SB 80 — AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to restoration of rights.
Last action — to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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3Passed Senate
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4Passed House
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.
Odds of enactment
High chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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Passed Senate
Current position in the legislative process.
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4 sponsors
4 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (3 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 1 recorded vote so far.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
Summary
Propose to amend Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky to restore the voting rights of persons convicted of certain felonies after completion of imprisonment, probation, or parole; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
6 added · 6 removedPlain-language change summary
The latest version of Bill SB 80 made some minor adjustments, specifically adding six lines of text and removing six lines. While the exact content of these lines isn't provided, such changes can indicate clarification of language, updates to regulations, or corrections. These tweaks matter because they can impact how the bill is understood and implemented, potentially affecting the people it aims to serve.
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 27480/GA AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to restoration of rights.
Page 1 of 3 BR027400.100SB008010.100 - 274 - XXXX 2/20/2026 10:2810:30 AM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 27480/GA 4[3].
Notwithstanding any provision of KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the Secretary of State, not later than the second Monday after the second Tuesday in August preceding the next regular election at which members of the General Assembly are to be chosen in a year in which there is not an election for President and Vice President of the United States, or not later than the Thursday after the first Tuesday in September preceding a regular election in a year in which there is an election for President and Vice President of the United States, shall certify the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this Act and the entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky contained in Section 2 of this Act to the county clerk of each county, and the county clerk shall have the entirety of the question and the amendment, as so certified, indicated on Page 2 of 3 BR027400.100SB008010.100 - 274 - XXXX 2/20/2026 10:2810:30 AM JacketedGA UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BRSB 27480/GA the ballots provided to the voters in paper or electronic form as applicable to the voting machines in use in each county or precinct.
BR027400.100SB008010.100 - 274 - XXXX 2/20/2026 10:2810:30 AMgeAMe 3 of 3 JacketedGA
Action History
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to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
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to Committee on Committees (H)
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received in House
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3rd reading, passed 35-3
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posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, February 20 2026
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2nd reading, to Rules
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reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
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to State & Local Government (S)
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to Committee on Committees (S)
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introduced in Senate
Sponsors
- Reginald L. Thomas · Primary
- Gerald A. Neal · Primary
- Keturah J. Herron · Primary
- Jimmy Higdon · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →4 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 134 not signed on · 3 voted No
Sponsors (4)
- Reginald L. Thomas Democrat
- Gerald A. Neal Democrat
- Keturah J. Herron Democrat
- Jimmy Higdon Republican
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (134)
134 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 134 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 92% | 8% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (38)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cassie Chambers Armstrong | Democrat | Yea |
| Gary Clemons | Democrat | Yea |
| Gerald A. Neal | Democrat | Yea |
| Karen Berg | Democrat | Yea |
| Keturah J. Herron | Democrat | Yea |
| Aaron Reed | Republican | Yea |
| Amanda Mays Bledsoe | Republican | Yea |
| Brandon J. Storm | Republican | Yea |
| Christian McDaniel | Republican | Nay |
| Craig Richardson | Republican | Yea |
| Danny Carroll | Republican | Nay |
| David P. Givens | Republican | Yea |
| Donald Douglas | Republican | Yea |
| Gary Boswell | Republican | Yea |
| Greg Elkins | Republican | Yea |
| Jared Carpenter | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Howell | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Nemes | Republican | Yea |
| Jimmy Higdon | Republican | Yea |
| Julie Raque Adams | Republican | Yea |
| Lindsey Tichenor | Republican | Yea |
| Matt Nunn | Republican | Yea |
| Matthew Deneen | Republican | Yea |
| Max Wise | Republican | Yea |
| Michael Meredith | Republican | Yea |
| Nick Wilson | Republican | Yea |
| Phillip Wheeler | Republican | Nay |
| Rick Girdler | Republican | Yea |
| Robby Mills | Republican | Yea |
| Robert Stivers | Republican | Yea |
| Robin L. Webb | Republican | Yea |
| Scott Madon | Republican | Yea |
| Shelley Funke Frommeyer | Republican | Yea |
| Stephen West | Republican | Yea |
| Steve Rawlings | Republican | Yea |
| Tom Smith | Republican | Yea |
| Wade Williams | Republican | Yea |
| Walker Thomas | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 80 do?
- Propose to amend Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky to restore the voting rights of persons convicted of certain felonies after completion of imprisonment, probation, or parole; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection.
- Who sponsors SB 80?
- SB 80 is sponsored by Reginald L. Thomas (Democrat), Gerald A. Neal (Democrat), Keturah J. Herron (Democrat), and Jimmy Higdon (Republican).
- What is the current status of SB 80?
- This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
- Where can I track SB 80?
- Track SB 80 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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Last checked for changes about 2 months ago · updated continuously
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