Via press release from the Caucus – see the full agenda at end of article
FRANKFORT -- Kentucky House Democrats unveiled their 2026 legislative agenda today with a focus on affordability and easing financial pressures on working families.
The platform, titled A Common Vision for the Commonwealth, outlines five priorities Democrats say will guide their proposals in the 2026 session of the Kentucky General Assembly: No Hungry Kentuckian; Affordable and Accessible Health Care, An Affordable Kentucky Home; Strong Schools; and A Fair Shot for Families.
House Democratic Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, of Louisville, said the agenda reflects what lawmakers hear from people across the state.
“Families are working hard and still falling behind,” Stevenson said. “Groceries cost more. Rent, child care and utilities cost more. Health care costs more. Wages have not kept up.”
Stevenson said those pressures are not accidental, but the result of policy choices that have favored wealthy interests. “The struggles people face in an economy that too often seems rigged against them are not a hoax,” she said.
On food security, the caucus proposed adding $50 million to the state budget in 2026 and $66 million in 2027 to offset new federal cost shifts affecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves nearly 600,000 Kentuckians.
“If we want people to have food on the table, we must protect the programs that help make this possible,” Stevenson said.
The platform also calls for strengthening the Meals for Seniors program and expanding support for food banks and local food partnerships, including efforts that connect Kentucky farmers with hunger-relief organizations.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Lindsey Burke of Lexington outlined health care proposals aimed at limiting medical debt and stabilizing rural hospitals.
“When you are sick, you shouldn’t face roadblocks like impossibly high costs, lengthy wait times, or distant travel for the care you need,” Burke said. “We want a Kentucky where a health crisis does not become a financial crisis.”
House Democrats propose capping medical debt interest at 3%, preventing medical debt from damaging credit scores and requiring equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health care. The agenda also calls for investing $335 million in a Rural Hospital Fund, citing the risk of closure facing dozens of hospitals statewide.
“When a rural hospital struggles, an entire community feels it,” Burke said.
Housing affordability was addressed by House Democratic Whip Joshua Watkins of Louisville, who said Kentucky faces a shortage of roughly 200,000 affordable housing units, with too many Kentuckians spending nearly half of their income on rent.
“Families need relief now, not years from now,” Watkins said.
The caucus is proposing a $100 million Affordable Housing Loan Fund to help local governments and housing partners build and preserve affordable homes.
Education proposals include expanded access to early childhood education, pay increases aimed at retaining teachers, and measures to keep higher education affordable. Watkins said Democrats support adjusting KEES scholarships to keep pace with rising costs and creating a refundable tax credit for contributions to 529 college savings plans.
“We envision a Kentucky where every child starts school ready to learn, where teachers can afford to stay in the profession they love, where higher education is accessible, and where every student has the support they need,” Watkins said.
The agenda also calls for raising Kentucky’s minimum wage, which has not changed in 16 years. Burke said Democrats propose increasing the wage in gradual steps to reach $17 an hour by 2029, with future increases tied to inflation.
“If you work full time, you should be able to afford the basics,” Burke said.
Stevenson closed the event by describing the platform as both a policy roadmap and a statement of priorities.
“We can tell what the state values by where we put our money and focus,” Stevenson said. “That money and focus should be on creating an environment where families can work and thrive.
“These priorities — feeding families, creating homes, protecting health, improving wages and giving tax relief to working families — form our common vision for the commonwealth,” she said.
2026 House Democratic Caucus Platform:
“A Common Vision for the Commonwealth”
No Hungry Kentuckian
- Protect SNAP by adding $50 million in FY 2026 and $66 million in FY 2027 to support administrative costs and maintain services.
- Strengthen the Meals for Seniors program.
- Expand support for Feeding Kentucky and local food networks, including programs that allow Kentucky farmers to sell food directly into hunger-relief efforts.
Affordable and Accessible Health Care
- Cap medical debt interest at 3 percent.
- Prevent medical debt from being used to damage credit scores.
- Require insurance to cover mental health services at parity with physical health.
- Invest $335 million in the Rural Hospital Fund to stabilize facilities at risk of closing.
- Protect medical privacy and autonomy
An Affordable Kentucky Home
- Establish a $100 million Affordable Housing Loan Fund to increase the supply of affordable homes.
Strong Schools
- Expand access to high-quality Pre-K for children who need it most.
- Provide meaningful teacher pay raises to retain and attract educators.
- Ensure KEES scholarships keep pace with rising college costs.
- Create a refundable tax credit for contributions to 529 college savings plans.
A Fair Shot for Families
- Raise the minimum wage gradually to $17/hour by 2029, then index it to inflation.
- Eliminate sales tax on essential items such as diapers, medicine, hygiene products, and utilities.
- Ask the wealthiest 5 percent of earners to contribute slightly more in income taxes to help reduce pressure on working families.
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