Legislators across the state are preparing for the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly, and at Tuesday’s Hopkinsville Rotary Club meeting, Senator Craig Richardson shared some of his expectations and priorities for the upcoming session.
Richardson represents District 3, which includes Christian, Muhlenberg and Caldwell counties. This will be his second legislative session and his first budget session as a senator after being elected in 2024.
Lawmakers will be tasked with making a two-year state spending plan, and Richardson says education, as well as Medicaid and healthcare services, are their top two budget items.
Richardson says one-third of Kentucky’s population relies on Medicaid and calls it a problem. He says the program needs to be more fiscally responsible and believes it supports too many people who do not need it.
As a result of President Trump’s omnibus budget bill, the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” Richardson says the state will receive less federal funding which may impact Medicaid. Governor Andy Beshear’s Office reported that there is a shortfall of around $300 million in revenue, but Richardson believes it is less.
Turning toward his plans, Richardson says he is looking into amending the state’s current fentanyl trafficking laws. For someone to be charged with aggravated fentanyl trafficking, Richardson says they must possess at least 28 grams of the drug, which contains 14,000 lethal doses.
Richardson believes the required amount for an aggravated fentanyl trafficking charge should be lowered for both fentanyl in its powder and pill forms.
Then, focusing on a different type of traffic, Richardson says he and some of his fellow lawmakers are looking into ways to update the road funding program. He says the way the gas tax is calculated has not been updated in a while, and many state roads are do for some repairs.
Richardson also plans to refile a bill supporting the 340B Program, which allows patients to receive medications at a discounted price. Kentucky’s 2026 legislative session starts on January 6.