Feb. 12, 2007 CONTACT: Leslie Caudill
COLUMN
SENATE
WEEK IN REVIEW
Submitted by Senator Denise Harper Angel
FRANKFORT — Members of the Kentucky General Assembly
reconvened the 2007 legislative session this week facing a wide variety of
issues that will have to be addressed over the upcoming weeks.
Recent state budget projections look promising, with a
potential surplus close to $400 million over the next 18 months. Although this is not a budget year, several
projects, along with funding for state pensions and the rainy day fund, deserve
immediate financial support.
Over the next few weeks we will be studying what projects or
initiatives need immediate budgetary attention. At the same time we will also be debating and passing
legislation intended to keep Kentucky on the right path. This week we have already passed two
significant pieces of legislation that will make Kentucky a safer place to work
and live. Senate Bills 88 and 34
passed unanimously from the Senate this week and now move to the House for
passage.
Senate Bill 88 targets Internet pharmacies that cater to
people who can't get prescription drugs from their doctor. Currently drug
abusers going online can fill out a form, give a list of symptoms, and have
drugs sent to them without ever being evaluated in person by a medical
professional. Prescription drugs like OxyContin and other pain medications have
quickly become a menace throughout Kentucky and the nation, and this is our
latest effort to stop such abuse at its source.
An excellent pilot program in Southern Kentucky has enabled
local pharmacies to collectively implement a real-time tracking log for ephedrine
and pseudoephedrine, which are key ingredients in the making of
methamphetamine. Senate Bill 88 would enable us to take the program statewide,
connecting the more than 12,000 pharmacies in the commonwealth to stop the
spread of meth.
Senate Bill 34 is aimed at providing arrested drug addicts the help they need immediately, even before they go to trial, which will save the state millions of dollars in treatment cost.
The measure would set aside at least 200 beds for people who
have been charged with a felony and have substance abuse issues. The program would be entirely
voluntary, because the participants would not have been tried in court yet.
Although 200 beds is a small number compared to the number of prisoners who
have drug problems, the cost savings could be enormous — up to $40
million just for those 200 beds, an average of $200,000 each. We think it's a
wise investment. If the program proves as successful as we think it will be, it
could be expanded in the future.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation to
keep a closer eye on registered sex offenders' online activities, where they
can use screen names to mask their true identities. The Senate Veterans,
Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee has passed legislation that
would save taxpayers' money while offering state employees who served in the
armed forces additional health care coverage.
There will be hundreds of other subjects facing the
General Assembly as we work through upcoming days and weeks, and I encourage
you to stay informed about activity in the State Capitol throughout the 2007
session. Make your voice heard by
calling our Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181 or by e-mail me at denise.harperangel@lrc.ky.gov.. You
can also follow our activities online at http://www.kysenatedemocrats.com.
Senator Harper Angel represents the 35th
Senate District in Jefferson County.
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