The 2026 Regular Legislative Session began Tuesday, January 6 and the first week was filled with 352 bill filings. GLI was on the ground in Frankfort as the session began and looks forward to advocating for your interests throughout the legislative session. Here are some big headlines from the past week:

Reconfiguring School Districts

House Bill 11 filed by Rep. Jared Bauman outlines a procedure for splitting districts that meet the definition of “underperforming school district”. The legislation includes language on how the board would transition to new districts, how taxes would be distributed, and how facilities would be operated during the transition. Rep. James Tipton has filed a similar piece of legislation (House Bill 99) that puts school district division on the ballot.

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) have been in the news recently, including a Kentucky Supreme Court decision that overturned Senate Bill 1. SB 1 passed in 2022 and granted superintendents in large school districts, such as JCPS, more executive authority. GLI has been a part of ongoing discussions about JCPS and large school districts across the Commonwealth over the last few sessions and prioritizes providing the best education for Greater Louisville’s future workforce. With nearly 100,000 students and 165 schools, the success and efficiency of JCPS operations is critical for our community. GLI encourages the General Assembly to continue a mindful discussion of the impact of JCPS on the Louisville community and to seek evidence-based outcomes that set Louisville up for long-term success and economic growth.

Affordable Housing Funding

House Bill 69 filed by Rep. John Hodgson makes changes to requirements associated with the receipt of affordable housing dollars. This legislation would require agencies that expend state or federal affordable housing funds to expend at least 90% of those funds on single-family detached housing and no more than 10% of those funds on multifamily housing in any given fiscal year.

GLI tracks legislation throughout the session that impacts the Greater Louisville business community. Links to our bill tracker are static and will automatically update with any changes. Bookmark this link to stay up to date on legislation that may impact your business.

BILL TRACKER 

Governor Beshear Delivers State of the Commonwealth

On Wednesday, January 7, Kentucky Governor delivered his annual State of The Commonwealth at the Thomas Clark Kentucky Historical Society to members of the legislature. In his address, the governor detailed several priorities including Pre K for All, housing affordability, and budget supplements to offset changes made at the federal level in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBA). To read more about his budget and legislative priorities check out the latest Policy Distilled.

Stay in the Loop

As we work daily at the Capitol representing the Greater Louisville business community, here’s how you can stay engaged throughout session:

• 2026 State Legislative Agenda: Learn more about GLI’s top priorities this session by reviewing our State Legislative Agenda.
• Policy Distilled: This newsletter provides weekly updates from the Capitol and the bills our team is tracking. This newsletter, as well as other timely policy updates, can be found on our website.
• Policy Committees: Join one of our policy committees to help guide our policy goals. Email Helen Hacker for more information.
• Social Media: Follow GLI and our Advocacy team on Facebook, LinkedIn, and @GLIAdvocacy on X.