This story is by the Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. More of Kentucky Lantern’s work can be found at kentuckylantern.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
A big change is in store for lawmakers and the public when the Kentucky General Assembly begins its 2026 session Tuesday.
Because the Capitol is closed and vacated for a $300 million multi-year renovation, the House and Senate will meet in a temporary building that was constructed next to the Capitol Annex.
Other state offices, including the governor’s and Supreme Court’s, have been moved elsewhere in Frankfort.
The temporary legislative chambers have no in-person accommodations for the public. Some open government advocates have raised concerns about the lack of public galleries, saying it could distance Kentuckians from the proceedings. However, Republican legislative leaders said building galleries would have been too costly an addition for a temporary structure.
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear voiced criticism of the lack of galleries in mid-December when asked about plans for an alternative rotunda space. In the Capitol, citizens and officials often gathered in the rotunda for rallies and other events.
The governor said the Capitol Education Center, a visitors center, had been “altered to try to create the largest meeting space possible” as an alternative to the rotunda. The center sits atop the parking structure next to the Capitol Annex.
“So, this meeting space will be close by, we believe will be safe, and is the best alternative that we have, Beshear said.
As for the lack of galleries in the House and Senate chambers, Beshear said, “You could have put in bleachers. You could have put in just extra seating areas, simply by moving a wall back in some area, but that wasn’t included in their design.”
Also different this year, Beshear will deliver his State of the Commonwealth Address Wednesday at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort. The speech before a joint session of the House and Senate has traditionally been delivered in the House chamber of the Capitol.
Who can enter temporary chambers?
Answering questions via email, Legislative Research Commission (LRC) spokesperson Mike Wynn said that legislators, legislative staff and credentialed reporters will have access to the temporary chambers. Lobbyists will not.
Wynn added that a few Annex committee rooms — rooms 149, 154, 169 and 171 — will be open to the public as viewing rooms while lawmakers are in session in the next building. The rooms will have live video feeds of the proceedings in the House and Senate.
“Anyone wishing to access the temporary chambers must enter through the Annex and use the walkway that connects the Annex to the temporary chambers,” Wynn said. “The main entrance of the temporary chambers is located next to the Rose Garden.”
People with an LRC-issued badge can enter the Annex via the front doors or the tunnel that connects the annex to the parking garage, Wynn said. People with disabilities may use an ADA entrance at the rear, southeast corner of the Annex. On busy days, LRC may activate the front doors near the Floral Clock on the west end of the building.
The temporary structure is connected to the Annex by a walkway. Security officers will be at each end of the walkway, inside the doors, Wynn said. Lawmakers have offices in the Annex.
Wynn told the Lantern that those wanting to reserve an Annex committee room for an event, like an advocacy group, should follow buildings on the LRC’s website. The Finance and Administration Cabinet will still oversee requests for events on the Capitol’s campus, he added.
Also missing from the 2026 session will be some student pages. The General Assembly will not host its day page program, Wynn said. Students from across the state participate in the program, visiting the Capitol and their lawmakers for a day while learning about the legislative process.
“The General Assembly will continue to offer a constitutional page program, and the House will offer opportunities for students to participate in the legislative process through House Standing Committees,” Wynn said.
Full-time pages are high school students, typically juniors and seniors, who serve throughout the entire legislative session.
New addresses for constitutional officers
As for Kentucky’s other branches of government, the judicial and executive branches have also moved out of the Capitol during the renovation and to temporary offices in Frankfort.
The Kentucky Supreme Court is at 669 Chamberlin Avenue. Additionally, the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office and the State Law Library are on Chamberlin Avenue.
Beshear and his staff are in the Old Governor’s Mansion and State Office Building on High Street in downtown Frankfort. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman’s office is at Berry Hill Mansion.
Republicans Attorney General Russell Coleman and Secretary of State Michael Adams are neighbors. The AG’s office is at 1024 Capital Center Drive, while the secretary’s office is at 1025 Capital Center Drive.
Leave a message, follow the action
Leave a message for lawmakers by calling 800-372-7181.
Other legislative lines:
- Bill status: 866-840-2835
- Meeting information: 800-633-9650
- Meeting information in Spanish: 866-840-6575
- Hearing and speech impairment message line: Kentucky Relay Service 711
Follow legislative activity and access bill information, meeting details and legislator profiles at legislature.ky.gov.
Watch legislative proceedings live on KET or the LRC YouTube channel.
Archived footage is available via KET and YouTube.
This article appears in Dec. 1-31, 2025.