Kentucky voters weigh 2 key ballot questions this election. Here’s what they mean

When Kentucky voters go to the polls or mail in their ballots for the Nov. 8 general election, they’ll be asked to weigh in on two amendments to the state’s constitution.

Both shift power to state lawmakers, though in different ways.

If you’ve seen yard signs urging you to vote one way or another on the referendums or if you’ve struggled to parse the language, we’ve prepared this guide to help you understand them.

Here’s what to know about Amendment 1 and Amendment 2, along with what they would mean if approved.

Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1

The first constitutional amendment voters will see on their ballots is as long as a CVS receipt. So if you’re in a rush and looking for a short, one-minute summary, Orizo Hajigurban has one for you on the Herald-Leader’s TikTok.

If you do want to read the amendment in its entirety, you can view a sample ballot on the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website.

Put simply, a “yes” vote on Amendment 1 would give the legislature additional scheduling flexibility, including the power to call itself back into session for a limited time.

Currently, only the governor has the power to summon Kentucky’s legislature into special session. The Bluegrass State is one of only 14 states where this is the case, according to The Associated Press.

Should voters say yes to Amendment 1, it would enable the General Assembly to be called back under a joint proclamation by the Kentucky House speaker and Senate president. Lawmakers would also get to decide which topics drive the agendas for these sessions, which could last no more than 12 days.

Governors, meanwhile, would get to keep their power to call special sessions, though it would diminish that power and shift it toward the state legislature.

Supporters of the amendment argue it would enable the legislature to be more adaptive to modern-day problems, like the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and economic crises.

However, the amendment’s critics contend the move is a “power grab” by Republicans, who now command supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

If approved, the amendment would also allow lawmakers to meet in regular sessions longer into the year — though the total number of lawmaking days would remain the same: 30 in odd-numbered years and 60 in even-numbered years.

Regular legislative sessions currently end in early spring in Kentucky.

Why do lawmakers suddenly want to meet more often? The proposed amendment to Kentucky’s constitution follows pandemic-related restrictions Gov. Andy Beshear put into place in 2020 against gatherings and businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Unable to meet outside of regular sessions without a call from the governor, GOP lawmakers opposed to Beshear’s executive orders were unable to take action until their next regular session the following year.

Were Amendment 1 in place, they would’ve had the power to return to session and overturn those restrictions almost immediately.

Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 2

The second amendment on the ballot this year is more of a hot-button issue, particularly because it’s a chance for Kentucky voters to weigh in on the future of abortion access in the state.

Amendment 2 asks voters if they are in favor of amending the constitution with a new section that states: “To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.”

The amendment itself is not the same as an abortion ban.

What it does is bar Kentucky’s courts from interpreting a right to abortion in the event the state’s restrictive abortion laws are legally challenged. This is because Amendment 2 plainly states abortion is not a protected right under Kentucky’s constitution.

Like Amendment 1, if approved it would grant more power to Kentucky’s legislature. The General Assembly would have the only real say about state laws and regulations that control abortion access in Kentucky.

A “no” vote would prevent the amendment from being added to the state constitution, but it would not change the state’s current trigger law or open up access to abortion again.

Do you have a question about 2022 election in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you? Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.