Battle of Backbone Mountain

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

House composition by district
  Held by Democrats
  Held by Republicans
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Republican Democratic Vacant
Previous Legislature (2015–2016) 47 53 100 0
Previous Legislature (2017–2018) 63 37 100 0
Previous Legislature (2019–2020) 61 39 100 0
Begin 2021 75 25 100 0
Begin 2023 80 20 100 0
May 14, 2023[6] 80 19 99 1
November 7, 2023[7] 80 20 100 0
January 2, 2024[8] 79 20 99 1
January 15, 2024[9] 78 20 98 2
March 25, 2024[10] 80 20 100 0
Latest voting share 80% 20%

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 David Osborne Republican Prospect 59
Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade Republican Stanford 80
Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy Republican Paducah 1
Majority Whip Jason Nemes Republican Louisville 33
Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles Republican Owensboro 7
Minority Floor Leader Derrick Graham Democratic Frankfort 57
Minority Whip Rachel Roberts Democratic Newport 67
Minority Caucus Chair Cherlynn Stevenson Democratic Lexington 88

List of current representatives

District Name Party Since Residence Counties represented
1 Steven Rudy Republican 2005 Paducah Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Hickman, McCracken
2 Richard Heath Republican 2012 Mayfield Graves, McCracken
3 Randy Bridges Republican 2019 Paducah Livingston, McCracken
4 D. Wade Williams Republican 2023 Madisonville Hopkins
5 Mary Beth Imes Republican 2021 Murray Calloway, Trigg
6 Chris Freeland Republican 2019 Benton Lyon, Marshall, McCracken
7 Suzanne Miles Republican 2013 Owensboro Daviess
8 Walker Thomas Republican 2017 Hopkinsville Caldwell, Christian, Trigg
9 Myron Dossett Republican 2007 Pembroke Christian
10 Josh Calloway Republican 2021 Irvington Breckinridge, Hardin
11 Jonathan Dixon Republican 2021 Corydon Henderson
12 Jim Gooch Republican 1995 Providence Crittenden, McLean, Union, Webster
13 DJ Johnson Republican 2021[a] Owensboro Daviess
14 Scott Lewis Republican 2019 Hartford Daviess, Hancock, Ohio
15 Rebecca Raymer Republican 2023 Morgantown Butler, Muhlenberg
16 Jason Petrie Republican 2017 Elkton Christian, Logan, Todd
17 Robert Duvall Republican 2023 Bowling Green Warren
18 Samara Heavrin Republican 2019 Leitchfield Grayson, Hardin
19 Michael Meredith Republican 2011 Oakland Edmonson, Warren
20 Kevin Jackson Republican 2023 Bowling Green Warren
21 Amy Neighbors Republican 2023 Edmonton Adair, Cumberland, Metcalfe, Monroe
22 Shawn McPherson Republican 2021 Scottsville Allen, Simpson, Warren
23 Steve Riley Republican 2017 Glasgow Barren
24 Courtney Gilbert Republican 2024 Hodgenville Green, Hart, LaRue
25 Steve Bratcher Republican 2023 Elizabethtown Hardin
26 Peyton Griffee Republican 2024 Mount Washington Bullitt, Hardin
27 Nancy Tate Republican 2019 Brandenburg Hardin, Meade
28 Jared Bauman Republican 2023 Louisville Jefferson
29 Kevin Bratcher Republican 1997 Louisville Jefferson
30 Daniel Grossberg Democratic 2023 Louisville Jefferson
31 Susan Tyler Witten Republican 2023 Louisville Jefferson
32 Tina Bojanowski Democratic 2019 Louisville Jefferson
33 Jason Nemes Republican 2017 Louisville Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby
34 Sarah Stalker Democratic 2023 Louisville Jefferson
35 Lisa Willner Democratic 2019 Louisville Jefferson
36 John Hodgson Republican 2023 Fisherville Jefferson
37 Emily Callaway Republican 2023 Louisville Bullitt, Jefferson
38 Rachel Roarx Democratic 2023 Louisville Jefferson
39 Matt Lockett Republican 2021 Nicholasville Fayette, Jessamine
40 Nima Kulkarni Democratic 2019 Louisville Jefferson
41 Josie Raymond Democratic 2019 Louisville Jefferson
42 Keturah Herron Democratic 2022 Louisville Jefferson
43 Pamela Stevenson Democratic 2021 Louisville Jefferson
44 Beverly Chester-Burton Democratic 2023 Shively Jefferson
45 Killian Timoney Republican 2021 Lexington Fayette, Jessamine
46 Al Gentry Democratic 2017 Louisville Jefferson
47 Felicia Rabourn Republican 2021 Turners Station Carroll, Henry, Owen, Trimble
48 Ken Fleming Republican 2021[b] Louisville Jefferson, Oldham
49 Thomas Huff Republican 2019 Shepherdsville Bullitt
50 Candy Massaroni Republican 2023 Bardstown Nelson
51 Michael Pollock Republican 2021 Campbellsville Marion, Taylor
52 Ken Upchurch Republican 2013[c] Monticello McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne
53 James Tipton Republican 2015 Taylorsville Anderson, Spencer
54 Daniel Elliott Republican 2016 Danville Boyle, Casey
55 Kim King Republican 2011 Harrodsburg Jessamine, Mercer, Washington
56 Daniel Fister Republican 2021 Versailles Franklin, Jessamine, Woodford
57 Derrick Graham Democratic 2003 Frankfort Franklin
58 Jennifer Decker Republican 2021 Waddy Shelby
59 David Osborne Republican 2005 Prospect Oldham
60 Marianne Proctor Republican 2023 Union Boone
61 Savannah Maddox Republican 2019 Dry Ridge Boone, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton
62 Phillip Pratt Republican 2017 Georgetown Scott
63 Kim Banta Republican 2019 Fort Mitchell Boone, Kenton
64 Kimberly Poore Moser Republican 2017 Taylor Mill Kenton
65 Stephanie Dietz Republican 2023 Edgewood Kenton
66 Steve Rawlings Republican 2023 Burlington Boone
67 Rachel Roberts Democratic 2020 Newport Campbell
68 Mike Clines Republican 2023 Alexandria Campbell
69 Steven Doan Republican 2023 Erlanger Boone, Kenton
70 William Lawrence Republican 2021 Maysville Bracken, Harrison, Mason, Robertson
71 Josh Bray Republican 2021 Mount Vernon Laurel, Madison, Pulaski, Rockcastle
72 Matthew Koch Republican 2019 Paris Bourbon, Fleming, Nicholas
73 Ryan Dotson Republican 2021 Winchester Clark, Fayette
74 David Hale Republican 2015 Wellington Bath, Menifee, Montgomery
75 Lindsey Burke Democratic 2023 Lexington Fayette
76 Ruth Ann Palumbo Democratic 1991 Lexington Fayette
77 George Brown Jr. Democratic 2015 Lexington Fayette
78 Mark Hart Republican 2017 Falmouth Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Pendleton
79 Chad Aull Democratic 2023 Lexington Fayette
80 David Meade Republican 2013 Stanford Garrard, Lincoln, Pulaski
81 Deanna Frazier Republican 2019 Richmond Madison
82 Nick Wilson Republican 2023 Williamsburg Laurel, Whitley
83 Josh Branscum Republican 2021 Russell Springs Clinton, Pulaski, Russell
84 Chris Fugate Republican 2017 Chavies Breathitt, Owsley, Perry
85 Shane Baker Republican 2021 Somerset Laurel, Pulaski
86 Tom Smith Republican 2021[d] Corbin Knox, Laurel
87 Adam Bowling Republican 2019 Middlesboro Bell, Harlan
88 Cherlynn Stevenson Democratic 2019 Lexington Fayette, Scott
89 Timmy Truett Republican 2021 McKee Jackson, Laurel, Lee, Madison, Wolfe
90 Derek Lewis Republican 2019 London Clay, Laurel, Leslie
91 Billy Wesley Republican 2021 Jackson Estill, Madison, Powell
92 John Blanton Republican 2017 Salyersville Knott, Magoffin, Pike
93 Adrielle Camuel Democratic 2023 Lexington Fayette
94 Jacob Justice Republican 2023 Elkhorn City Harlan, Letcher, Pike
95 Ashley Tackett Laferty Democratic 2019 Martin Floyd, Pike
96 Patrick Flannery Republican 2021 Olive Hill Boyd, Carter, Lewis
97 Bobby McCool Republican 2019 Van Lear Johnson, Martin, Pike
98 Danny Bentley Republican 2017 Russell Boyd, Greenup
99 Richard White Republican 2020 Morehead Elliott, Morgan, Rowan
100 Scott Sharp Republican 2021 Ashland Boyd, Lawrence

Past composition of the House of Representatives

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Johnson previously served in the house from 2017 to 2019.
  2. ^ Fleming previously served in the house from 2017 to 2019.
  3. ^ Upchurch previously served in the house from 1999 to 2011.
  4. ^ Smith previously served in the house from 1991 to 1993.

References

  1. ^ "How much do Kentucky's governor and other elected officials make? Here's a list". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  2. ^ Ireland, Robert M. (2011). The Kentucky State Constitution. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-0-19-987781-2. OCLC 871172867.
  3. ^ Powers, James C. (1992). John E. Kleber (ed.). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 323–324. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  4. ^ Gerth, Joseph (November 8, 2015). "Ky. Dems guard against efforts to flip House". Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  5. ^ Warren, Michael (November 30, 2016). "Democrats Lose a Southern Holdout". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  6. ^ Storm, Nick (May 14, 2023). "Rep. Lamin Swann Dies Days After Being Hospitalized". Kentucky Fried. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  7. ^ Musgrave, Beth (November 7, 2023). "Democrat Camuel wins open Fayette County House seat in special election". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Latek, Tom (December 7, 2023). "Lawmaker to resign to accept deputy treasurer position". Kentucky Today. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Shepherd, Allison (January 5, 2024). "Reed withdraws candidacy for re-election". The LaRue County Herald News. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Pitts, Jacqueline (March 26, 2024). "New members of the Kentucky House of Representatives sworn in on day 55 of 2024 session". The Bottom Line News. Retrieved March 27, 2024.

External links

38°11′12.1″N 84°52′29.4″W / 38.186694°N 84.874833°W / 38.186694; -84.874833