KY General Assembly Week 11: Recapping Goodman impeachment & budget on the move

There are moments as journalists when we feel the full weight of writing the “first draft of history.” This week in Frankfort, there was certainly a lot of talk of making history — a moment no one claimed to be happy about.

The Kentucky House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to send five articles of impeachment for Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Goodman to the Senate for a potential trial. The articles say Goodman committed a misdemeanor in office by abusing her power, defying precedents and more.

Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, told his House colleagues that he brought the resolution forward with “a heavy heart, but with absolute confidence that it is right, and it is just.” He noted judges get reversed by higher courts regularly; that is how the system should work.

“It is that the record before us, before this body, establishes in case after case, that she was not simply wrong; she was intentionally wrong. ... Yet she proceeded and did it anyway. That is not a judge that made a mistake; that is something else entirely.”

Robert McBride, one of Goodman’s attorneys, called the vote a “historic error and may well serve to undermine the independence of our judicial system.”

The proceedings against Goodman began in January when Killian Timoney, a former GOP lawmaker running this year to reclaim the Lexington-area House seat he lost in 2024, filed a petition with the General Assembly. In the petition, he cited six cases from Goodman’s court that he believes warrant impeachment; Nemes cited those same cases on the House floor Friday.

Impeachments have been exceedingly rare in Kentucky history. Since Kentucky’s modern court system was created 50 years ago, no judge has been impeached.

There are other ways to sanction a judge, as many attorneys, including Gov. Andy Beshear, former Kentucky Attorney General Fred Cowan and dozens more, have pointed out. Pursuing impeachment, they have cautioned, raises serious concerns about separation of powers and the precedent being set.

Kentucky has a Judicial Conduct Commission, which is the “only entity authorized under the Kentucky Constitution to take disciplinary action against a sitting judge.” That can include removal from office.

But still, the 38-member Kentucky Senate will soon decide Goodman’s fate. It takes two-thirds of senators present to convict, per the constitution. Stivers told reporters in January that the Senate was talking with attorneys and other constitutional experts about what a trial would look like because “nobody’s really done it in 100 years.” (When a disgraced ex-prosecutor was convicted in 2023, he did not mount a defense.)

Whatever the Senate decides to do, the House has already crossed the Rubicon.

For a deeper dive into Goodman’s impeachment — including documents, recordings and more — click here.

Lowering the age to concealed carry

The Senate on Friday gave final passage to House Bill 312, which will let Kentuckians carry concealed firearms at age 18 instead of 21.

The bill now goes to Gov. Andy Beshear for his signature or veto.

Supporters of the bill, sponsored by state Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, said Kentuckians are legally considered adults at age 18. They can drive a car, vote, get married and join the military — they can even possess a firearm if openly displayed — but they’re not allowed to carry a concealed gun as older adults are, Maddox said.

Maddox said her bill, unlike previous attempts to lower the concealed carry age, will require a “provisional” license for those under 21 that includes a criminal background check and safety training.

Critics of the bill said people ages 18-to-20 aren’t fully mature, as evidenced by laws prohibiting them from buying alcohol. Giving concealed guns to young adults — many of whom hang out with even younger teens — is a serious mistake, warned state Sen. Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington, during the Senate floor debate.

“We’re putting our children in harm’s way with this bill,” Thomas said.

-Reported by John Cheves

Frankfort’s favorite feathered lobbyist

Try saying this five times fast: Furkey the flamingo visited Frankfort.

Here’s the context: When various organizations request a piece of the next biennial budget, they sometimes have to get creative with their tactics.

Louisville Zoo certainly takes the prize this week for its strategy. The zoo brought in Furkey the flamingo to help convince lawmakers to give a one-time investment into expanding infrastructure.

“Spanning 17.5 acres, the Commonwild at Kentucky Trails will be a celebration of the region’s flora and fauna,” Kyle Shepherd, the zoo’s media relations manager, said in the statement. The expansion is designed to showcase Kentucky’s native wildlife and ecosystems.

As the designated animal ambassador, it was Furkey’s job to persuade lawmakers, and based on legislators’ social media posts, she was a hit. Rep. John Hodgson, R-Fisherville, said he has seen Furkey a few times since she was a baby. Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, said Furkey “seemed right at home” in the Capitol Annex.

Now, if I were a lawmaker, I’m not going to lie: It would be pretty difficult for me to say no to a flamingo. And I believe others hold that same opinion of Furkey.

Andrew Cooperrider, a conservative podcast host, said on X Furkey showed all the lobbyists up, and when the zoo receives a little something extra in the budget, “you’ll know that this bird did its job.”

Will other organizations be inspired to bring animals to persuade lawmakers? And if so, can I also pet them?

The last time a bird caused this much excitement at the Kentucky Capitol might have been January 2012, when Paula, an African blackfooted penguin from the Newport Aquarium, visited the Senate chamber.

Let’s just say Paula left her mark. On the floor. Right by the president’s desk.

-Reported by Hannah Pinski

More headlines from Week 11 of the 2026 General Assembly

• The latest version of the state budget could effectively “wipe out” Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program in Kentucky, which has mailed more than 8.6 million free books to Kentucky children, book program officials said Friday. -Reported by Valarie Honeycutt Spears and Hannah Pinski
• Lawmakers have been pushing several “immunity bills” this month to shield specific industries — guns, pesticides and road construction — from lawsuits filed by people who say those industries harmed them or their loved ones. -Reported by John Cheves
• Lawmakers are moving a bill forward that would prohibit people from standing in the right-of-way alongside state-maintained roads. But critics said the bill appears to be aimed at panhandlers who stand alongside roads to ask motorists for money. -Reported by John Cheves
• The House of Representatives on Friday advanced a Senate bill that would put two appointed members on the Fayette County Board of Education in addition to the elected five, and would make the current board chair ineligible for his role. -Reported by Valarie Honeycutt Spears

What we’re looking for in Week 12 of the 2026 General Assembly

The legislature will not convene Monday, March 23, as previously scheduled, to allow lawmakers to attend the funeral of Jessica Patton Rudy, the late wife of Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, in Paducah.

There are eight legislative days remaining. Between the January snow day and Monday, it’s not clear if the legislature will still be off March 27 and 30 as previously scheduled, or if those will be makeup days. Constitutionally, session cannot go beyond April 15.

The Senate, however, can stay in session when “sitting as a court of impeachment,” per the Constitution. Whatever happens next, we’ll be watching the Senate closely on that front.

Things are really moving now. A handful more bills have been delivered to Beshear, even more are waiting for one chamber to concur with the changes of the other, and lawmakers wasted no time overriding the veto of House Bill 1, complete with a funeral and bagpipes, apparently.

The main thing, as it has been every week, is the budget. The House and Senate have both passed their versions of the budget bills for each branch of government, but the House did not agree to changes made by the Senate. That means House Bills 500, 503 and 504 are now before a conference committee.

Thank you for following the Herald-Leader’s coverage of the Kentucky General Assembly. If you haven’t already, consider signing up for our (twice-weekly during session!) Bluegrass Politics newsletter.

Give me a shout at tduvall@herald-leader.com with any feedback, tips or ideas.

Tessa Duvall

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-334-0430

Tessa has been the Herald-Leader’s Politics and Public Affairs Editor since March 2024, after acting as Frankfort Bureau Chief since joining the paper in August 2022. A native of Bowling Green and a graduate of Western Kentucky University, Tessa has also reported in Texas, Florida and Louisville, where she covered education, criminal justice and policing.