The Kentucky General Assembly convened today to begin the 2017 legislative session. This year is a short, or 30-day session. The Legislature will convene for four days this week to formally organize, which includes electing leaders and appointing committee chairs and members. On Friday, the legislature will recess until February 7th when they will reconvene to begin the working portion of the session.
Today also marks the first time in nearly one hundred years that the House will elect a Republican Speaker of the House. With a margin of 64-36, House Republicans have a supermajority and will officially take reign as the majority party when they convene at Noon.
Leadership & Organization
The Majority Party in the Senate and House have each already announced their leaders for this session and we have reported on that, but we have not shared the Minority Party Leadership for each chamber. Those leaders are:
- Sen. Ray Jones (D-Pikeville) - Re-elected as Minority Floor Leader
- Sen. Julian Carroll (D-Frankfort) - Re-elected as Minority Whip
- Sen. Dorsey Ridley (D-Henderson) - Elected as Minority Caucus Chair replacing Sen. Neal.
House Democrat Leadership
- Rep. Rocky Adkins (D-Sandy Hook) - Elected as Minority Floor Leader
- Rep. Wilson Stone (D-Scottsville) - Elected as Minority Whip
- Rep. Dennis Keene (D-Wilder) - Elected as Minority Caucus Chair
A full roster of committee members is not available as of this email, but we will share as soon as it is available.
We will send weekly legislative reports and bill tracking updates beginning Monday, January 9th and will update you as needed during the January recess period.
Looking Ahead
The session legislative calendar and committee meeting schedule can be viewed online, but here are a few dates of interest:
February 7th - Working session convenes
February 10th - Last day for new bill requests
February 17th - Last day for new Senate bills
February 20th - Legislative Holiday (Presidents' Day)
February 21st - Last day for new House bills
March 10th and 13th - Legislative Holidays
March 14th and 15th - Concurrence Days
March 16th - 27th - Veto Recess
March 28th - Legislative Holiday
March 29th - Reconvene
March 30th - Sine Die
Stay tuned....
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