Heads up: Kentucky lawmakers are heading back to Frankfort soon.
No, Gov. Andy Beshear didn’t call a special session. And no, the 2027 legislative session isn’t starting several months early.
In Kentucky politics, June marks the start of the interim legislative session—in short, “the interim.”
Here’s what it is—and why it matters.
What is Kentucky’s interim legislative session?
Think of the interim as off-season conditioning, but for the Kentucky legislature.
Lawmakers will head to Frankfort to discuss—but not vote on—topics impacting Kentuckians, hear from experts and advocates, brainstorm potential solutions, and get updates on how new laws are being implemented.
Again, the key here is that unlike the regular legislative session, lawmakers cannot introduce and vote on bills. No new laws can come out of the interim session meetings. It is a time to take a step back and dig into issues facing the commonwealth.
When is the interim?
Kentucky’s interim session runs from June to November, with some task forces also meeting in December. This year, a public pension board kicks things off June 1, with a whole slate of committee meetings scheduled for June 2.
Each committee typically meets once a month, and each committee meeting tends to run one or two hours. You can see the latest version of the full interim calendar on the Legislative Research Commission’s website.
Why should I care about the interim?
Because a lot of the ideas and topics tossed around in interim meetings while few people are paying attention often make their way into bills—some of which become law—in future legislative sessions.
Committees also tend to spend more time hearing from researchers, lobbyists, and other government officials than they do in the rush of the regular legislative session. This means getting a deeper background on certain topics that could come up again, while also getting an understanding of who lawmakers are getting their information from.
Plus, thanks to the slower pace, lawmakers tend to have more time to meet with constituents about issues impacting your community.
What will lawmakers talk about during the interim?
Nothing is really off-limits. Each committee has its own overarching topic—think, education, or health services—and will decide each month what to discuss within that.
Each week’s schedule, plus meeting agendas outlining scheduled speakers and topics, gets posted on the LRC website. Hellbender Newsroom will also keep you updated if anything particularly major is scheduled to be discussed, so follow us on social media so you don’t miss a thing.
How can I watch Kentucky’s interim session meetings?
You can watch what’s happening either in-person or via livestream.
Most of the interim meetings are held in Frankfort at the Capitol Annex. Heads up: You’ll need an ID to get in.
The LRC livestreams all of the meetings on their YouTube page.
