Making our voices heard in the KY General Assembly
KFTC members play an important role in issues that matter in the Kentucky General Assembly. We put the grassroots in grassroots lobbying! And we have a long track record of helping to pass important legislation, and stopping bad ideas before they become law.
For decades, every winter KFTC members make multiple trips to Frankfort to meet with legislators, testify before committees, and hold rallies and demonstrations at the Capitol. We share stories and information with legislators to promote ideas that can improve the quality of life in our state. And we hold lawmakers accountable if they ignore the needs of their constituents.
That will have to be different for the 2021 General Assembly in order for people to remain safe during the ongoing pandemic, but we can't allow this to be used as an excuse to further deny Kentuckians access to legislators and legislative proceedings. KFTC and allies are working to make sure the process stays open and accountable.
- Call or write your legislators to let them know your views on important issues.
- Set up a meeting with your legislators during their January recess (January 9 - February 1). They should have the ability to set up online meetings, or set one up yourself.
- Call the toll-free Legislative Message Line (800-372-7181) to leave a message for any legislator or group of legislators.
Get informed – and help educate others!
- Follow this link to KFTC’s bill tracker, an updated list of bills we’re following during the most current legislative session.
- Learn more about KFTC’s priority legislative goals, including:
- Our priorities for each week vary as we find the most important ways to support racial justice, energy justice, economic justice and a healthy democracy.
- So far, our top legislative goals include passing voting rights legislation and Breonna's Law, supporting public education and teachers, supporting initiatives to make voting easier and more accessible, passing statewide fairness and other positive changes.
- We're working to stop bad bills such as an anti-immigrant/sanctuary bill, a "War on the Poor" bill, attacks on women's health care and other regressive policies.
- We also support efforts to reverse past mistakes by the General Assembly, including making it much more difficult for miners to receive their black lung benefits and the 2019 legislation to squash the rooftop solar industry.
- Visit the Legislative Research Commission’s website to find the latest version of any bill and lots of other important information.
- Contact KFTC if you’d like to host a workshop in your community about ways to be an effective citizen lobbyist or about any of these priority issues.
Restoring the right to vote
Grassroots Lobbying
The 2021 session of the Kentucky General Assembly began January 5 and is scheduled for 30 working days. The schedule includes meeting January 5-13, including an extraordinary Saturday session on January 9 in order to ram through priority Republican bills, recessing until February 2, meeting through sometime in mid-March, a two-week recess and then one final day toward the end of March (see more details below, March dates have not been finalized).
KFTC is working with allies to provide as many opportunities as possible for Kentuckians to help shape legislation and hold legislators accountable. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
Many committee meetings and House and Senate full sessions will be live-streamed on KET, and sometimes on the Legislative Research Commission's YouTube channel.
For questions or more information email jessica@kftc.org or your chapter organizer.
Legislative and Action Days
January 5-13 (including January 9)– the General Assembly met for its organizational sessions, new member orientation and the ramming through of several bills in the first week.
January 7 – Gov. Beshear's gave his State of the Commonwealth and Budget address
January 27 – KFTC phone bank focused on racial justice, 4-6 p.m. ET; register here
January 27 – Breonna's Law (House bill 21) webinar, 6:30 p.m.ET; register here
February 2 – part 2 of the 2021 sessions begins
February 4 – KFTC phone bank focused on economic justice, 4-6 p.m. ET; register here
February 12 – Last day for new Senate bills to be filed
February 15 – Legislative holiday (Presidents Day)
February 15 – With Love, Kentucky: A Day of Action at the Capitol, creative and distanced action at the capitol in Frankfort; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; register here
February 16 – Last day for new House bills to be filed
February 18 – Voting Rights and Healthy Democracy Virtual Lobby Day, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. with virtual rally, workshops and other events throughout the day; register here
February 24 – KFTC phone bank focused on Voting Rights, 4-6- p.m. ET; register here
March 17-29 – Veto recess (subject to change)
March 30 – Final legislative day (subject to change)
See the status of bills KFTC is following during the 2021 session.
Resources you can use
- 2020 Legislator Scorecard and interactive web map
- KFTC's 2020 Grassroots Legislative Guide (2021 coming)
- Find your legislators
- Standing committee meetings
- Tips for effective grassroots lobbying
- Legislators' Frankfort offices and phone extensions (to be updated soon)
- How a bill becomes a law
- Restoration of voting rights fact sheet
- More
Learn more ...
KFTC works to strengthen our democracy in Kentucky in many ways, including:
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Encouraging people to participate in KFTC’s own democratic process and other local institutions like our rural electric cooperatives.
Follow the links above to learn ways you can get involved and make your voice heard.
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