The 2026 Kentucky General Assembly session begins tomorrow.

The state budget will dominate this year's 60 day session, which lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass every two years.

It will also be the first session in modern history that isn't held in the state capitol.

Instead, the House and Senate will convene in a new temporary building as the Capitol undergoes major renovations.

The project is expected to take several years.

As we gear up for a new session, some of the laws passed last year just went into effect on January 1st of this year.

Our Emily Sisk has more on what you need to know.

The Kentucky General Assembly passed more than 140 bills during the 2025 legislative session.

Many of those bills went into effect last summer, 90 days after their passage.

Some had an emergency clause that made the bills effective immediately when they were passed.

But a few bills went into effect last week on January 1st.

One of the most notable pieces of legislation is House Bill one, which reduces Kentucky's personal income tax rate from 4% to 3.5%.

The bill passed quickly in this session with mostly bipartisan support, and it was signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear.

According to the Kentucky Chamber, state taxpayers will collectively save more than $700 million a year due to that reduction.

Many conservative lawmakers hope to completely eliminate the state's income tax over the next several years.

Senate Bill 100 also went into effect at the start of 2026.

It requires any retailer selling tobacco, nicotine and vapor products to obtain an updated license from the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The department can make unannounced visits to smoke shops to ensure they are not selling products to anyone under the age of 21.

Similarly, Senate Bill 202 prohibits the sale of cannabis infused beverages at fairs, festivals, and other similar events.

The intoxicating drinks may only be sold at licensed liquor stores.

And rounding out the list is the Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act.

The legislation gives Kentuckians more rights to their personal information online.

Individuals can correct and delete information.

They can also opt out of targeted advertising and the sale of their personal data.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Emily Sisk.

Thank you Emily.

The Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act was signed into law during the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly regular session.

It requires businesses to provide Kentuckians with an easy way to view and edit their personal information online.