A bill that would allow the Ten Commandments to be posted in local government buildings and schools across the commonwealth breezed through the Kentucky Senate last week.
The bill must now return to the House of Representatives for approval because some changes were made to the measure since the House accepted it in late February.
Under the current proposal, the Commandments could be shown as part of a historical display.
The bill passed the Senate on a 37-1 vote with only Ernesto Scorsone, D-Lexington, objecting.
The measure passed March 1 also included a provision that would order the words “In God We Trust”placed behind the Speaker of the House’s podium.
If the changes receive approval from the House, the bill will land on Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s desk for approval.
••••••••••
A bill that would have changed the state Constitution to limit damages in some medical malpractice suits failed to pass the Senate March 1.
The vote, which was 21-15, didn’t meet the three-fifths majority needed to pass a bill designed to change the state constitution.
If the proposal had passed, the measure would have appeared on ballots in the fall.
Under the bill, the General Assembly would have had the power to assign a monetary amount for pain, suffering and punitive damages.
••••••••••
A bill that would toughen the guidelines for pre-abortion counseling has passed the House following some contentious debate.
A similar proposal found little opposition before its passage in the Senate Thursday.
The bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Tanya Pullin, D-South Shore, said the measure was designed to close some loopholes in existing law.
Pullin said she had hoped to avoid a fight over abortion.
But some opponents of the bill, like State Rep. Mary Lou Marizan, D-Louisville, said if the proposal became law it could affectively ban abortions for women living outside of Lexington and Louisville because of the additional travel costs.
Under current state law, a required consultation prior to an abortion can be done over the telephone.
Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, said that this proposal was another step to effectively outlaw abortion in Kentucky, one step at a time.
“The problem (of unwanted pregnancy) will remain,” Stein said. “ I see this as an insult to Kentucky women.”
••••••••••
Despite a battle over two amendments that would have opened some juvenile records to law enforcement, a bill that would prevent convicted sex offenders from living near schools or daycare centers passed the House on Tuesday.
The amendments, proposed by Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington, would have eased access to juvenile criminal records.
Speaker of the House Jody Richardson, D-Bowling Green, ruled the first amendment was piggybacking on the bill and didn’t allow it to be voted on for adoption.
The second bill, which would only allow police officers to have access to the juvenile records, was allowed to be voted on.
The proposed amendment drew considerable fire from some lawmakers.
Rob Wilkey, a Democrat from Scottsville, characterized the amendments as “terrible” and would make the juvenile court records “too open.”
“This would be a huge shift in public policy,” Wilkey said.
Lee countered that it was time to “rethink” the state’s stance on juvenile records.
Without the changes proposed by the amendments, House Bill 3 would bar convicted sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school or daycare center and order them to update their public profile every two years.
In objecting to the amendments, Frankfort Democrat Derrick Graham said opening the records to greater scrutiny would only hurt minors who may have made a one-time mistake.
“(The amendments) put a tag on kids,” Graham said. “If it’s destiny that these kids are part of the problem, then we as parents haven’t followed through. … If we pass this, these kids will be labeled for life.”
Although Lee’s amendment failed on a 47-48 vote, the sex-offender measure was approved.
The bill now goes on to the Senate for consideration.

Click Here to Go Back to Front