 98 | 2 |
|---|
| nowrap style="font-size:80%" | March 25, 2024[8] | | 80 | 20 | 100 | 0 |
|---|
| Latest voting share | | | | | |
|---|
Terms and qualifications
According to Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution, a state representative must:be a citizen of Kentucky, be at least 24 years old at the time of election, 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
The speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives is the chief presiding officer of the Kentucky House. The speaker's official duties include maintaining order in the House, recognizing members during debate, appointing committee chairs and determining the composition of committees, and determining which committee has jurisdiction over which bill. Traditionally, the speaker has also served as chair of the Rules Committee and the Committee on Committees.
When the speaker is absent from the floor or otherwise unavailable, the speaker pro tempore fills in as the chief presiding officer of the House.
In addition to the speaker and speaker pro tem, each party caucus elects a floor leader, a whip, and caucus chair.
Leaders
| Position | Name | Party | Residence | District |
|---|
| Speaker of the House | | | Republican | | 59 |
| Speaker Pro Tempore | | | Republican | | 80 |
| Majority Floor Leader | | | Republican | | 1 |
| Majority Whip | | | Republican | | 33 |
| Majority Caucus Chair | | | Republican | | 7 |
| Minority Floor Leader | | | Democratic | | 57 |
| Minority Whip | | | Democratic | | 67 |
| Minority Caucus Chair | | | Democratic | | 88 | |
List of current representatives
| District | Name | Party | Since | Residence | Counties represented |
|---|
| 1 | | | Republican | 2005 | Paducah | Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Hickman, McCracken |
| 2 | | | Republican | 2012 | Mayfield | Graves, McCracken |
| 3 | | | Republican | 2019 | Paducah | Livingston, McCracken |
| 4 | | | Republican | 2023 | Madisonville | Hopkins |
| 5 | | | Republican | 2021 | Murray | Calloway, Trigg |
| 6 | | | Republican | 2019 | Benton | Lyon, Marshall, McCracken |
| 7 | | | Republican | 2013 | Owensboro | Daviess |
| 8 | | | Republican | 2017 | Hopkinsville | Caldwell, Christian, Trigg |
| 9 | | | Republican | 2007 | Pembroke | Christian |
| 10 | | | Republican | 2021 | Irvington | Breckinridge, Hardin |
| 11 | | | Republican | 2021 | Corydon | Henderson |
| 12 | | | Republican | 1995 | Providence | Crittenden, McLean, Union, Webster |
| 13 | | | Republican | 2021 | Owensboro | Daviess |
| 14 | | | Republican | 2019 | Hartford | Daviess, Hancock, Ohio |
| 15 | | | Republican | 2023 | Morgantown | Butler, Muhlenberg |
| 16 | | | Republican | 2017 | Elkton | Christian, Logan, Todd |
| 17 | | | Republican | 2023 | Bowling Green | Warren |
| 18 | | | Republican | 2019 | Leitchfield | Grayson, Hardin |
| 19 | | | Republican | 2011 | Oakland | Edmonson, Warren |
| 20 | | | Republican | 2023 | Bowling Green | Warren |
| 21 | | | Republican | 2023 | Edmonton | Adair, Cumberland, Metcalfe, Monroe |
| 22 | | | Republican | 2021 | Scottsville | Allen, Simpson, Warren |
| 23 | | | Republican | 2017 | Glasgow | Barren |
| 24 | | | Republican | 2024 | Hodgenville | Green, Hart, LaRue |
| 25 | | | Republican | 2023 | Elizabethtown | Hardin |
| 26 | | | Republican | 2024 | Mount Washington | Bullitt, Hardin |
| 27 | | | Republican | 2019 | Brandenburg | Hardin, Meade |
| 28 | | | Republican | 2023 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 29 | | | Republican | 1997 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 30 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 31 | | | Republican | 2023 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 32 | | | Democratic | 2019 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 33 | | | Republican | 2017 | Louisville | Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby |
| 34 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 35 | | | Democratic | 2019 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 36 | | | Republican | 2023 | Fisherville | Jefferson |
| 37 | | | Republican | 2023 | Louisville | Bullitt, Jefferson |
| 38 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 39 | | | Republican | 2021 | Nicholasville | Fayette, Jessamine |
| 40 | | | Democratic | 2019 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 41 | | | Democratic | 2019 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 42 | | | Democratic | 2022 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 43 | | | Democratic | 2021 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 44 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Shively | Jefferson |
| 45 | | | Republican | 2021 | Lexington | Fayette, Jessamine |
| 46 | | | Democratic | 2017 | Louisville | Jefferson |
| 47 | | | Republican | 2021 | Turners Station | Carroll, Henry, Owen, Trimble |
| 48 | | | Republican | 2021 | Louisville | Jefferson, Oldham |
| 49 | | | Republican | 2019 | Shepherdsville | Bullitt |
| 50 | | | Republican | 2023 | Bardstown | Nelson |
| 51 | | | Republican | 2021 | Campbellsville | Marion, Taylor |
| 52 | | | Republican | 2013 | Monticello | McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne |
| 53 | | | Republican | 2015 | Taylorsville | Anderson, Spencer |
| 54 | | | Republican | 2016 | Danville | Boyle, Casey |
| 55 | | | Republican | 2011 | Harrodsburg | Jessamine, Mercer, Washington |
| 56 | | | Republican | 2021 | Versailles | Franklin, Jessamine, Woodford |
| 57 | | | Democratic | 2003 | Frankfort | Franklin |
| 58 | | | Republican | 2021 | Waddy | Shelby |
| 59 | | | Republican | 2005 | Prospect | Oldham |
| 60 | | | Republican | 2023 | Union | Boone |
| 61 | | | Republican | 2019 | Dry Ridge | Boone, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton |
| 62 | | | Republican | 2017 | Georgetown | Scott |
| 63 | | | Republican | 2019 | Fort Mitchell | Boone, Kenton |
| 64 | | | Republican | 2017 | Taylor Mill | Kenton |
| 65 | | | Republican | 2023 | Edgewood | Kenton |
| 66 | | | Republican | 2023 | Burlington | Boone |
| 67 | | | Democratic | 2020 | Newport | Campbell |
| 68 | | | Republican | 2023 | Alexandria | Campbell |
| 69 | | | Republican | 2023 | Erlanger | Boone, Kenton |
| 70 | | | Republican | 2021 | Maysville | Bracken, Harrison, Mason, Robertson |
| 71 | | | Republican | 2021 | Mount Vernon | Laurel, Madison, Pulaski, Rockcastle |
| 72 | | | Republican | 2019 | Paris | Bourbon, Fleming, Nicholas |
| 73 | | | Republican | 2021 | Winchester | Clark, Fayette |
| 74 | | | Republican | 2015 | Wellington | Bath, Menifee, Montgomery |
| 75 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Lexington | Fayette |
| 76 | | | Democratic | 1991 | Lexington | Fayette |
| 77 | | | Democratic | 2015 | Lexington | Fayette |
| 78 | | | Republican | 2017 | Falmouth | Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Pendleton |
| 79 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Lexington | Fayette |
| 80 | | | Republican | 2013 | Stanford | Garrard, Lincoln, Pulaski |
| 81 | | | Republican | 2019 | Richmond | Madison |
| 82 | | | Republican | 2023 | Williamsburg | Laurel, Whitley |
| 83 | | | Republican | 2021 | Russell Springs | Clinton, Pulaski, Russell |
| 84 | | | Republican | 2017 | Chavies | Breathitt, Owsley, Perry |
| 85 | | | Republican | 2021 | Somerset | Laurel, Pulaski |
| 86 | | | Republican | 2021 | Corbin | Knox, Laurel |
| 87 | | | Republican | 2019 | Middlesboro | Bell, Harlan |
| 88 | | | Democratic | 2019 | Lexington | Fayette, Scott |
| 89 | | | Republican | 2021 | McKee | Jackson, Laurel, Lee, Madison, Wolfe |
| 90 | | | Republican | 2019 | London | Clay, Laurel, Leslie |
| 91 | | | Republican | 2021 | Jackson | Estill, Madison, Powell |
| 92 | | | Republican | 2017 | Salyersville | Knott, Magoffin, Pike |
| 93 | | | Democratic | 2023 | Lexington | Fayette |
| 94 | | | Republican | 2023 | | Harlan, Letcher, Pike |
| 95 | | | Democratic | 2019 | Martin | Floyd, Pike |
| 96 | | | Republican | 2021 | Olive Hill | Boyd, Carter, Lewis |
| 97 | | | Republican | 2019 | Van Lear | Johnson, Martin, Pike |
| 98 | | | Republican | 2017 | Russell | Boyd, Greenup |
| 99 | | | Republican | 2020 | Morehead | Elliott, Morgan, Rowan |
| 100 | | | Republican | 2021 | Ashland | Boyd, Lawrence | |
Past composition of the House of Representatives
See main article: Political party strength in Kentucky.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: How much do Kentucky's governor and other elected officials make? Here's a list . Louisville Courier-Journal . 2024-01-17 .
- Book: Ireland, Robert M.. The Kentucky State Constitution. Oxford University Press. 2011. 978-0-19-987781-2. New York. 63–64. 871172867.
- Book: Powers, James C.. The Kentucky Encyclopedia. John E. Kleber. The University Press of Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky. 1992. 323–324. 0-8131-1772-0. 11 March 2010.
- News: Ky. Dems guard against efforts to flip House. Courier-Journal. Gerth, Joseph. 8 November 2015. 6 January 2016.
- News: Democrats Lose a Southern Holdout. The Weekly Standard. Warren, Michael. 30 November 2016. 14 December 2016.
- Web site: Latek . Tom . Lawmaker to resign to accept deputy treasurer position . Kentucky Today . 4 January 2024 . 7 December 2023.
- News: Shepherd . Allison . January 5, 2024 . Reed withdraws candidacy for re-election . January 15, 2024 . The LaRue County Herald News.
- News: Pitts . Jacqueline . March 26, 2024 . New members of the Kentucky House of Representatives sworn in on day 55 of 2024 session . March 27, 2024 . The Bottom Line News.
