Opinion – Jennifer Jackson: Kentuckians have a right to participate in legislative process

Our representative democracy rests on a fundamental principle: We, the people, have a right to participate in decisions that affect us.

In two prior reports, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky described how Kentucky’s General Assembly, in its 60-day legislative sessions, has increasingly fast-tracked legislation in ways that weaken that principle.

In our newest report, How Can They Do That: 2025 Challenges to Transparency and Citizen Participation in Kentucky’s Legislative Process, we show that fast-tracking also occurred in 30-day legislative sessions. These fast-track maneuvers are often combined with other

undemocratic tactics to create a negative, compounding effect on public participation.

It is not uncommon for a bill to follow a process like this:

● A “shell bill” is filed