FRANKFORT, Ky. — Legislative sessions in Kentucky can get contentious. Ask anyone who followed the 2023 General Assembly, which brought out scores of opposition as anti-transgender legislation moved forward, or the 2018 session, defined by teacher protests at the Capitol.
By those standards, the 2026 General Assembly has been relatively quiet as we near the halfway point. In a Kentucky’s Voice podcast appearanceearlier in February, Rep. Steven Doan, R-Erlanger, said the session “kind of started slow” and has been “very warm, very feel-good” so far — “everybody’s getting along, we’re all working together.”
But that doesn’t mean there’s been no tension or no proposed legislation that has drawn pushback. For instance, lawmakers are working to build the state’s next two-year budget, which is certain to spur plenty of debate.
That legislation, House Bill 500, is still in the works. In the meantime, here’s a quick look at 10 other bills currently on the move that have drawn some controversy. While none have passed into law yet, legislators have until mid April to push their bills across the finish line.
House Bill 103: Make water fluoride programs optional
House Bill 103 was filed by Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, and is backed by more than 30 Republican cosponsors. It would allow counties to opt out of water fluoridation programs, which are currently mandatory under state law.
The bill has been proposed before and has repeatedly seen pushback from medical professionals who have noted that for decades Kentucky has ranked as one of the worst states for dental health. Hart and other supporters, meanwhile, have said fluoridation programs are an unfunded mandate on counties and have argued the state’s poor marks on dental health are evidence fluoridation is not as effective as supporters say.
The legislation passed in the House on Feb. 5 on a 67-29 vote, with 11 Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.
Original article online at: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/17/kentucky-general-assembly-2025-controversial-bills-advancing/88702062007/