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Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky General Assembly
Type
Type	Lower house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 2, 2024 (adjourned)
Leadership
Speaker	David Osborne (R) since January 8, 2019
Speaker pro tempore	David Meade (R) since January 8, 2019
Majority Leader	Steven Rudy (R) since January 5, 2021
Minority Leader	Pamela Stevenson (D) since January 7, 2025
Structure
Seats	100
Political groups	Republican (80)   Democratic (20)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	The Legislative Department, Section 29, Kentucky Constitution
Salary	$188.22/day + per diem (elected before January 1, 2023) $203.28/day + per diem (elected after January 1, 2023)
Elections
Last election	November 5, 2024 (100 seats)
Next election	November 3, 2026 (100 seats)
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. 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.

In 2017, the Republicans became the majority party in the House. They now hold a four-fifths supermajority in the chamber.

Powers and legislative process

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2013)

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

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

List of current representatives

Past composition of the House of Representatives

See also

• Kentucky General Assembly
• Kentucky Senate
• List of Kentucky General Assemblies
• Government of Kentucky

Notes

1. Johnson previously served in the house from 2017 to 2019.
2. Marzian previously served in the house from 1994 to 2023.
3. Fleming previously served in the house from 2017 to 2019.
4. Upchurch previously served in the house from 1999 to 2011.
5. 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. Latek, Tom (December 7, 2023). "Lawmaker to resign to accept deputy treasurer position". Kentucky Today. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
7. Shepherd, Allison (January 5, 2024). "Reed withdraws candidacy for re-election". The LaRue County Herald News. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
8. 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

• Legislative Research Commission Archived September 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine

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

• Kentucky General Assembly
• State lower houses in the United States