State Senator Gary Clemons

05/02/2026

SENATE WEEK IN REVIEW
State Senator Gary Clemons
May 1, 2026

Derby weekend is here, and Louisville is busy in the way only Louisville can be this time of year. You can feel it in the traffic around Churchill Downs, see it in the crowds downtown and along the river, and hear it in the way people are talking about the horses, the weather, the food, the music, and who they like in the race. For one weekend, the whole world turns its attention toward Kentucky, and that is something we ought to be proud of.

The Derby is known for the hats, the horses, the Twin Spires, and the two minutes on Saturday evening. Here at home, we also know how much work goes into making this weekend happen. It takes workers showing up early and staying late. It takes the folks on the backside of Churchill Downs caring for the horses before most of the city is awake. It takes hotel workers, restaurant workers, cooks, servers, bartenders, drivers, public safety officers, EMS crews, firefighters, transportation workers, sanitation workers, vendors, union workers, small business owners, volunteers, and plenty of people whose names never make the program. I am grateful for every person who helps carry this tradition forward and helps Louisville welcome the world.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been able to get out around Louisville for several Derby season events, and each one gave me another reason to appreciate this city. Thunder Over Louisville brought families and neighbors together along the river to start the season the way Louisville has for years. The annual steamboat race gave us a little friendly competition, and it was good to see the Belle of Louisville bring the win home to Kentucky this year. I also spent time at 502’s Day at the track with members of Local 502, local officials, state officials, and folks who care deeply about this community. I am always glad to be around working people who stay involved, speak plainly, and remind those of us in public office what matters outside the walls of Frankfort.

One of the most meaningful stops for me was visiting the backside of Churchill Downs. A lot of people know the Derby by what they see from the grandstands or on television, but the backside tells another part of the story. That is where the daily work happens. I was grateful to speak with workers there, see some of those beautiful horses up close, and better understand the care and discipline that go into Kentucky’s horse tradition. Those workers deserve respect, not just during Derby week, but all year long.

I was also glad to attend the Harbor House “Ken-Ducky Derby” Pluck a Duck event on the river. It was a fun event, but it supports important work. Harbor House serves adults with physical and cognitive disabilities through programs focused on job training, education, life skills, social connection, health and wellness, and community involvement. The Ken-Ducky Derby is its annual rubber duck race fundraiser. This year’s event brought thousands of ducks and plenty of families out to support a good cause. I appreciate everyone who showed up, bought a duck, volunteered, sponsored the event, or helped make the day possible for an organization doing meaningful work in our community.

I also had the chance to attend the TKO Flight Club “Kentucky Bourby” event at Progress Park, which raises money for people living with Parkinson’s disease. TKO Flight Club is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with Parkinson’s through therapeutic training, support programs, and local research. This year’s event was expected to bring together around 750 guests with a bourbon lineup that would outshine most tasting bars. It was another good example of Louisville people using Derby season to support a cause larger than themselves. Progress Park is a great local venue, and I meant what I said before: more people ought to visit it and see what it offers.

Those are the moments that make Derby season mean more than one race. The 152nd Kentucky Derby will be run Saturday at Churchill Downs. Today is Kentucky Oaks Day, with the long-standing pink tradition that brings attention to breast and ovarian cancer awareness. The weekend will bring the horses, hats, music, food, and visitors that people know Kentucky for. Here at home, it also brings neighborhoods together, helps local businesses, supports community groups, and gives families a reason to gather.

For those heading out this weekend, please plan ahead. Traffic will be heavy around Churchill Downs and across parts of Louisville. Road closures and no-parking areas are in place near the track, and vehicles parked in restricted areas may be towed. Give yourself extra time, know your route before you leave, and be patient with the workers and first responders helping manage the crowds. It is also expected to be a cooler Derby weekend, so bring an extra layer if you are going to be outside. That may not be exciting advice, but it is practical advice. Sometimes that is what keeps a good day from turning into a long one.

Most importantly, celebrate responsibly. Use a designated driver, rideshare, taxi, shuttle, or public transportation when needed. Look out for your family, your friends, and the people around you. Derby weekend should be a good time for our city, and that takes all of us doing our part.

Derby weekend spotlights Kentucky, but Louisville is more than a backdrop for a famous race. This is a working city, a union city, and a city of neighborhoods, families, churches, schools, small businesses, local restaurants, community organizations, and people who take pride in doing a job right. I am proud to represent part of that city in the Kentucky Senate, and I am thankful for the workers, families, local organizations, and community leaders who make this place what it is.

Whether you are at Churchill Downs, watching from home, working a long shift, volunteering at an event, or just trying to get through the traffic, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Derby weekend. Take care of each other, be patient out there, support local businesses when you can, and enjoy one of Kentucky’s great traditions.

Happy Oaks Day, happy Derby weekend, and good luck picking your horse.

04/24/2026

SENATE WEEK IN REVIEW
State Senator Gary Clemons
April 24, 2026

Now that the regular session has ended, the work does not stop. It just moves closer to home.

During the session, most of the work happens in Frankfort. Bills move through committees, votes are taken on the Senate floor, budgets are negotiated, and decisions are made that affect families, workers, schools, local governments, businesses, health care providers, and communities across Kentucky. Once we leave Frankfort, the responsibility shifts back to the district. We talk with the people we serve. We meet with local officials, organizations, workers, families, and community leaders. We attend events, recognize people who have served their neighbors well, and help explain how the decisions made at the Capitol may affect people where they live and work.

A bill should not just sit on a page once the session ends. It can mean a new road project, a change in health care policy, support for a local school, funding for a workforce program, or an investment that helps a community grow. People deserve to know what passed, what did not pass, and what it means for them. They also deserve a chance to tell us what is working, what is not, and what still needs to be fixed.

This is also the time of year when we see some of that work begin to take shape. Ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, project unveilings, and local meetings are reminders that decisions made in Frankfort eventually become real projects in real communities. When done the right way, those projects create jobs, strengthen services, improve infrastructure, and help Kentucky families.

One of those projects is the new Health Sciences Building at the University of Louisville, where I was proud to attend the groundbreaking this week.

The University of Louisville officially broke ground on a new $280 million Health Sciences Building, the largest single-project funding package in the university’s history. The state has committed $260 million toward the project, with UofL contributing the remaining $20 million. This is a major investment in health care education, workforce development, and the long-term strength of Louisville and the Commonwealth.

The new six-story, 257,000-square-foot facility will bring together UofL’s Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health and Information Sciences. It will include medical simulation space, classrooms, research labs, workspaces, and areas designed for students and instructors to train in a hands-on, practical setting.

Kentucky needs more nurses, doctors, dentists, public health professionals, and trained health care workers. Families need access to care. Hospitals and clinics need qualified people. Students need facilities that prepare them for the real demands of the job. This project helps meet those needs.

It will also mean construction work, long-term jobs, and stronger training for the people who will take care of Kentucky families in the years ahead. That is the kind of state investment that makes sense to me because it supports education, strengthens our health care workforce, helps prepare students for good-paying careers, and puts public dollars into a project that will serve people well beyond one campus or one city.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2029, and once finished, this facility will be an important part of Louisville’s medical and education district. It will also sit near the Chestnut Street Improvement project, which is focused on walkability, safety, trees, green space, and a better connection through that part of the city.

I appreciated the opportunity to be there for the groundbreaking and to see another example of state dollars being put toward something that helps train workers, improve care, and strengthen a community.

I was also honored to present legislative citations to my co-workers at Michelin American Synthetic Rubber Company who serve on the plant’s emergency response team. These men and women are United Steelworkers members, and they stepped up to support our community after the tragic UPS plane crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

This team is trained to respond at the American Synthetic Rubber Company chemical plant, where preparedness, discipline, safety, and teamwork are part of the job. Our plant also has the second-lar gest foam storage capacity in the city, behind only the airport. So, when Louisville emergency responders called for support, our team was ready, and they answered that call.

These are working people who spend their days doing tough, skilled work. When our community needed them in a crisis, they brought their training, professionalism, and concern for others into a difficult and dangerous situation. They represented the very best of our district.

I was proud to recognize them on behalf of the Kentucky Senate. They were well deserving of this honor, and I hope they know how much their work is appreciated by their co-workers, their union brothers and sisters, their community, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A legislative citation is more than a piece of paper. It is one way for the Commonwealth to say that service, preparation, courage, and care for your neighbors are seen and appreciated.

I also had the privilege of joining the welcome home for the Bluegrass Honor Flight as 84 veterans returned to Louisville after a special day in Washington, D.C.

Most of the veterans on this flight served during the Vietnam War, along with veterans from the Korean and Cold War eras. They traveled to Washington to visit the national memorials built in honor of their service and sacrifice. For many Vietnam veterans, this kind of welcome was something they did not receive when they came home from war. That is what made this event so special.

You could feel what that moment meant in the room. Families, volunteers, community members, and supporters gathered at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to cheer them home. It was a reminder that gratitude should not have an expiration date. These men and women served their country. They carried the weight of that service for many years. They deserved to be honored then, and they deserve to be honored now.

Honor Flight Bluegrass has now completed 39 missions and has flown more than 3,000 veterans since 2008. That work gives veterans a chance to visit the memorials built for them, share the day with others who understand their experience, and come home to the respect and appreciation they earned long ago. It was a very special event, and I was grateful to be there.

These events may look different from one another, but they all come back to people. Training the next generation of health care workers. Recognizing working men and women who stepped up when a community was in trouble. Welcoming home veterans with the respect they earned long ago.

That is the work I want to stay focused on during the interim. Listening to people, showing up in the district, recognizing good work when it deserves recognition, making sure state investments serve the people paying for them and carrying those conversations back with me when the next session begins. The votes may happen in Frankfort, but the reason for the work is back home. That is where I will keep showing up.

04/17/2026

SENATE WEEK IN REVIEW
State Senator Gary Clemons
April 17, 2026

That’s a wrap! The General Assembly adjourned sine die and the 2026 Regular Session has come to a close. The final two days were different from the rest of the session because we were no longer focused on moving a new round of bills through the process. Instead, we were back in Frankfort to review the governor’s vetoes and decide whether those vetoes should stand or be overridden.

That is an important part of the job. A veto is there for a reason. It gives the governor the chance to say a bill creates legal problems, goes beyond what it should, or puts new burdens on people who are already carrying enough. Then it comes back to the legislature, and we have to decide whether those concerns deserve weight. In many cases this year, I believed they did.

During the veto session, I voted to sustain nearly all of the governor’s vetoes. The one exception for me was HB 904, because I believed the charitable gaming provisions in that bill would help organizations in our communities continue supporting worthwhile local work. On the rest, I believed the better vote was to stand with working people, local communities, and common sense instead of backing measures that added more red tape, more instability, or more political overreach.

That was the question I kept coming back to in those final days, just like I did throughout the session: when these bills move off the page and into people’s lives, who ends up carrying the burden? Too often, it is the same folks who are already stretched thin. It is the family trying to keep health coverage. It is the parent who wants their child’s school to stay steady and focused on learning. It is the worker who needs public systems to function without getting tangled up in politics or bureaucracy. It is the local community getting told what is best for them by people who will never have to live with the consequences.

That is why I supported the governor’s veto of HB 2, and I still believe that was the right decision. I opposed that bill earlier in the session, and nothing in the final version changed the bigger problem. At its core, it still puts more barriers between Kentuckians and health care by creating more paperwork, more frequent eligibility checks, and more chances for people to lose coverage because they got caught in a process that was too rigid, too confusing, or too easy to fall out of.

I do not see that as reform. I see it as a system that makes it harder for people to stay covered even when they are doing everything they can to keep up. The people most likely to get hurt by that are not the ones writing the policy. They are the working parent trying to balance a job and child care, the senior living on a fixed income, and the person dealing with an illness who now has to spend more time proving they deserve care than actually receiving it. When government builds that kind of maze around health care, the burden lands on the people least able to take one more hit, and that is exactly why I agreed with the governor’s veto.

I also supported the governor’s vetoes of SB 1 and SB 4, which made major changes to school board governance in Jefferson County. I do not believe Frankfort should be in the habit of reaching into local school systems and rewriting the rules whenever politics gets heated. Our public schools already face enough pressure without adding more top-down instability. Parents, teachers, and students need support, consistency, and serious investment. They do not need another political fight that pulls attention away from the classroom.

That same concern carried into other education bills, including SB 263, HB 379, HB 490, and HB 619, because each of them raised questions about how much freedom schools and colleges will have to do their jobs without political interference. I especially agreed with the governor’s concerns about HB 490, because weakening tenure protections and making academic independence more fragile does not strengthen higher education. It makes it harder for institutions to attract and keep strong faculty, and it sends the wrong message about what kind of public colleges and universities we want in Kentucky.

Several other vetoes came down to something even more basic, which is the need for government to respect its own boundaries and not create more dysfunction than people already deal with. I supported the vetoes of SB 65, SB 173, and HB 10 because those bills pushed too far in shifting power around and invited more conflict into how government operates. Kentuckians do not benefit when one branch keeps trying to take more authority from another. They benefit when laws are clear, when responsibilities are understood, and when the services they count on are not dragged into constant legal and political fights.

That was also my concern with SB 59. If legislation is written so broadly that agencies are left guessing about what they are allowed to do, what they can spend, or what might trigger a dispute, then that is not accountability in any real sense. That is confusion. When government gets jammed up by confusion, regular people are the ones who wait longer, get less help, or end up paying for problems that should have been avoided in the first place.

I felt the same way about HB 652, which dealt with school safety. Everyone agrees that protecting students and staff is serious work, but if the state puts a new mandate on school districts without making sure the money is there to carry it out, those costs do not disappear. They get pushed somewhere else. That usually means another need gets delayed, another service gets cut back, or another burden falls on people who are already trying to do more with less. That is not the right way to handle something as important as school safety.

I also supported the governor’s vetoes of HB 78 and HB 312 because I do not believe families should have fewer paths to accountability through the courts when harm has been done, and I do not believe lowering the age for concealed carry moves Kentucky in the right direction. Those are not abstract policy questions. They affect real communities, real households, and real families that will be living with the consequences long after the floor debate is over.

On some bills, the problem was that politics was being put ahead of expertise and sound judgment. That was true for HB 142 on wildlife management, HB 355 on appraiser oversight, and HB 387 on veterinary standards. It was also true for SB 100, which created another energy commission even though state agencies are already doing work in that area, and for SB 291, which used an emergency clause where there was no real emergency to justify it. We ought to be careful about passing legislation just to say we acted, especially when the result is more bureaucracy, weaker standards, or an effort to rush something through faster than it deserves.

In the end, all of the governor’s vetoes were overridden. That was not surprising given the political dynamics of the executive branch and legislature. Even so, I believe these votes still matter because my job is not to look at the scoreboard and decide that settles it. My job is to vote the way I believe best serves the people of District 37 and to be honest about why I cast those votes the way I did.

From where I sit, too many of these bills would have asked working people to take on more risk, more cost, or more instability while giving very little back in return. That showed up in health care, in education, in local control, and the way government is supposed to function. I could not support that just because it was moving, and I was not sent to Frankfort to go along with something I believe will make life harder for the people I represent.

As we move into the interim, the work is far from over. Most new laws will take effect about 90 days after adjournment unless they carry an emergency clause or a different effective date, which means much of the real impact of this session is still ahead of us. We will see how these laws affect schools, health care, local governments, and family budgets. We will see who ends up carrying the cost when policy choices made in Frankfort meet real life back home. I will be watching closely, and I will keep speaking up whenever I believe working families are being asked to shoulder too much for decisions they did not make.

I also want to say thank you to everyone who called, emailed, stopped me in the district, or followed these updates throughout the session. Thank you to the people who agreed with me and to the people who challenged me, because that kind of engagement matters. Public service works better when people stay involved, keep asking questions, and expect accountability from the people they send to Frankfort.

For all the bills, veto overrides, or any information on the 2026 session, visit the Legislative Record here: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/record.html

Serving District 37 in my first session in the Kentucky State Senate has been a real honor, and I do not take that responsibility lightly. I am proud to carry your voice in this work, and I came here with a clear purpose: to stand up for working people, for families trying to make it, and for communities that know what it means to stretch a dollar and still show up for one another. That is what guided me through this session, and it is what will keep guiding me in the work ahead.

04/03/2026

03/28/2026

SENATE WEEK IN REVIEW
State Senator Gary Clemons
March 27, 2026

With 12 weeks of the 2026 session now behind us, I’ll be honest with you, this part of the job has been an eye-opener. Coming into my first full session, you hear folks talk about how things speed up at the end, but you don’t really grasp it until you’re standing in the middle of it. We are now 55 days into a 60-day session, and everything tightens up. The conversations are more direct, the timelines shorter, and the decisions carry more weight because there is little room left to revisit them.
Under the current schedule, we will be back next week for concurrence on March 31 and April 1. After that, we break for the veto recess beginning April 2, which gives the Governor time to review the bills we have sent to his desk. From there, we will return on April 14 and 15 for the final two days, where we will take up vetoes and any remaining work of the session. That is the roadmap in plain terms, but living it day to day has been something different. It has been a learning experience and one I do not take lightly.

What I have come to understand pretty quickly is that this process is more than just moving bills. It is about getting the details right before the clock runs out. At this stage, much of our job is examining differences between the House and Senate. That happens either through concurrence, where one chamber agrees to the other’s changes, or through conference committees, where designated members are appointed to sit down and negotiate those differences line by line. There is no room for guesswork, as what we pass now is what becomes law, and that is something I keep in mind every time I cast a vote.

The most important item and constitutionally obligated assignment ahead is the state budget in House Bill (HB) 500, which we are almost certain to have on the floor before us next week. It is currently in conference committee after the Senate passed its version last week. The Republican majority in each chamber has taken different approaches, and now it comes down to finding common ground. You have one side putting more emphasis on saving and reserves and the other pushing for what needs to be funded right now. Somewhere in the middle is where this will land. What matters to me in those conversations is simple. Are we doing right by working families? Are we making sure the folks who are out there every day trying to make ends meet are not the ones carrying the burden of decisions made in Frankfort?

That question guides me whether we are talking about the budget, taxes, or any policy that comes before us; I look at it through the lens of how it affects people who punch a clock, raise a family, and do everything they can to stay ahead. If a policy shifts costs onto them, making things harder instead of easier, then it deserves scrutiny. This job is new to me, but that perspective is not. That is where I come from, and that is who I am here to represent.

Even with the budget taking center stage, the rest of the work has not slowed down. We are seeing a steady flow of House bills moving through Senate committees and onto the floor. A handful of those have gone through the consent calendar, which means they had full support in committee and are grouped together for passage unless someone raises a concern. That does not mean they are not important. It just means the work was met with bipartisan agreement and consensus before reaching the floor.

At the same time, there have been bills that sparked real debate, and rightly so. Not every proposal deserves a quick pass. Some require us to slow down, ask questions, and think through the long-term impacts. That is part of the responsibility that comes with this job, especially in these final days when the pace can push things forward quickly.

BILLS PASSED IN THE SENATE THIS WEEK:
HB 189 prohibits individuals from standing on state highway shoulders, medians, and rights-of-way except in certain situations. It is presented as a safety measure, but I had concerns about how broadly it could be applied. I filed a floor amendment to make clear it would not interfere with workers’ right to assemble and picket. After discussions with the sponsor, I was given assurance that the bill would not be used to restrict lawful union activity, so I withdrew the amendment. Even with that, I believe the language leaves too much room for interpretation. Pedestrians have the right-of-way, and workers have the right to stand together and be heard. For those reasons, I voted no. The bill passed 31-6.

HB 10 establishes new regulations for gubernatorial transitions, requiring attorney general approval for major legal settlements and noncompetitive contracts during the first 180 days of a new administration. I voted against this because it is a blatant power grab designed to handcuff the executive branch. We are essentially telling an elected governor that they cannot fully manage the state’s business without the permission of their political rivals. Despite my opposition, the measure passed 32-6.

HB 78 protects firearm and ammunition manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits for damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of their products by third parties. By shielding gun manufacturers, even when their own irresponsible marketing or distribution practices contribute to tragedy, this bill prioritizes corporate profits over public safety and the fundamental right of Kentuckians to seek justice in court. I voted no. However, it passed 32-6.

HB 139 allows the State Board of Elections to share data with other agencies to investigate election offenses. I worry that expanding intergovernmental data-sharing agreements might lead to aggressive "purges" of voter rolls based on potentially flawed or outdated data from other agencies. Therefore, I voted against the bill, which passed 31-6.

HB 398 clarifies that the Public Service Commission has the authority to allow utilities to recover decommissioning and salvaging costs for electric generating units through customer rates. I voted no due to concerns over ratepayer protection and utility accountability. However, it advanced 30-6
HB 490 gives university boards more authority to dismiss faculty, including those with tenure, under claims of financial need or low enrollment. I voted against it because it chips away at protections that are already balanced with existing safeguards. We should not weaken those standards in a way that could limit academic freedom. It passed 30-7.

HB 627 raises required insurance coverage limits and expands enforcement authority around fraud. I voted no because those higher requirements will end up costing working families more through increased premiums. Folks are already paying enough, and this adds to that burden. It passed 24-8.

HB 7 authorizes school districts to implement stop-arm cameras to identify and issue civil penalties to drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses, with revenue generated from these fines to fund broader school safety initiatives. I supported the measure, which passed 37-1.

HB 58 restricts the use of Automated License Plate Readers by public and private entities to a 90-day data retention limit and prohibits the sale of collected data. I voted in support of the bill, which advanced 34-3.

HB 257 shifts Kentucky’s school accountability system toward a mastery learning model, focusing on deeper understanding instead of checking boxes. I supported this approach because getting education right means making sure students learn the material, not just move through it. It passed 32-5.

HB 657 mandates national and state criminal background checks for healthcare professionals, including social workers and therapists, seeking initial licensure or practicing via interstate compacts. I voted yes, with it passing 36-1.

A few bills also moved through the Senate this week with unanimous or strong support, showing there are still areas where we can find common ground. SB 185 works to stabilize Kentucky State University while protecting its role as our only public historically Black land-grant institution. HB 4 addresses the sexual grooming of a minor, HB 67 strengthens school transparency, and HB 253 pushes forward proven reading instruction while protecting kids from harmful secrecy. We also passed HB 658 to support agricultural workers, HB 781 to improve workforce training through SNAP, and HB 669 to make sure foster children’s federal benefits are protected for their future.

Stay up to date on legislation at every stage, from bills moving through the process to those sent to the Governor or vetoed and more by visiting the Legislative Record: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/record.html

In the middle of everything happening this week, I also had the chance to spend time with a group that reminds me exactly why I ran for this seat in the first place. We welcomed roughly 40 union women to Frankfort for the first Women Workers Lobby Day. They came representing IUE-CWA, UAW, Teamsters, ATU, AFSCME, UFCW, and the Kentucky State AFL-CIO, and they showed up ready to speak for themselves and the families they represent.

As someone who comes out of that same background, that time meant a lot to me. These are not lobbyists in the traditional sense but working people who took time away from their jobs and families to come here and let lawmakers hear directly from them. I had the opportunity to sit down with them, listen to what they are dealing with on the ground, and talk through the kinds of policies that actually make a difference in their lives.

Having union sisters in Frankfort brings a level of honesty to the conversation that you do not always get in a hearing room. They are talking about wages, healthcare, job security, and what it takes to raise a family as costs and uncertainty continue to rise. That is the perspective I carry with me every day, and it is why I continue to approach every vote with working families front of mind. If we are not listening to the people doing the work, then we are missing the point of why we are here. I appreciate each of them for making the trip and making their voices heard. That kind of engagement is how this process is supposed to work, and I hope it is the first of many days like it in future sessions.

As we head into the last stretch before the veto recess, I am staying focused on doing the job the right way. That means paying attention to the details, asking the tough questions when they need to be asked, and making sure that every vote I take reflects the people I represent. This process may be new to me, but the responsibility is not. I carry that with me every day I walk onto that Senate floor.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Legislative Message Line: 1-800-372-7181