Dawne Perkins

Our KIDS. Our COMMUNITIES. Our FUTURE. “Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride!”

[KY Senate Majority @KYSenateGOP]

The Kentucky General Assembly's 2026 Interim Period officially began today.

Over the next six months, Kentucky senators and representatives will meet in committee, hear from stakeholders and subject-matter experts, examine issues facing the commonwealth and begin shaping policy proposals for consideration during the 2027 Regular Session. Interim committee meetings provide lawmakers with an opportunity to hear testimony from state agencies, industry leaders, advocacy organizations and members of the public while evaluating issues that may shape future legislation.

The 2027 Regular Session is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 5. As an odd-numbered-year session, lawmakers will have 30 legislative days to consider legislation.

The first Interim Joint Committee meetings are scheduled for tomorrow, June 2, with the Interim Joint Committee on Education meeting at 11 a.m., co-chaired by Sen. Steve West, followed by the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation at 1 p.m., co-chaired by Sen. Jimmy Higdon.

Additional committee meetings are scheduled throughout the week, covering a broad range of topics including education, transportation, economic development, state government, public safety, health care and other issues important to Kentucky families and communities.

Throughout the interim, Senate members will serve as co-chairs of the General Assembly's Interim Joint Committees.

Senate co-chairs include:

Sen. Jason Howell, Agriculture

Sen. Chris McDaniel, Appropriations and Revenue

Sen. Jared Carpenter, Banking and Insurance

Sen. Phillip Wheeler, Economic Development and Workforce Investment

Sen. Steve West, Education

Sen. Danny Carroll, Families and Children

Sen. Steve Meredith, Health Services

Sen. Brandon Storm, Judiciary

Sen. Julie Raque Adams, Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations

Sen. Mike Nemes, Local Government

Sen. Brandon Smith, Natural Resources and Energy

Sen. Mike Nemes, State Government

Sen. Phillip Wheeler, Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology

Sen. Jimmy Higdon, Transportation

Sen. Matt Deneen, Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection

To view materials such as information sheets, handouts and PowerPoint presentations compiled for lawmakers to review at committee meetings, click on the "Meeting Materials" tab on the right side of each committee's page on the legislative website, which is linked below. Meeting agendas are also posted on each committee page.

In addition to Interim Joint Committees, several statutory committees and oversight bodies will continue meeting throughout the interim. Unlike Interim Joint Committees, these entities meet year-round and provide ongoing legislative oversight in key policy areas.

Statutory committee and board co-chairs include:

Sen. Steve West, Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee

Sen. Gary Boswell, Capital Planning Advisory Board

Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee

Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity

Sen. Matt Deneen, Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee

Sen. Donald Douglas, Government Contract Review Committee

Sen. Gex Williams, Information Technology Oversight Committee

Sen. Brandon Storm, Juvenile Justice Oversight Council

Sen. Greg Elkins, Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee

Sen. Julie Raque Adams, Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board

Sen. Jimmy Higdon, Public Pension Oversight Board

Sen. Jason Howell, Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee

The interim period provides lawmakers an opportunity to take a deeper dive into policy issues, conduct oversight of state government, engage with Kentuckians and stakeholders and prepare legislation for future sessions.

Constituents, stakeholders and members of the media can follow committee activity throughout the interim by attending meetings in Frankfort or watching live online through KET and the General Assembly's YouTube channel. Archived video of committee meetings is also available on both platforms. Links to livestreams and archived meetings are below.

To share feedback on an issue with lawmakers, call the General Assembly's Message Line at 1-800-372-7181. Kentuckians with hearing loss can use Kentucky Relay by dialing 7-1-1.

📅 A link to the full 2026 Interim Calendar is in the thread below.

[K.C. Crosbie @kc4gop]

The DNC didn’t need to pay for a report, I would’ve told them what their problems are for free— Graham Platner, Mamdani, and AOC just to name a few.

[KY Senate Majority @KYSenateGOP]

KENTUCKY’S READING AND MATH GAINS SHOW EDUCATION REFORMS ARE PRODUCING RESULTS
National report ranks Kentucky among the nation’s top-performing states for academic growth as literacy, numeracy and school leadership reforms continue statewide

Senate Education Chair Steve West, R-Paris, says Kentucky’s national recognition for reading and mathematics growth reflects years of focused work by educators, school leaders and lawmakers to strengthen classroom instruction and improve student outcomes statewide.

A new Education Scorecard report produced by researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University and Dartmouth College ranked Kentucky fifth nationally in reading growth and eighth nationally in mathematics growth between 2022 and 2025.

The report also recognized several Kentucky school districts for exceptional academic progress, while Marion County Schools was highlighted nationally as a case study for evidence-based instruction, literacy training, instructional coaching and efforts to strengthen direct student-to-teacher engagement in the classroom.

“This recognition belongs to Kentucky teachers, principals, students and families who stayed committed to the hard work of improving classroom outcomes,” West said. “Kentucky made a decision several years ago to refocus on foundational learning, support educators and invest in proven instructional practices. We are now seeing measurable results from that work.”

The report specifically linked reading improvement in states, including Kentucky, to comprehensive science-of-reading reforms and evidence-based literacy instruction initiatives. Researchers also identified growing concerns nationally surrounding classroom distractions, social media use and declining student engagement. During the 2025 Legislative Session, Kentucky lawmakers approved legislation restricting student cellphone use during instructional time to help schools maintain more focused classroom learning environments.

During the 2022 Legislative Session, West championed the Read to Succeed Act to strengthen early literacy instruction across Kentucky schools through teacher training, literacy intervention and evidence-based reading practices. During the 2024 Legislative Session, lawmakers adopted a similar approach to mathematics instruction through House Bill 162, championed by Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, which established early intervention systems and additional student supports focused on foundational math skills.

In recent years, the General Assembly has paired those reforms with significant education investments, including $22 million for the Read to Succeed program, more than $10 million for the Mathematics Achievement Fund and additional funding to support school leadership development and classroom instruction statewide. The legislature also increased SEEK funding for the seventh consecutive biennium.

West said Kentucky’s recent education reforms have focused not only on improving student achievement, but also on strengthening instructional leadership and giving schools greater flexibility to support innovative classroom strategies.

During the 2026 Legislative Session, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 4 to establish a statewide leadership development framework for school principals and Senate Bill 263 to expand flexibility for schools pursuing innovative instructional models while maintaining accountability standards.

“Strong schools depend on strong classroom instruction and strong leadership,” West said. “The goal has never been a quick fix or a political talking point. The goal has been to help more Kentucky students learn to read proficiently, build strong math skills and graduate prepared for future success. This recognition shows Kentucky is making meaningful progress.”

The scorecard findings are based on assessment data from roughly 35 million students nationwide and are part of a broader national research effort examining long-term academic trends and student performance.

[Republican Party of Kentucky @KYGOP]

Congratulations to @AlvaradoForKY on your Republican primary victory! Republicans in Lexington and across the 6th District are fired up, united, and ready to send you to Washington as Central Kentucky’s next Congressman.

[Andy Barr @barrforsenate]

God bless @DanielCameronKY. Daniel ran a great race and made me a better candidate. Daniel is a man of faith, family, and he will always be my friend.

Davis and I want to thank both Daniel and Makenze Cameron for their years of service to the Commonwealth we all love.

[Daniel Cameron @DanielCameronKY]

Makenze and I want to thank all of those who worked tirelessly to support our campaign. Although it did not end the way we wanted, we’ve been blessed throughout the journey. We will never forget the kindness of people all across this Commonwealth who gave of time, talent, and treasure to aid in our effort.

And, again, I congratulate my good friend, Andy Barr, on becoming the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. He carries the torch for the party into the fall, and I look forward to casting my vote for him in November. He is a good man, with a good heart, and I know he will represent us well in the U.S. Senate. May God bless him, his family, and his team in the campaign to come.

As for the Camerons, we look forward to more days filled with laughter, more nights at home together, and time enjoying life’s special moments. We will rest in the Lord. He has good plans.

[Dawne Perkins @dawneperkins]

“Excessive wasteful spending” in public schools appears to be a pandemic… 👀

[FL DFS @FLDFS]

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Announces Over $300 Million in the 2025-2026 Orange County Budget as “Excessive, Wasteful Spending”

Read more: https://t.co/nRpDSy1OQe

[K.C. Crosbie @kc4gop]

Congratulations to President Trump endorsed Hal Rodgers, the Dean of the House of Representatives, on his victory!

Hal has been the biggest champion for Southeastern Kentucky and will continue standing up for KY-05 every day.

[K.C. Crosbie @kc4gop]

Congratulations to President Trump endorsed @JamesComer on his resounding win. KY-01 is in good hands!

[Ralph Alvarado MD @AlvaradoForKY]

From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to Republicans across Central Kentucky.

Tonight’s decisive victory would not have been possible without your hard work, faith, and support throughout this campaign. I am truly humbled and grateful.

But the fight is just beginning. We cannot become complacent, and we cannot take tonight’s decisive win for granted. Now it’s time to keep building momentum, unify as Republicans, and work together to win big in November.

[Dawne Perkins @dawneperkins]

Imagine when @FCPSKY was known for being an excellent district & had their fiscal affairs in order… 🤔

Now it seems personal blogging and public image management is more important than academic performance, transparency, & financial stability.

3-2 is the new 6-7, look it up!

[Austin Horn @_AustinHorn]

An underappreciated aspect of the FCPS situation is that the superintendent has been blogging through it.

Also underappreciated: FCPS is still an excellent district if we're judging by student outcomes.

[damon thayer @damon_thayer]

In 2014,
@AlvaradoForKY was running for the State Senate against a popular Democrat
Working as hard as I’ve seen a candidate work.

And this👇🏻, one of the best political ads ever starring his wife Dawn.

Produced by @HelloGrit it propelled him to an unlikely victory. Next stop, Congress.

[Ralph Alvarado MD @AlvaradoForKY]

Curious about the current state of the race in KY-06? We just released information from all three of our internal polls!

👉 Follow this link to read the press release: https://t.co/uFQhdJGhkm

👉 Follow this link to view additional details on all three internal polls conducted: https://t.co/Y5LCikFSOB

[Dawne Perkins @dawneperkins]

Congrats Harlan! 👏🏻👏🏻

[James Comer @JamesComer]

Harlan officially signed with the University of Pikeville to play baseball. Thx to all of his coaches, teammates, teachers, and especially UPike ⚾️ for believing in him and allowing him to continue his baseball and academic career at Pikeville.

[Dawne Perkins @dawneperkins]

Let’s go!

[Max Wise @maxwellwise]

We’re getting the band back together…

[WKYT @WKYT]

Fayette County Public schools seeking up to $73 million to cover costs, meeting agenda says https://t.co/Ugnu0aOFgp

[Dawne Perkins @dawneperkins]

@kc4gop @_ryan_lowe @KYGOP I see you @kc4gop…

[K.C. Crosbie @kc4gop]

The @KYGOP staff working hard, making calls, and encouraging Virginians to vote NO on Abigail Spanberger’s gerrymandering!

[Dawne Perkins @dawneperkins]

This take feels a bit ironic coming from someone who opposed kids playing sports in 2020. Funny how perspectives change—some of us still remember…

[Jacqueline Coleman @jacquelineforky]

Any coach worth their salt will tell you: there's always more work to do.

I'm running for Governor to make every tomorrow better than today — because every Kentuckian, regardless of zip code, deserves a fair shot.

Watch our video 👇

[Russell Coleman @RCforAG]

A respectful reminder: Jacqueline Coleman isn’t my sister. She’s not my ex-wife.

And she will never be Kentucky’s Governor.