Kentucky legislature to begin session on schedule Tuesday despite winter weather

Alex Acquisto, Lexington Herald-Leader on Jan 6, 2025

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The Kentucky General Assembly is slated begin its regular legislative session as planned Tuesday on the heels of major winter weather across much of the commonwealth.

Spokespeople for the Republican majority in the House and Senate said the session will officially start Tuesday at noon.

“At this time, we are a firm on a noon start tomorrow,” Senate Majority Caucus spokesperson Dustin Isaacs said Monday morning. “We will proceed as scheduled unless plans change.”

In a news conference Monday morning, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said he had been in communication with Republican leadership in the House and Senate and encouraged lawmakers to travel to Frankfort Tuesday morning rather than Monday, as ice and snow will continue to fall throughout much of the day today.

Beshear urged travelers across the commonwealth to stay off roadways if at all possible on Monday.

“I would encourage that because that gives us that extra time, especially to get the ice” off the roadways, Beshear said. “We do anticipate additional snow.”

As much as 2-8 inches of snow fell across large swaths of Kentucky Sunday and overnight into Monday, followed by half an inch of freezing rain in some places. Much of the state was forecast to get another 1-3 inches of snow and ice on Monday.

As of Monday morning, roughly 80,000 Kentuckians were without power. Most of the state will remain under a winter storm warning until 7 p.m. Monday.

“I know they’re considering the safety of all their members, but from everything I know, the legislative schedule will go on as planned,” Beshear said of legislative leadership.

The official schedule of the General Assembly’s regular sessions, which operates on alternative 30-day and 60-day sessions, is set by the Kentucky Constitution. The body “shall convene for the first part of the session on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January,” in odd-numbered years, like 2025.

In addition to the legislative session proceeding as planned, the governor said he also anticipates most state office buildings to be open on Tuesday.