LEXINGTON, Ky. — Groups hoping to persuade the Kentucky General Assembly are spending more each year to lobby legislators.

In total, nearly $13.77 million was spent on lobbying during the 2026 legislative session, a 60-day session during which lawmakers set the state budget for the next two years, according to records from the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission.

That marks a roughly $1.3 million increase from the previous budget cycle in 2024, which set a new record of $12.42 million at the time.

In 2024, bills relating to power plant regulations drew record spending from energy industry groups.

During this year’s session, groups spent to make their positions known on a variety of bills, including those relating to child care, education and data centers.

The top spender this year, as it has been for several years, was the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, which spent $336,494.

While the chamber had a plethora of priorities, one of their primary focuses was House Bill 6, which aimed to improve Kentucky’s child care industry.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield, was a response to recommendations made by the chamber last year. In a 2025 report, the chamber found that between 16,000 to 28,000 Kentucky parents could join the workforce if they had better access to affordable child care.

HB 6 became law without Gov. Andy Beshear’s signature. Its provisions include: strengthening the state’s five-star quality rating system that parents can use online and evaluate child care centers, authorizing up to 10 child care “micro-centers” in poorly served “child care deserts” and privatizing the administration of the state’s Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership.

Spending on housing, data center bills

Another bill the chamber lobbied was Senate Bill 9, which was a sweeping piece of housing legislation that didn’t make it across the finish line.

The original bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Caucus Chair Robby Mills, R-Henderson, would have given local governments the ability to use funding and other tools to support large residential developments in their communities.

But when the bill reached the House, representatives adopted an expanded version of the bill that incorporated sweeping changes, like language that said local governments could not ban short-term rentals in residential zones and guidelines for eviction record expungement.

While the House voted to pass SB 9 as amended, the Senate never took action on the House’s version of the bill.

Lobbyists also paid close attention to House Bill 593, which would have required companies building data centers to pay for any electrical infrastructure upgrades. Sponsored by Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, also required companies to pay for the power they use instead of passing costs onto existing utility customers.

While the bill passed the House, it stalled in the Senate.

Top spenders who lobbied on HB 593 include Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities and Amazon.com Services LLC.

LG&E and KU said May 29 that it had 29 potential data center projects in its pipeline in total, according to reporting from the Kentucky Lantern. Kentuckians in communities where data centers are being proposed have expressed concerns, including whether these centers could exacerbate utility bills and if property values could decrease.

LG&E & KU spokesperson Liz Pratt said in a statement to the Herald-Leader the company appreciates the company expressed concerns with HB 593 but respected its intent to protect utility customers and Kentuckians.

“These protections are better addressed through the Kentucky Public Service Commission’s individualized tariff process, which we have already completed with our new Extremely High Load Factor (EHLF) tariff approved by the KPSC in February,” Pratt said. “Just as importantly, communities that wish to pursue the jobs and economic benefits data center projects offer should have that ability.

“As written, the legislation would have eliminated that option entirely for communities we serve. We support meaningful customer protections that can be applied statewide without restricting this ability for communities.”

Other big spenders in KY

The Kentucky Education Association was the second-largest spender behind the chamber, coming in at $178,663 in expenses. Of that total, $150,000 was spent on advertisements against House Bill 500, which is the next two-year state budget, as well as Senate Bill 4 and Senate Bill 114.

SB 4 originally started as a principal training bill filed by Sen. Steve West, R-Paris. But the House added provisions that would prohibit Fayette County Public Schools board chair Tyler Murphy from running for reelection. The legislation said school board members in large school districts cannot work full-time in other school districts, making Murphy, who teaches in Boyle County Public Schools, ineligible for reelection.

Beshear vetoed the bill, but the General Assembly overrode it in the final two days of session.

SB 114, which was filed by Senate President Pro Tempore David Givens, R-Greensburg, would give the power to mayors to appoint members of Fayette and Jefferson County school boards. School board members are currently elected. The bill never received a committee assignment.

Groups that spent $50K+ on lobbying in KY

Here are the groups that spent $50,000 or more lobbying the state legislature so far in 2026:

•Kentucky Chamber of Commerce: $336,494

•Kentucky Education Association: $178,663

•Kentucky Justice Association: $87,098

•Kentucky League of Cities: $85,074

•One Louisville: $83,006

•Elevance Health & Affiliates: $79,393

•Altria Client Services LLC: $79,357

•Kentucky Hospital Association: $78,662

•Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc.: $75,445

•Kentucky Bankers Association: $75,336

•Airbnb: $71,347

•Fairness Campaign: $68,792

•LG&E and KU Energy: $68,774

•Kentucky Medical Association: $67,967

•Americans for Prosperity: $66,663

•Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association: $61,395

•Kentucky Primary Care Association: $59,835

•Humana Inc.: $55,454

•HCA Healthcare: $52,216

•Amazon.com Services: $52,056

•Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America: $51,902

•Kentucky Retail Federation: $51,253

•American Heart Association: $50,653

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