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RState Representative · District 23
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: Kentucky House District 23
Steve Riley is a Republican state representative who has represented Kentucky House of Representatives District 23 since 2017 and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][2] A former educator and school administrator from Glasgow, he earned his degrees at Western Kentucky University.[1]
Steve Riley was born on June 23, 1958, and as of February 2020 lived in Glasgow, Kentucky.[1] He earned a bachelor of arts in history and government and a master's degree in history and education from Western Kentucky University.[1] His career experience includes working as an educator and a Rank I school administrator, and he has been a member of the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce, the Glasgow Rotary Club and the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Board of Control.[1]
Riley took office in the Kentucky House in 2017.[1] For 2025-2026 he was assigned to the Appropriations and Revenue, Committee on Families and Children, Health and Family Services, and Primary and Secondary Education committees.[1] The Republican primary for his seat on May 19, 2026, was canceled.[1]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Steve Riley is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Kentucky House District 23 as R. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Republicans voted. How topics are assigned
Most contested
AN ACT relating to Medicaid, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.
On the version voted Apr 14, 2026: Adds federally set community engagement requirements and cost-sharing to Medicaid, requires eligibility checks every six months, extends current managed care contracts through 2028, bars coverage of weight-loss drugs, and limits Medicaid benefits to those the legislature authorizes or federal law requires.
Feb 27, 2026 · Failed 20–39 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to occupational safety and health.
On the version voted Mar 27, 2025: Bars Kentucky's workplace safety regulators from adopting or enforcing rules that are stricter than federal OSHA standards or not issued by federal regulators, sets deadlines for complaints and citations, bars citations more than six months after a violation, and bars fines for de minimis (minor) violations.
Feb 26, 2025 · Failed 47–48 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to worker benefits.
Mar 24, 2026 · Passed 63–24 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Requires courts to send election officials a list of people convicted of felonies, including cases on appeal, and removal of those found ineligible from voter rolls by August 4, 2026; lets the elections board work with federal agencies to remove noncitizens; lets judicial candidates disclose party affiliation; and changes campaign finance rules.
Mar 5, 2026 · Passed 53–40 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to first responders.
Mar 25, 2026 · Failed 21–56 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to interference with a legislative proceeding.
Creates first- and second-degree crimes of interference with a legislative proceeding, states they do not bar assembly in traditional public forums, allows arrests for them, and requires officers to remove violators from a legislative building at the request of presiding officers or committee chairs.
Mar 27, 2025 · Passed 69–28 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
AN ACT relating to postsecondary tuition waivers.
Feb 25, 2026 · Passed 56–36 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to the postsecondary education working group.
Mar 6, 2025 · Failed 22–67 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to education and declaring an emergency.
Creates a four-year leadership program for new principals, cuts the Jefferson County school board from seven to five members with new election divisions, creates a Center of American Civics at UK, and makes UofL's McConnell Center an independent academic unit, among other changes.
Apr 1, 2026 · Passed 72–21 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
AN ACT relating to Medicaid, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.
On the version voted Apr 14, 2026: Adds federally set community engagement requirements and cost-sharing to Medicaid, requires eligibility checks every six months, extends current managed care contracts through 2028, bars coverage of weight-loss drugs, and limits Medicaid benefits to those the legislature authorizes or federal law requires.
Feb 27, 2026 · Failed 20–39 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs.
Makes water fluoridation optional, letting each regulated water system's governing body decide whether to take part; existing programs continue until it ends them, and its decision binds the systems it supplies. Grants liability immunity for those decisions.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 67–29 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to the Medicaid program and declaring an emergency.
On the version voted Mar 14, 2025: Requires legislative authorization before the Cabinet changes Medicaid eligibility, coverage or benefits, makes the community engagement waiver mandatory, creates a Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board, reinstates behavioral health prior authorization rules as of January 1, 2020, and requires new managed care contracts by 2027.
Mar 27, 2025 · Passed 80–20 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
A JOINT RESOLUTION relating to road projects and declaring an emergency.
Mar 27, 2025 · Passed 80–20 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to transportation, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.
Creates a Local Assistance Road Program for rehabilitating local roads, capping state funding at $500,000 per project with a local match based on county population, and requires a memorandum with Indiana to use tolling revenue for the I-69 Ohio River Crossing.
Mar 27, 2025 · Passed 77–16 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
AN ACT relating to pesticide labeling.
On the version voted Mar 17, 2026: Deems a pesticide registered with the Department of Agriculture or EPA and bearing an EPA-approved master label to carry sufficient warning in civil actions over a duty to warn.
Apr 1, 2026 · Passed 56–32 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to sanitation districts.
Sets controls on fees and charges sanitation districts may impose, lets people sue if charged for a service not provided within a five-year plan, and limits stormwater charges to properties within 1,000 feet of the stormwater improvement and inside a city under a co-permittee agreement.
Mar 12, 2025 · Passed 68–23 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to solid waste management service companies.
Bars counties, waste management districts and those acting for them from compelling, requesting, acquiring, reviewing or possessing solid waste companies' confidential business information; exempts it from open records disclosure; and requires securing and returning or destroying it if obtained in violation.
Mar 9, 2026 · Passed 71–23 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and declaring an emergency.
Attaches the Kentucky Communications Network Authority to the Finance Cabinet under the Commonwealth Office of Technology's executive director, abolishes its advisory group and executive director position, and replaces most of its board members.
Mar 9, 2026 · Passed 78–19 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to personally identifiable information.
Bars government agencies from disclosing judges' and their families' personal information on written request, requires removal within 72 hours, creates a lawsuit for violations, and ends requirements that insurance denial letters include a name, license number or medical director signature.
Mar 28, 2025 · Passed 77–17 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to privacy protection.
Mar 31, 2026 · Passed 70–19 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
AN ACT relating to housing districts.
Apr 1, 2026 · Passed 71–21 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Mar 11, 2025 · Passed 63–18 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
AN ACT relating to the rights of real property owners.
Mar 4, 2025 · Passed 93–5 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 6 of 172 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Jobs & cost of living (3), Health & care (2), Transportation (1)
AN ACT relating to insurance.
What it does: On the version voted Mar 27, 2026: Raises the weekly personal injury protection work-loss limit from $200 to $500, sets rules for paying medical expenses, gives the Attorney General concurrent jurisdiction over insura…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 4–12, Republicans 71–2
Mar 31, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to postsecondary tuition waivers.
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 1–17, Republicans 55–19
Feb 25, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs.
What it does: Makes water fluoridation optional, letting each regulated water system's governing body decide whether to take part; existing programs continue until it ends them, and its decision binds the systems it supplies. Grant…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 1–19, Republicans 66–10
Feb 5, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to Teachers' Retirement System benefit funding.
What it does: Requires TRS retiree health employer funding to pay down pension liability once the retiree health fund is fully funded, restoring it below 95 percent funding, and bars the board from recommending funding cuts or redu…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 0–20, Republicans 67–7
Mar 27, 2025Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to Teachers' Retirement System benefit funding.
What it does: On the version voted Mar 27, 2025: Requires TRS retiree health employer funding to pay down pension liability once the retiree health fund is fully funded, restoring it below 95 percent funding, and bars the board fro…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 0–16, Republicans 67–4
Mar 13, 2025Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
AN ACT relating to Medicaid, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency.
With most of their party · Failed 20–39 · Yes 20–No 39 · Democrats 20–0, Republicans 0–39
Feb 27, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 53–40 · Yes 53–No 40 · Democrats 0–19, Republicans 53–21
Mar 5, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to occupational safety and health.
With most of their party · Failed 47–48 · Yes 47–No 48 · Democrats 17–1, Republicans 30–47
Feb 26, 2025Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to pesticide labeling.
With most of their party · Passed 56–32 · Yes 56–No 32 · Democrats 0–19, Republicans 56–13
Apr 1, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to first responders.
With most of their party · Failed 21–56 · Yes 21–No 56 · Democrats 20–0, Republicans 1–56
Mar 25, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to worker benefits.
With most of their party · Passed 63–24 · Yes 63–No 24 · Democrats 0–20, Republicans 63–4
Mar 24, 2026Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to Teachers' Retirement System benefit funding.
Against most of their party · Passed 67–27 · Yes 67–No 27 · Democrats 0–20, Republicans 67–7
Mar 27, 2025Official record ↗
AN ACT relating to postsecondary tuition waivers.
Against most of their party · Passed 56–36 · Yes 56–No 36 · Democrats 1–17, Republicans 55–19
Feb 25, 2026Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Motion: Final passage
As passed by the Senate, creates a refundable economic development credit for approved incentive projects based on a four-tier county ranking, raises skills training credit caps to $5,000 or $4,000 per trainee, and creates a heritage community revolving fund.
Motion: Passage
Names the Treeing Walker Coonhound state dog, cats and dogs adopted from or living in Kentucky shelters or rescues official state pets, the eastern spotted skunk state nongame mammal, and the eastern hellbender state amphibian.
Motion: Adopt House Floor Amendment 3
Names the Treeing Walker Coonhound state dog, cats and dogs adopted from or living in Kentucky shelters or rescues official state pets, the eastern spotted skunk state nongame mammal, and the eastern hellbender state amphibian.
Motion: Suspend the Rules (House Floor Amendment 1)
Names the Treeing Walker Coonhound state dog, cats and dogs adopted from or living in Kentucky shelters or rescues official state pets, the eastern spotted skunk state nongame mammal, and the eastern hellbender state amphibian.
Motion: Final passage
Requires at least 85% of Office of Adult Education general funds to go to adult education programs, requires a paper-test option for the high school equivalency exam, and removes the McConnell Center from developing a required American civics course.
Motion: Passage
Amends the state budget bills to add supplemental appropriations for various programs and projects, with conditions attached.
Motion: Final passage
On the version voted Mar 31, 2026: Changes many education statutes, including class-size and caseload rules for exceptional children and school board training topics; lets a legislative subcommittee temporarily authorize new state education reports; repeals the summer learning camp and teacher computer purchase laws.
Motion: Passage
On the version voted Mar 12, 2026: Allows fiscal courts and cities to spend public funds to care for and maintain pedestrian swinging bridges open for recreation, and limits liability for owners of land leased to a local government that maintains such a bridge.
Motion: Passage
Lets unused portions of the $75 million annual film tax credit cap carry into the next year, adds video games, music videos and commercials to eligible productions, and raises minimum qualifying spending for some productions.
Motion: Passage
As passed by the Senate, requires structural steel welding on projects whose specifications cite AWS D1.1 or D1.5 to use welders certified by an accredited testing facility and meet those standards, effective January 1, 2027. Exempts homeowner or farmer welding on their own premises.
Showing 10 of 414 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.