Have a burning question or suggestion for Kentucky’s legislators? Café LOUIE is here to give your voice a mic and your thoughts a stage at its monthly meetings with elected officials.
Café LOUIE is a partnership between the Library Foundation, the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL), the Leadership Louisville Center, and the Friends of the Library. The annual series is designed to facilitate community interaction with state and local legislators.
Each month, from January to March, the meetings are held Saturdays, 9-10 a.m. at a different LFPL location.
Community members can grab a cup of Heine Brothers coffee and ask questions to a cast of rotating officials, including Kentucky State Senate members, Kentucky House Representatives, Metro Councilpersons, and mayors. A trained facilitator will direct + moderate the discussion.
New Councilmembers
This winter, three of the seven newly sworn in council members will appear at Café LOUIE events — see the 2025 schedule for an up-to-date list of participating officials.
J.P. Lyninger
The new District 6 Council member is Louisville’s first Democratic Socialist representative at the Metro level. Here’s where you can meet him:
- Highlands-Shelby Park Library on Saturday, Jan. 25
- Main Branch Library on Saturday, March 1
- Parkland Library on Saturday, March 22, subject to its reopening
Josie Raymond
Elected in November to represent District 10, Raymond was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the last five years. You can find her at these Café LOUIE events:
- Highlands-Shelby Park Library on Saturday, Jan. 25
- Bon Air Library on Saturday, March. 8
- Newburg Library on Saturday, March 15
Kevin Bratcher
Another former state representative, Bratcher now represents Louisville’s District 22. He’ll be at the following Café LOUIE events:
- Fern Creek High School on Saturday, Jan. 18
- South Central Regional Library on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Who’s who at Café LOUIE?
Here are some fast facts about each legislative branch:
Kentucky State Senate
- Comprised of 38 members elected from single-member districts
- Meet in Frankfort annually starting in January — sessions last 60 legislative days in even-numbered years and 30 days in odd-numbered years
- Senate candidates must be at least 30-years-old, a citizen of Kentucky, and have lived in their district for at least one year prior to election.
- No term limits
- Find your state senator
Kentucky House of Representatives
- Composed of 100 representatives elected from single-member districts
- House candidates must be at least 24-years-old, a citizen of Kentucky, and have lived in their district at least one year prior to election
- Elected every two years
- Find your state representative
Louisville Metro Council
- Established in 2003 after the merger between the City of Louisville and Jefferson County
- Consists of 26 seats corresponding to districts throughout Jefferson County
- Elected every four years in a staggered process.
- Read more about the council’s responsibilities and how to participate.
- Find your councilperson
