Kentucky Legislative Research Commission names longtime staff member as director
Katie Comstock, who has served has deputy director for committee and staff coordination for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission since 2024, was appointed Wednesday as the next LRC director.
Comstock will begin her tenure Aug. 1 and will succeed current director Jay Hartz, who announced his retirement last year, according to a press release. Comstock first joined the LRC in 2005 as a committee analyst and eventually worked as a budget reviser, fiscal analyst, and Judiciary Committee staff administrator.
She has also served as the director of the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
“I was fortunate to start my career at LRC, and I consider it my professional home,” Comstock said in a press release. “We have incredible talent here, and a strong culture of public service throughout the organization. I look forward to building on that tradition.”
The Kentucky LRC is an administrative and research arm of the General Assembly that provides services, including committee staffing, bill drafting and a legislative newspaper. Its 16 member statutory committee consists of the majority and minority party leadership of the Kentucky Senate and the House of Representatives.
The committee approved Comstock’s appointment at its regular Wednesday meeting.
House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, said in the press release Comstock brings “exceptional expertise, steady leadership, and a deep commitment to serving the people of Kentucky.”
“Her experience and her willingness to engage thoughtfully with legislators and citizens alike make her uniquely prepared to guide the Legislative Research Commission,” Osborne said. “I am confident she will empower an already outstanding staff and help ensure that the law-making branch of our state government remains strong, responsive, and firmly focused on the needs of Kentuckians.”
Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said in the press release that Comstock’s experience made her the obvious choice for the job.
“She’s a steady presence with an unmatched wealth of knowledge and an unwavering commitment to the success of the institution,” Stivers said. “She is also relentless in upholding LRC’s values and placing its nonpartisan mission first and foremost.”
This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 3:49 PM.
