State legislators will convene this week in Frankfort for the 60-day Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, with the primary task of enacting the Commonwealth's biennial budget for fiscal years 2026-2028. Beyond the budget, Republican supermajorities are expected to advance several key priorities, including measures to address Kentucky's housing shortage, ongoing efforts to further reduce the state individual income tax rate, enhanced Medicaid oversight amid potential federal funding changes, and targeted one-time investments in communities statewide. In addition to allocating funds for various state cabinets and services, education funding - which historically accounts for more than half of the biennial budget - will remain a central focus, ensuring thorough legislative review during the Session.

During the long Budget Session, some of the issues Commerce Lexington and regional leaders will be advocating for a variety of policy items to support the Regional Competitiveness Strategy, including: ​

The 2025 Greater LEX Regional Summit presented by Community Trust Bank brought together 320-plus influential business, community and government leaders from across the Greater LEX region.  This year’s Summit was the largest gathering to date, signaling the continued momentum and commitment to regional collaboration.  The annual event provided a valuable opportunity for economic benchmarking and a progress report on the implementation of the Regional Competitiveness Plan action items.  Attendees were also able to connect, share ideas, and explore strategies to make the nine-county region more competitive for jobs and talent.  

​On October 21st, the Kentucky General Assembly’s state Housing Task Force held its last fact-finding meeting. This is the second year this task force has been organized, demonstrating the legislature’s priority interest in learning about the Commonwealth’s housing issues, roadblocks, and possible solutions.  The Legislative Interim, which occurs between state Legislative Sessions, emphasizes policy development, stakeholder input, and preparation. Interim activities are led by approximately 16 standing Interim Joint Committees, formed by merging House and Senate standing committees. These committees provide continuity on core policy areas, meeting monthly to review legislation implementation and draft bills. This past May, legislative leaders announced five joint task forces to tackle emerging issues, each co-chaired by one House and one Senate member, with bipartisan participation. These groups aim to deliver reports and bill drafts by early 2026, including Kentucky’s Housing Task Force.

​Commerce Lexington and the Building Industry Association (BIA) of Central Kentucky recently hosted a Housing Development Workshop for Lexington City Councilmembers and legislative aides. The workshop provided an opportunity to educate council members about the current housing landscape, community needs, challenges, and opportunities to provide more accessible and affordable housing in Lexington.
 
During the workshop, Councilmembers learned about the history of land use and housing development, recent home building and permitting trends, and factors impacting supply and affordability.  Councilmembers participated in site visits to active housing developments both for affordable housing and market-rate developments. The immersion tour helped local leaders better understand the realities of “a day in the life of a developer.”  From lengthy development plan certifications to costly regulatory requirements and other delays, local government process challenges add additional costs that impact housing affordability.

Commerce Lexington was recognized with two awards related to its ongoing Regional Competitiveness Plan, while the City was named an award winner for its Second Chance Academy Workforce Reentry Program.

​Commerce Lexington is pleased to announce that Betsy Dexter, Senior Vice President, Talent & Education Strategy, has been selected to participate in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship Program. This year’s cohort includes 35 fellows from 19 states who will take part in the six-month program consisting of both virtual and in-person workshops.
 
“We created the Business Leads Fellowship Program in response to the needs of our state and local chamber partners,” said Kyle Butler, Senior Manager, Programs, K-12 Education at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “They, better than anyone, see the critical link between education and economic development, and we are glad to be able to support them as they take on this critical leadership role in their community.”

​Commerce Lexington is proud to announce that it has been named a 2025 Economic Development Organization (EDO) of the Year by Business Facilities, marking its second consecutive year receiving this recognition. The award underscores the organization’s commitment to driving regional growth through innovative programs, strategic collaboration, and a unified vision for the future of the Greater Lexington Region.
 
The Business Facilities EDO Awards celebrate organizations that demonstrate exceptional leadership in fostering economic development, supporting workforce initiatives, and creating impactful projects across the nation. The 2025 award recognizes Commerce Lexington’s efforts leading the Regional Competitiveness Plan, which supports advancing the region’s economic resilience and competitiveness through comprehensive initiatives and regional cooperation strategies.

​Last week, 40 regional business and community leaders traveled to the nation’s capital for the annual Washington, D.C. Fly-In presented by Columbia Gas of Kentucky to act as policy ambassadors for the nine-county Bluegrass Region. During the July 9-11 visit, leaders from Greater LEX met with members of Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation and staff about priority issues to enhance regional competitiveness and policies that support the ongoing Regional Competitiveness Plan. 
 
Greater Lex leaders engaged with U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, U.S. Representative Andy Barr (KY-6), U.S. Representative James Comer (KY-1), U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie (KY-2), and U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey (KY-3).  Karen Kelly, chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, briefed the group on behalf of the Congressman who was finalizing House appropriation bills.  Given the leadership roles and key committee assignments (appropriations, energy and commerce, financial services, government oversight and transportation), Kentucky’s Congressional delegation is positioned to be highly influential and effective for Central Kentucky interests.  

Commerce Lexington is pleased to announce that it has launched a new and improved on-line Job Board platform that will be beneficial to both employers and job seekers across the region.  While Commerce Lexington member businesses can post job opportunities at no charge as a member benefit for up to 60 days, the job posting option is now available to all businesses across the region for a nominal cost, providing a more local and targeted approach to hiring.
 
This new Job Board is more user-friendly with jobs searchable by keyword, location, industry, and employment type.  Employers can also take advantage of added upgrades when posting jobs, such as featured listings that include listings pushed to the top of the board, highlighted posts, and jobs published to the Google Jobs Network. There is also a Résumé Bank that enables people to upload their résumés for added visibility and employers to source qualified candidates.  Résumés connect directly to member profiles to make follow-up easy.
 
Commerce Lexington President and CEO, Bob Quick, said, “Employers have been facing huge challenges of maintaining and growing their workforce, and this new on-line platform will help them better promote job openings and connect with job seekers. There is an ongoing regional collaborative initiative that includes nine counties and aims to improve our ability to compete for jobs and talent. This new Job Board will most certainly bolster those efforts to recruit and retain talent within our region.”
 
Employers and job seekers across the region can access the new Job Board on-line here: https://commercelexington.mcjobboard.net/jobs .