Now to Kentucky state politics.

Even though Kentucky lawmakers are gaveled out until February, the work hasn't stopped in preparation for their return.

Our June LaFleur talked with some of the new faces and House Democratic leadership about their priorities for the 2025 regular session.

More about that and tonight's legislative update.

With just 20 of 100 members in the Kentucky House of Representatives, Democrats will need to work with Republicans if they want to stop or start up new legislation.

A lot of times we're on defense mode.

We're trying to stop what we think is bad legislation.

So we use techniques and build relationships to try to do that.

Sometimes it's just amending a bill that we don't like to make it less bad.

See, in the common ground, that's where magic happens.

If you ask any of the 100 people in the General Assembly, should every child be love protected and nurtured, they'll say yes.

Should all families have good jobs so they can take care of themselves?

Yes.

Should people have the right to the freedoms fought for by military members?

Yes.

So when we say focused on those things, we get work done when we focus on our opinions about things.

That's when things get bogged down.

This is Representative Pamela Stephenson's first session as the Democrats House minority leader.

She's the first black woman to hold a caucus leadership position in Kentucky's State House.

We have an enormous rainy day fund, more money than the state of Kentucky has ever seen.

We have rules that need to be fixed.

We need to fund public education because it is not being funded.

Teachers and school personnel are not getting the pay they need.

Lawmakers have already filed more than 200 bills and they'll file more when they return from break.

Newly elected minority caucus chair Al Gentry will wait to see what more Republicans introduce and how his party will respond.

As far as influencing our policies, it's usually more of, hey, this is what we believe in.

This is what we think should happen.

Making sure that we're good and loud when we do that.

And sometimes they adopt our policies.

And a lot of times it happens a year later with a Republican name on the as the lead sponsor.

But hey, if that happens, then we know we can be proud.

That really was our policy.

I have been married 41 years and I always say my husband agrees with everything I say and they're right.

Laughs and says, That's not true.

But you know, he might.

So we have to get out of this thought that when we get into public spaces, when we get into the General Assembly, that if we're going to get any work done, we have to agree on everything.

That's not true.

We simply must find the common ground, keep the lines of communication open and make sure that we keep the main thing, the main thing, and that is the people of Kentucky.

Without knowing Republicans full legislative agenda, House Democrats are keeping busy finalizing their priorities and what's next in their chamber.

Legislators will return to Frankfort on February 4th.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you, June.

Kentucky's new House Democratic leadership is rounded out by State Representative Lindsey Burk of Lexington, who serves as minority whip.