And just like that, it’s a wrap on another session of the Kentucky General Assembly, as legislators officially closed the 2026 session on April 15, with the passage of a two-year budget, numerous pieces of legislation and multiple vetoes overridden.
Overall, Representative Myron Dossett of Pembroke says he considers this session a success, saying he was pleased with the amount of local projects that received funding through the one-time spending bill, House Bill 900, and as happy as he can be with a budget that needed strict guidance. He is especially pleased with the passage of a bill he championed that deals with Eminent Domain.
That bill will allow for better protection of landowners rights, and while Dossett says it was a beast to write out and get fully through both Chambers, he thinks it will help keep things more fair in the future.
That measure not only passed, it was also signed by Governor Andy Beshear, marking a bipartisan agreement in state government.
Representative Walker Thomas of Christian County was pleased with his session as well, as several of his bills passed, including one helping smaller boards meet their audit obligations, and another that we help keep additional damage from area roadways.
This was Senator Craig Richardson of Hopkinsville’s first budget session, and he says he found it to be educational, and he thinks overall successful. He knows that things were tight this time around, funding wise, with the legislature installing budget reductions in the coming years for some state agencies, but he says it was inevitable as federal funding has taken a dip.
Richardson was proud to say that all the legislation he filed this year passed both Chambers, making a very productive session for the senator’s second go-round. That includes legislation that will make so local pharmacies are properly reimbursed for their services and a bill that updates Kentucky law governing civil liability in roadway construction and maintenance projects by establishing clear standards for when contractors may be held responsible.
Now, work begins in the interim, where law-makers will stay busy taking part in committee meetings and hearing from their constituents, already preparing for the 2027 session.