Kentucky 26rs Session Status: Introduced

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)

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • 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

AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to restoration of rights.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB 80 on the official Kentucky source →

Action History

  1. introduced in Senate; to Committee on Committees (S)

  2. to State & Local Government (S)

  3. reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar

  4. 2nd reading, to Rules; posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, February 20 2026

  5. 3rd reading, passed 35-3

  6. received in House; to Committee on Committees (H)

  7. to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)

Sponsors

  • J. Higdon, K. Herron, G. Neal, R. Thomas · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 137 not signed on · 3 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • J. Higdon, K. Herron, G. Neal, R. Thomas

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (137)

137 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 137 →

"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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

the Constitution of Kentucky relating to restoration of

Passed 35 Yea · 3 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7100
Republican 24300
Democrat 4000
Total 35400
% of votes cast 90%10%0%0%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Nemes — Yea
Thomas — Yea
ChambersArmstrong — Yea
Williams — Yea
Wilson — Yea
Meredith — Yea
Smith — Yea
PASSES : 0 — Nay
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
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
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

Official roll call →

Subjects

civil-rights elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 80 do?
AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to restoration of rights.
Who sponsors SB 80?
SB 80 is sponsored by J. Higdon, K. Herron, G. Neal, R. Thomas.
What is the current status of SB 80?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
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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