Counties represented in the Central Kentucky Legislative Caucus
Representing an agglomeration of 31 counties in the heart of the state, the Central Kentucky Legislative Caucus is the label for the 32-legislator Bluegrass Area battalion composed of eight state senators and 24 state representatives. The range of interests and political stances among these lawmakers are too varied to enumerate here, but they’re split down partisan lines, 19 Republicans to 14 Democrats with Democratic Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, of Lexington, at the head of it.
Not included in this guide are those legislators who are also members of the Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus, but they can be found in the Northern Kentucky Tribune’s 2015 Guide to the Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus. There are three state Senators with dual caucus membership: Sens. Carroll, Hornback and Thayer. And there are four House members: Reps. Linder, McKee, Quarles and Rand.
Of course, nearly every legislator–whether they sponsor any bills or not–signs on as a co-sponsor for other legislator’s bill. In this guide, however, only their own bills–those showing them as the primary sponsor–are listed. Inquisitive readers need not fret, though: They can find all of the bills a particular legislator is co-sponsoring in 2015 by checking either the House or Senate for an updated-daily listing.
The Central Kentucky Legislative Caucus is scheduled to hold its next public meeting Jan. 28 at the Amazon distribution facility on 1850 Mercer Road in Lexington. The caucus will be given a 45-minute tour of the facility at 1:30 p.m. and convene afterward.
Sen. Ralph Alvarado, R-Winchester, Senate District 28:
Appropriations & Revenue (S); BR Sub. on Human Resources (S) [Chair]; Health & Welfare (S) [Vice Chair]; State & Local Government (S)
Primary sponsor, 2015: Senate Bills 58, 59, 60, 61
Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, Senate District 22:
Banking & Insurance (S) [Chair]; Health & Welfare (S); Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (S)
Primary sponsor, 2015: Senate Bills 25, 26, 31, 33, 77
Sen. Jared Carpenter, R-Berea, Senate District 34:
Banking & Insurance (S) [Vice Chair]; Education (S); Transportation (S)
Primary sponsor, 2015: Senate Bill 78
Sen. Majority Whip Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, Senate District 14:
BR Sub. on Transportation (S); Committee on Committees (S); Economic Development, Tourism & Labor (S); Education (S); Health & Welfare (S); Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (S); Rules (S); Transportation (S)
Primary sponsor, 2015: Senate Bills 43, 47
Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington, Senate District 12:
Economic Development, Tourism & Labor (S) [Chair]; Education (S); Health & Welfare (S); Judiciary (S)
Primary sponsor, 2015: Senate Bills 32, 75
Rep. Robert Benvenuti, R-Lexington, House District 88:
Health & Welfare (H) [Vice Chair]; Judiciary (H); Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Safety (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. George Brown, Jr., D-Lexington, House District 77:
BR Sub. on Human Resources (H) [Liaison Member]; Economic Development (H); Education (H); Health & Welfare (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. John “Bam” Carney, R-Campbellsville, House District 51:
Appropriations & Revenue (H); BR Sub. on Primary & Secondary Education (H); Education (H) [Vice Chair]; State Government (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bill 52
Rep. Mike Denham, D-Maysville, House District 70:
Agriculture & Small Business (H) [Vice Chair]; Appropriations & Revenue (H); Banking & Insurance (H) [Vice Chair]; BR Sub. on Gen. Govt., Finance & Public Protection (H); Economic Development (H); Local Government (H) [Vice Chair]
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bills 73, 112
Rep. Kelly Flood, D-Lexington, House District 75:
Appropriations & Revenue (H); BR Sub. on Primary & Secondary Education (H) [Chair]; Education (H); Health & Welfare (H) [Vice Chair]; Judiciary (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bills 11, 67, 68
Rep. David Floyd, R-Bardstown, House District 50:
Licensing & Occupations (H); Transportation (H); Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Safety (H) [Vice Chair]
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bills 37, 54, 55, 82, 103
Rep. Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, House District 57:
Agriculture & Small Business (H); Education (H) [Chair]; Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H); State Government (H) [Vice Chair]
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bill 147
Rep. Mike Harmon, R-Danville, House District 54:
Banking & Insurance (H); Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H); Tourism Development & Energy (H) [Vice Chair]
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bill 174
Rep. James Kay, D-Versailles, House District 56:
Agriculture & Small Business (H) [Vice Chair]; Education (H); State Government (H); Tourism Development & Energy (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bills 93, 99, 100, 146
Rep. Kim King, R-Harrodsburg, House District 55:
Agriculture & Small Business (H); Economic Development (H); Tourism Development & Energy (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bills 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
House Minority Caucus Chair Stan Lee, R-Lexington, House District 45:
Judiciary (H); Local Government (H); Rules (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bill 21
Rep. Donna Mayfield, R-Winchester, House District 73:
BR Sub. on Human Resources (H) [Liaison Member]; Education (H); Transportation (H); Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Safety (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Russ Meyer, D-Nicholasville, House District 39:
Banking & Insurance (H); BR Sub. on Transportation (H) [Liaison Member]; Local Government (H); Transportation (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Terry Mills, D-Lebanon, House District 24:
Agriculture & Small Business (H) [Vice Chair]; Appropriations & Revenue (H); BR Sub. on Econ Dev. & Tourism, Nat Res. & Envir. Prot. (H); Economic Development (H); Labor & Industry (H); Transportation (H); Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Safety (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bill 141
Rep. Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville, House District 58:
Banking & Insurance (H); BR Sub. on Gen. Govt., Finance & Public Protection (H) [Liaison Member]; Licensing & Occupations (H) [Vice Chair]; State Government (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bills 87, 101, 174
House Majority Caucus Chair Sannie Overly, D-Paris, House District 72:
Agriculture & Small Business (H); Banking & Insurance (H); Committee on Committees (H); Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H); Enrollment (H);Rules (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, D-Lexington, House District 76:
Banking & Insurance (H); Economic Development (H) [Chair]; Education (H); Health & Welfare (H); Licensing & Occupations (H); Rules (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Jonathan Shell, R-Lancaster, House District 71:
Banking & Insurance (H); Local Government (H) [Vice Chair]
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Rita Smart, D-Richmond, House District 81:
Agriculture & Small Business (H); Appropriations & Revenue (H); BR Sub. on Gen. Govt., Finance & Public Protection (H) [Chair]; Education (H); Local Government (H); Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Safety (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Russell Webber, R-Shepherdsville, House District 26:
Economic Development (H) [Vice Chair]; Health & Welfare (H); Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Safety (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: None currently
Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, House District 79:
Appropriations & Revenue (H); BR Sub. on Econ Dev. & Tourism, Nat Res. & Envir. Prot. (H); Enrollment (H) [Chair]; Health & Welfare (H); Licensing & Occupations (H)[Vice Chair]; Local Government (H)
Primary sponsor, 2015: House Bill 145
* Committees listed for each legislator are only those in which they may vote during the active days of the 2015 session. They do not include interim or statutory committee assignments, nor those committees of which they are ex-officio or non-voting members.
Rae Hodge covers state government for KyForward and the NKy Tribune.
