FRANKFORT, Ky. — No matter what part of Kentucky you’re in, you’ll have ways to stay engaged in action at the State Capitol when members of the General Assembly begin holding interim committee meetings next week.
June 1 marks the beginning of a six-month period in which interim joint committees made up of Senate and House members will study and discuss many of the issues confronting Kentucky in preparation for the next year’s legislative session.
The Kentucky General Assembly Website, legislature.ky.gov, allows users to:
- See the General Assembly’s weekly schedule.
- Tune in to live coverage of legislative committee meetings.
- View contact info for senators and representatives.
- Learn about the legislative process.
- View informational materials on topics being considered by committees.
- Request to testify at committee meetings.
Following the General Assembly’s work often begins with a look at the Legislative Calendar: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/LegislativeCalendar. The calendar shows which committees are meeting each week.
Livestreams of committee meetings can be viewed through feeds provided by Kentucky Educational Television and the Legislative Research Commission. For links to the livestreams, go to https://legislature.ky.gov/Public%20Services/PIO/Pages/Live-Streams.aspx.
Information about legislative committees is available at https://legislature.ky.gov/Committees/Pages/default.aspx. To view materials such as info sheets, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations that are compiled for lawmakers to review at committee meetings, click on the “Meeting Materials” tab on the left side of each committee’s page.
An online application offers a convenient way for citizens to request to testify at committee meetings. It allows users to choose a committee, then fill in their contact info to have the request to testify automatically submitted to the committee. The online application can be viewed at: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/committees/TestimonyRequestForm/
Making a request to testify doesn’t guarantee that it can be accommodated. Committee chairs make decisions on testimony based on time allotted to the committee, other previously approved presenters, and COVID-19 safety precautions.
To share feedback on an issue with lawmakers, call the General Assembly’s Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can use Kentucky Relay by dialing 7-1-1.
To directly reach a lawmaker’s office, call 502-564-8100. An operator will transfer the call to the office of the lawmaker you want to reach.
If you have a question about the lawmaking process or legislative resources, the LRC Public Information can be reached by calling 502-564-8100.