Kentucky House of Representatives

Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky General Assembly
Type
Type	Lower house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 5, 2016
Leadership
Speaker of the House	Greg Stumbo (D) Since January 12, 2009
Speaker pro Tempore	Jody Richards (D) Since January 6, 2015
Majority Leader	Rocky Adkins (D) Since January 4, 2005
Minority Leader	Jeffrey Hoover (R) Since January 2, 2001
Structure
Seats	100
Political groups	Governing party   Democratic (53) Opposition party   Republican (47)
Length of term	2 years
Authority	The Legislative Department, Section 29, Kentucky Constitution
Salary	$186.73/day + per diem
Elections
Last election	March 8, 2016 (4 seats)
Next election	November 8, 2016 (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, Kentucky 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 Representative. She took her seat January 1922 and was the first female legislator elected south of the Mason–Dixon line.

As of 2016, the Kentucky House of Representatives is the last legislative chamber in the South that is controlled by the Democratic party.

Powers and legislative process

Section 47 of the Kentucky Constitution stipulates that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives.

Membership

See also: Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives

Current composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
End of previous legislature	59	41	100	0
Begin	55	45	100	0
End of previous legislature	54	46
Begin	54	46	100	0
November 19, 2015	53	47
December 10, 2015	52	47	99	1
December 28, 2015	51	48
January 1, 2016	50		98	2
January 4, 2016		46	96	4
March 8, 2016	53	47	100	0
Latest voting share	7001530000000000000♠53%	7001470000000000000♠47%

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	Greg Stumbo	Democratic	Prestonsburg	95
Speaker pro tempore	Jody Richards	Democratic	Bowling Green	20
Majority Floor Leader	Rocky Adkins	Democratic	Sandy Hook	99
Majority Whip	Johnny Bell	Democratic	Glasgow	23
Majority Caucus Chair	Sannie Overly	Democratic	Paris	72
Minority Floor Leader	Jeffrey Hoover	Republican	Jamestown	83
Minority Whip	Jim DeCesare	Republican	Bowling Green	17
Minority Caucus Chair	Stan Lee	Republican	Lexington	45

Current membership

District	Representative	Party	Hometown	County(ies)	Elected	Committee Chair	Vice Chair
1	Steven Rudy	Rep	West Paducah	Ballard, Carlisle, Hickman, Fulton, McCracken	2005		State Government
2	Richard Heath	Rep	Mayfield	Graves, McCracken	2012
3	Gerald Watkins	Dem	Paducah	McCracken	2013
4	Lynn Bechler	Rep	Marion	Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, McCracken	2013
5	Kenny Imes	Rep	Murray	Calloway, Trigg	2013
6	Will Coursey	Dem	Benton	Lyon, Marshall, McCracken	2008
7	Suzanne Miles†	Rep	Owensboro	Daviess, Henderson, Union	2013
8	Jeff Taylor†	Dem	Hopkinsville	Christian, Trigg	2016
9	Myron Dossett	Rep	Pembroke	Christian	2007		Economic Development; Seniors, Military Affairs & Public Safety
10	Ben Waide	Rep	Madisonville	Hopkins	2011
11	David Watkins	Dem	Henderson	Henderson	2007		Health & Welfare
12	Jim Gooch	Rep	Providence	Daviess, Hopkins, McLean, Webster	1995	Natural Resources & Environment
13	Jim Glenn	Dem	Owensboro	Daviess	2007		State Government
14	Tommy Thompson	Dem	Owensboro	Daviess, Ohio	2003
15	Brent Yonts	Dem	Greenville	Christian, Hopkins, Muhlenberg	1997		Appropriations & Revenue; Judiciary
16	Martha Jane King	Dem	Lewisburg	Logan, Todd	2009		Budget Review, Judiciary and Justice
17	Jim DeCesare	Rep	Morgantown	Butler, Grayson, Hardin	2005
18	Dean Schamore	Dem	Hardinsburg	Breckinridge, Hancock, Hardin	2014
19	Michael Meredith	Rep	Brownsville	Edmonson, Hart, LaRue	2011
20	Jody Richards	Dem	Bowling Green	Warren	1976
21	Jim DeCesare	Rep	Rockfield	Warren	2005
22	Wilson Stone	Dem	Scottsville	Allen, Simpson, Warren	2009		Education
23	Johnny Bell	Dem	Glasgow	Barren, Warren	2007		Transportation
24	Terry Mills	Dem	Lebanon	Casey, Marion, Pulaski	2010
25	Jimmie Lee	Dem	Elizabethtown	Hardin	1993
26	Tim Moore	Rep	Elizabethtown	Hardin	2007
27	Jeff Greer	Dem	Brandenburg	Bullitt, Meade, Hardin	2007	Banking & Insurance	Seniors, Military Affairs & Public Safety
28	Charles Miller	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1998		Labor & Industry; Licensing & Occupations
29	Kevin Bratcher	Rep	Louisville	Jefferson	1997
30	Tom Burch	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1978 (1972–75)	Health & Welfare
31	Steve Riggs	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1991	Local Government	Banking & Insurance
32	Julie Raque Adams	Rep	Louisville	Jefferson	2011
33	Ron Crimm	Rep	Louisville	Jefferson	1997		Banking & Insurance
34	Mary Lou Marzian	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1994
35	Jim Wayne	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1991		Local Government
36	Jonathan Shell	Rep	Lancaster	Garrard, Madison	2013
37	Jeffery Donohue	Dem	Fairdale	Jefferson	2013
38	Denver Butler	Rep	Louisville	Jefferson	2013		Labor & Industry
39	Robert R. Damron	Dem	Nicholasville	Jessamine, Fayette	1993
40	Dennis Horlander	Dem	Shively	Jefferson	1996
41	Tom Riner	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1982		Education
42	Reginald Meeks	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	2001		Licensing & Occupations
43	Darryl T. Owens	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	2005		Judiciary
44	Joni Jenkins	Dem	Shively	Jefferson	1995		Labor & Industry
45	Stan Lee	Rep	Lexington	Fayette	2001
46	Larry Clark	Dem	Louisville	Jefferson	1984
47	Rick Rand	Dem	Bedford	Carroll, Henry, Oldham, Trimble	2003	Appropriations & Revenue
48	Bob M. DeWeese	Rep	Louisville	Jefferson	1993		Appropriations & Revenue
49	Russell Webber	Rep	Shepherdsville	Bullitt	2013		Education
50	David Floyd	Rep	Bardstown	Bullitt, Nelson, Spencer	2005
51	John "Bam" Carney	Rep	Campbellsville	Adair, Taylor	2009		Economic Development, Education
52	Ken Upchurch†	Rep	Monticello	McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne	2013
53	Bart Rowland	Rep	Tompkinsville	Cumberland, Green, Metcalfe, Monroe	2012
54	Daniel Elliott†	Rep	Gravel Switch	Boyle, Casey	2016
55	Kim King	Rep	Harrodsburg	Anderson, Mercer, Spencer	2011
56	James Kay†	Dem	Versailles	Fayette, Franklin, Woodford	2013	Education	Seniors, Military Affairs & Public Safety; State Government
57	Derrick Graham	Dem	Frankfort	Franklin	2003		State Government
58	Brad Montell	Rep	Shelbyville	Shelby, Spencer	2003
59	David Osborne	Rep	Prospect	Jefferson, Oldham	2005		Licensing & Occupations
60	Sal Santoro	Rep	Florence	Boone	2007
61	Brian Linder	Rep	Dry Ridge	Gallatin, Grant, Owen	2012		Agriculture & Small Business
62	Chuck Tackett†	Dem	Georgetown	Fayette, Owen, Scott	2016
63	Diane St. Onge	Rep	Lakeside Park	Kenton	2013
64	Thomas Kerr	Rep	Taylor Mill	Kenton	1985
65	Arnold Simpson	Dem	Covington	Kenton	1994		Appropriations & Revenue
66	Addia Wuchner	Rep	Burlington	Boone	2005
67	Dennis Keene	Dem	Wilder	Campbell	2005	Licensing & Occupations	Economic Development
68	Joseph M. Fischer	Rep	Ft. Thomas	Campbell	1999		Judiciary; Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs
69	Adam Koenig	Rep	Erlanger	Boone, Campbell, Kenton	2007		Local Government
70	Mike Denham	Dem	Maysville	Bracken, Fleming, Mason	2001		Agriculture & Small Business; Banking & Insurance; Local Government
71	Jonathan Shell	Rep	West Liberty	Menifee, Morgan, Rowan, Wolfe	1993
72	Sannie Overly	Dem	Paris	Bath, Bourbon, Fayette, Nicholas	2008
73	Donna Mayfield	Rep	Winchester	Clark, Madison	2011
74	Richard Henderson	Dem	Jeffersonville	Montgomery, Powell, Wolfe	2007		Agriculture & Small Business
75	Kelly Flood	Dem	Lexington	Fayette	2009
76	Ruth Ann Palumbo	Dem	Lexington	Fayette	1991	Economic Development
77	Jesse Crenshaw	Dem	Lexington	Fayette	1993
78	Tom McKee	Dem	Cynthiana	Campbell, Harrison, Pendleton, Robertson	1997	Agriculture & Small Business
79	Susan Westrom	Dem	Lexington	Fayette	1999	Enrollment	Licensing & Occupations
80	David Meade	Rep	Stanford	Lincoln, Pulaski, Rockcastle	2013
81	Rita Smart	Dem	Richmond	Madison	2011
82	Regina Bunch	Rep	Williamsburg	Laurel, Whitley	2011
83	Jeff Hoover	Rep	Jamestown	Clinton, Pulaski, Russell	1997
84	Fitz Steele	Dem	Hazard	Harlan, Perry	2009		Natural Resources & Environment; Tourism Development & Energy
85	Tommy Turner	Rep	Somerset	Laurel, Pulaski	1997		Transportation
86	Jim Stewart	Rep	Flat Lick	Knox, Laurel	1997		Labor & Industry; Natural Resources & Environment
87	Rick G. Nelson	Dem	Middlesboro	Bell, Harlan	2001	Labor & Industry
88	Robert Benvenuti III	Rep	Lexington	Fayette	2013
89	Marie Rader	Rep	McKee	Jackson, Laurel, Owsley	1997		Transportation
90	Tim Couch	Rep	Hyden	Clay, Harlan, Leslie	2003		Natural Resources & Environment
91	Toby Herald	Rep	Beattyville	Breathitt, Estill, Lee	2013
92	John Short	Dem	Hindman	Knott, Letcher, Magoffin	2011
93	Keith Hall	Dem	Phelps	Pike	2001		Natural Resources & Environment
94	Leslie Combs	Dem	Pikeville	Harlan, Letcher, Pike	2007		Transportation
95	Greg Stumbo	Dem	Prestonsburg	Floyd	2008 (1980-04)	Committees, Rules
96	Jill York	Rep	Grayson	Carter, Lewis	2009
97	Hubert Collins	Dem	Wittensville	Floyd, Johnson, Martin, Pike	1991	Transportation
98	Lewis Nicholls†	Dem	Greenup	Boyd, Greenup	2016
99	Rocky Adkins	Dem	Sandy Hook	Boyd, Elliott, Lawrence, Rowan	1987
100	Kevin Sinnette	Dem	Ashland	Boyd	2009		Banking & Insurance

† Winner of a special election

See also

• Kentucky Legislature
• Kentucky Senate
• Government of Kentucky
• American Legislative Exchange Council members

External links

• Legislative Research Commission