Tonight, Kentucky Senate Democrats gathered in Frankfort today to announce their agenda for the legislative session.

Many of the priorities remain the same as last year, but they say the pressure to pass them now is higher because of changes from the Trump administration.

Our Mackenzie Spink tells us more as we begin tonight's legislative update.

2026 is a budget year for the General Assembly, and the Democratic caucus is asking for fiscal transparency to keep Kentuckians in the loop on how the state will handle the impact of federal cuts made to critical safety net programs.

Broad federal cuts to Medicaid, Snap public health and rural health supports do not make costs disappear.

They shift those costs onto Kentucky taxpayers.

County governments and local service providers.

That is not fiscal conservatism that is passing the bill on a buck, I should say, down the line.

The main issues on the Democratic agenda are the same as last year, but they say raising minimum wage will improve other economic burdens on the budget when wages are too low, the burden does not disappear.

It shifts to Medicaid, Snap and housing assistance.

That means taxpayers are subsidizing employees who refuse to pay a living wage.

Universal pre-K and policies like the child care tax credit are also a priority.

These are measures that Democrats say will also positively affect the economy.

Universal pre-K and expanded childcare are not social programs.

They are economic infrastructure.

Minority Leader Senator Gerald Neal was a member of the Housing Task Force over the interim.

He says he's on board for reducing the red tape for housing permitting, but that local control is key.

One size fits all mandates from Frankfort won't solve a local housing shortage.

Our caucus believes housing reform must be built on local control, transparency and accountability.

If permitting our zoning is streamlined, local governments must be full partners in those decisions.

Senator Neal also emphasized transparency in the lawmaking process this session.

He predicts over 1000 bills will be filed this year.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.

Thank you.

McKenzie.

State Senator Reggie Thomas will again sponsor the minimum wage bill in the Senate this session.

He says the goal is to raise it to $10 an hour this year and eventually raise it to $15.