RYLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (Oct. 11, 2026) — Sen. Chris McDaniel will visit communities across Kentucky this month as part of a statewide effort to help voters understand Amendment 1, the proposed constitutional amendment concerning a governor’s authority to grant pardons and commute sentences.
McDaniel sponsored Senate Bill 10, which placed the proposal on Kentucky’s Nov. 3 general election ballot for voters to decide.
Planned visits include:
Tuesday, Oct. 13: Corbin
Wednesday, Oct. 14: Bowling Green
Friday, Oct. 16: Louisville
Tuesday, Oct. 20: Lexington
Additional visits may be announced as plans are finalized.
Regional media roundtables will be central to the tour. Unlike a traditional press conference, each roundtable is designed to give local newspaper, television and radio journalists a longer, on-the-record conversation with McDaniel about the amendment’s language, history, purpose and effect.
Scheduled media roundtables are as follows:
Corbin: 11 a.m. ET this Tuesday, The Corbin Center, Boardroom, 222 Corbin Center Drive, Corbin, KY 40701
Bowling Green: 11 a.m. CT / Noon ET this Wednesday, Courtroom, Warren County Fiscal Court
Lexington: 10:30 a.m. ET next Tuesday, Room TBD, The Campbell House Lexington, 1375 S. Broadway, Lexington, KY 40504
Details for a Louisville roundtable are still to be determined.
The roundtables are intended especially for local and regional press that want direct access to the lawmaker who has pursued this proposal since 2020. McDaniel introduced versions of the amendment during six legislative sessions before the General Assembly approved Senate Bill 10 in 2026 and placed the question before voters.
“Voters are being asked to make a permanent change to Kentucky’s Constitution, and they deserve more than a slogan or a few lines on a sample ballot,” McDaniel said. “I want people to understand why this proposal was introduced, exactly when the restriction would apply and what authority a governor would retain. These roundtables will give local reporters the time and access they need to ask detailed questions and help their communities make an informed decision. I am eager to speak with our local and most trusted journalists, because these are truly who the general public are listening to.”
McDaniel’s effort began after former Gov. Matt Bevin issued more than 600 pardons and commutations in his final weeks in office, after he lost the 2019 gubernatorial election. Several of those decisions drew objections from victims’ families, prosecutors and lawmakers from both parties.
McDaniel first proposed a constitutional restriction in 2020. His effort ultimately spanned seven years and six regular legislative sessions before the General Assembly approved it in 2026.
If approved, Amendment 1 would prohibit a governor from granting pardons or commuting sentences beginning 60 days before a gubernatorial election and continuing until the governor is sworn in for the new term. The governor would retain those powers outside the restricted period.
Amendment 1 is the only statewide ballot measure in Kentucky’s 2026 general election. Along with the election to fill retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat, it is one of only two matters that will appear on every Kentucky voter’s ballot.
McDaniel expects to be available for a limited number of television, radio, newspaper and digital interviews during most regional visits. Early-to mid-morning and afternoon interview windows will be scheduled around the public events and media roundtables.
Outlets that cannot attend a roundtable or other daily engagements may request a separate telephone, video or in-person interview. Requests will be considered in the order received.
To request an interview or for additional information about an upcoming visit, contact Dustin Isaacs at 502-682-2591.
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